Vegan hiker Mike “Farley” Curtin completed a 118-mile portion of the Pacific Crest Trail in 38 hours and 17 minutes last summer. The vegan hiker completed the entire 2,652-mile trail in 78 days and did not sleep for the entirety of the 118-mile portion—which in total lasted for more than 40 hours and is the longest known time a thru-hiker has competed the segment without stopping to sleep. During that segment, Curtin was motivated by one thought: the vegan waffles offered for breakfast at vegetarian camp Big Lake Youth Camp in Mt. Washington, OR. “I’m from New Hampshire so the best part about waffles to me is that I can use them to eat maple syrup,” Curtin told VegNews. “I laid my sleeping bag down on the ground as close to the camp’s mess hall as I could. Even after being awake for more than 40 hours, I made sure to set my alarm bright and early so I wouldn’t miss out on the breakfast I worked so hard to get.” Curtin transitioned to veganism around Thanksgiving in 2015 after watching documentary Cowspiracy. “The exact moment it happened was when I heard the line, ‘You can’t be an environmentalist and eat animal products. Period.’” Curtin said. “Before that I was car-free, lived a minimalist and not consumer-centric life, and forwent heating and air conditioning for environmental reasons. After making those changes, giving up animal products was easy once I knew how important it was.” The 27-year-old New Hampshire native, who loves vegan tacos and ice cream, is setting his sights on completing a similar journey on the East Coast—this time motivated by Ben & Jerry’s vegan pints. “Now that I know I can walk for 118 miles straight, I’m looking forward to the next barrier to push, and the next vegan prize to shoot for,” Curtin said. “Maybe a waffle cone of PB & Cookies at the end of Vermont’s Long Trail will do.”
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This article was edited for accuracy
