It took Heather Anderson 251 days to complete the Triple Crown - that's thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail.
On November 8, Anderson - whose trail name is "Anish" - became the first woman to hike the nearly 8,000 miles in a single calendar year. Only five others, all men, have completed the Triple Crown in under 365 days.
The feat earned her the title of National Geographic's Adventurer of the year for 2019. Before this trip, Anderson had already completed the Triple Crown twice. Her trek in 2018 made her the first woman to triple Triple Crown.
Trekking across America's longest trails has helped Anderson through her personal journey of what acceptance means, an idea she explores in her memoir reflecting on hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013.
"[The lesson was] accepting what is, rather than spending mental and physical energy lamenting what isn’t, I expected it to be this and it’s not. And so you can spend a lot of wasted energy on wishing that it was different or you can say it’s not that way, this is the way it is and what I am going to do to go forward from here," Anderson reflected on that lesson, one that she carried on her 2018 hike.
Anderson said it's a perfectly applicable lesson on the trail and off; a lesson she's been able to apply to her life.
Anderson's passion for hiking blossomed years back when her roommates took her out on a trail. She was working a summer job at the time at the Grand Canyon.
In sandals and cutoff denim shorts, she only took a granola bar and bottle of water on the hike. Anderson is the first to admit that beginners have to start somewhere. Almost two decades later, she's racked up several records and stands out as a trailblazer.
Go out and do what feels comfortable. That's Anderson's advise for novice hikers looking to push themselves.
"The trails are just inherently very safe. I think a lot of people have a misconception about it being dangerous and I think we tend to fear the unknown, and so they seem scary if you haven’t been out there," she said.
Note: before heading out on any hike, it is extremely important to let a responsible party know what your plans are and when you intend to be back. In addition, be sure to carry the 10-essentials in your pack at all times, even when you are planning for a short hike:
- Navigation: map, compass, altimeter, GPS device, personal locator beacon (PLB) or satellite messenger
- Headlamp: plus extra batteries
- Sun protection: sunglasses, sun-protective clothes and sunscreen
- First aid: including foot care and insect repellent (as needed)
- Knife: plus a gear repair kit
- Fire: matches, lighter, tinder and/or stove
- Shelter: carried at all times (can be a light emergency bivy)
- Extra food: Beyond the minimum expectation
- Extra water: Beyond the minimum expectation
- Extra clothes: Beyond the minimum expectation