Vancouver hiker has tough days on Continental Divide Trail

TWIN LAKES, Colo. — Vancouver long-distance hiker Jeff Garmire is making his way south through Colorado and should enter New Mexico in the final week of September as he has fewer than 1,000 miles to go to complete the Continental Divide Trail.

Garmire is attempting to join the select group who have completed America’s three great long-distance trails in a calendar year. He has already hiked the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails.

Friends from Denver joined him for a few trail miles and he’s had some town meals, a break from the solo hiking that began in early February.

Garmire continues to average 30 miles a day or more.

“I’m sure he’d appreciate any friendly encouragement from the home front as this next month will be a challenge,’’ said his father, Fred Garmire.

Garmire’s daily blog can be found online at http://freeoutside.com.

He recently hiked a 44-mile day earlier this week.

“Colorado is so steep, exposed, high altitude and has so much climbing I am hoping this will be my last day over 40 miles for the state,’’ he wrote. “This was right up there with the most difficult days of hiking I have ever had.’’

His current schedule has him finishing in mid-October.