… Shawn “Pepper” Forry and Justin “Trauma” Lichter trudged up a muddy hillside during a desert downpour to reach the southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail.
The two men had just completed what’s thought to be the first documented, wintertime through-hike of the iconic, 2,650-mile footpath from Canada to Mexico. …
During the early stages of the trip in Washington and Oregon they traveled on snowshoes. When they reached the Truckee area they switched to skis and spent about 400 miles “survival skiing” over and around rocks, brush and ice. For the latter part of the trip they wore lightweight hiking boots. ..
… Before this trip, the two combined had more than 55,000 miles of trail hiking experience in seven different countries.
Their bond is one forged by years of hiking and establishing new routes together: in 2007, they established a precursor to the 850-mile Te Araroa trail in the Southern Alps of New Zealand; in 2008, they became some of the first people to traverse the 850-mile Hayduke Trail in the Grand Canyon; in 2011, they traversed the Himalayan Mountains from the eastern Nepal border to the India-Pakistan border; and, in 2013, they completed the High Sierra Ski Traverse from Sonora Pass to Mammoth Lakes, California.
You get the idea: These guys are tough. …
Outside Online – First-Ever Winter Thru-Hike of the PCT
Thanks Fedak.
besthike.com 