Anish Approaches

For all you potential or actual PCT trail angel types ... 31yr old Anish (Heather Anderson) is attempting to set the 2013 Pacific Crest Trail Fastest Known Time by a female thru-hiker. 

Anish in the Sierras (source: FaceBook)

She started the trail on June 10th, knocked out the 1700 miles thru California in 40 days, and entered Oregon late in the evening of July 18. 

She is doing this attempt as an 'unassisted' or 'self-supported' hiker, which means she will NOT have anyone following, or otherwise meeting her in a prearranged manner to give her support.

She usually puts in more than 40 miles per day, sometimes she'll pull a 50 mile day. When in the high-Sierras, she did Forester Pass 13,200ft, Glen Pass 11,947ft, Pinchot Pass 13,200ft, Mather Pass 12,096ft and Muir Pass 11,973 ft in a two day, 79-mile trek! 

In Oregon the terrain often allows the thru-hikers to put in more miles per day, so she could easily average 45-49 miles per day ... or even more. 

A friend of mine has family in town for a few weeks and they wanted to do some trail magic, so I did some calculations for when Anish could be hiking through the Ollalie Lake area: 

The Oregon border is at mile 1698; the Ollalie Lake trailhead is at mile 2053. It's only 358 miles. 

 • If 40 mpd, Ollalie TH in 9days (Fri 26July)
 • If 45 mpd, Ollalie TH in 8days (Thurs 25July)
 • If 48 mpd, Ollalie TH in 7days (early/mid-day Weds 24July)
 • If 52 mpd, Ollalie TH in 6days (late Tues 23July)


Trail Magic is acceptable as long as it is NOT planned and coordinated. Several hikers on the PCT list serve have reported she could benefit from some high-calorie items such as candy bars, cookies, GU packets, cold non-diet sodas, cold gatorade, etc. She appears to be semi-vegetarian based on posts I've read so I would avoid meat products. She is eating cheese products. 

She keeps a very limited FaceBook blog that is accessible without having an account.  https://m.facebook.com/AnishHikes?refid=17

In my humble opinion she is one serious bad-ass woman! 

Oh yeah, the current speed record holders are Scott Williamson AKA 'Bink' and Adam Bradley AKA 'Krudmeister' who co-hold the current record of 65d, 9h, 58m which was set in 2009.

There are a few other fast hikers approaching our area, the herd appears to be spread between Sierra City (mile 1197) and Burney Falls State Park (mile 1423) with the tail-end of the hikers still making their way north of Yosemite (mile 960).