Vegan Hiker Attempts Pacific Crest Trail Record

Josh Garrett, a junior college track coach and exercise physiology instructor, first hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2009—a 2,655-mile journey of desserts, forests, and mountains that starts in Mexico and ends in Canada. On June 10, Garrett set out from Mexico once again, but this time he plans to make the border-to-border odyssey in record time. After meeting two turkeys that his friend rescued on Thanksgiving, Garrett went vegan in 2011, and he is attempting to break the record to raise money for the animal-welfare organization Mercy For Animals. “I love animals and I can’t eat them and I don’t want to see them suffer,” says Garrett. “I’m doing this to support Mercy For Animals and to hopefully inspire others.” You can follow Garrett’s journey on his Twitter account.