About Heather

Heather, known as Anish on trails, completed her “Triple Crown” of Backpacking in 2006 at the age of 25. She completed the 2,100 mile long Appalachian Trail in 2003, the 2,600 mile long Pacific Crest Trail in 2005, and the ~2,600 mile long Continental Divide Trail in 2006. She subsequently took up ultra-marathon running, and has completed six 100 mile races since August 2011 as well as dozens of 50k and 50 mile events. She has attempted the Barkley Marathons three times, starting a third loop once.
She is well known for setting the overall self-supported Fastest Known Time (FKT) speed record on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013 (60 days, 17 hours, 12 min), breaking the previous men's record by four days and establishing the first female record. In 2015 she once again made FKT history, setting the overall self-supported FKT on the Appalachian Trail (54 days, 7 hours, 48 minutes) also breaking the men's record by four days and the female record by 26 days.
When not on an adventure Heather is an online coach and ACE certified Personal Trainer. She also speaks about her adventures regularly and is currently working on a book chronicling her Pacific Crest Trail record.

Personal Blog: RunHikeLiveLove.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnishHikes
Instagram: @AnishHikes
Twitter: @AnishHikes

Favorite Products

• Thermawrap Trail Skirt

  As Fall approaches I'm finding the Thermawrap skirt to be more and more beneficial, It's a great piece for layering over tights for extra warmth, especially when mornings and summits are chilly.
  The stretch panels keep range of motion open, while the synthetic insulation and wind proof fabric ensures that I stay warm even on rainy days. At just a little over 3 ounces it's a great piece to throw into your pack when the weather is unpredictable.

  

• Tachyon Jacket Women's

  In combination with the Thermawrap Sport Jacket, the Tachyon completes my backcountry layering kit on most days. This windproof layer is almost weightless (only 1.4oz!) and traps body heat like a much heavier insulated layer would.
  In summer this is a staple in my pack for inclement emergencies.
  Unlike other wind shirts the Tachyon has underarm ventilation which makes it far more comfortable to hike in on days where the weather changes rapidly. The hidden pocket with closure on the side is the perfect place to stash my UL Shell Gloves which complete my emergency layer system.

  

• U.L. Shell Gloves

  I suffer from Reynouds Syndrome and have tried nearly every glove under the sun. The UL Shell Gloves have proved to be a good choice in the summer when I just need something to block the wind, or light precipitation. They are not waterproof, but they retain enough body heat without making my hands sweaty. They've been my go to for trail running, climbing, and backpacking all summer and now into the fall. I find that stashing them in the pocket of my Tachyon Jacket keeps me prepared for inclement weather shifts at the drop of a hat. At .4 oz they are more than worth their weight in the field.

  

• Merino Wool Plus Action Zip Neck Women's

  I am a huge fan on natural fabrics, especially Merino Wool. Merino is my favorite for the backcountry on cool weather days as well extended trips (front or back country). Merino is warm when it’s wet, feels good against the skin, and takes longer to develop a smell from daily wear. These factors make it a great go-to for a lot of different types of travel. One major drawback however is durability. 100% Merino does wear out much faster than synthetics.
  Therefore, I was very pleased to find that Montbell now makes Merino Blend tops. I picked up the long sleeve Merino Wool Plus Action Zip Shirt and the short sleeve Merino Wool Plus Light T.
  At 89% wool/11% Poleyester for the Plus Action Zip Shirt and 53%wool + 47% polyester for the Plus Light T these shirts provide the comfortable feel, insulative properties and the anti-stink that you’d get from a 100% version, but with the added benefit of being more durable and less expensive. I also put mine in the dryer on low (a no-no with most wool, including the care tags on these) and they didn’t shrink. But, it’s a risk...so be warned.
  I found the fit on these to be true to size and very comfortable. Not restrictive at all. I wore them layered on cool weather days all across my spring road trip where I traveled through spring in the deep south to the vestiges of winter in the upper Midwest and Northern Plains...and a lot in between. I wore them for both hiking and running and was very pleased with their performance.
  Since I wasn’t doing laundry often on the roadtrip I ended up wearing these as travel pieces as well. They acquired odor faster than my 100% merino pieces, but I was still able to go 3-4 days of travel and hiking/running before they were in need of a wash.
  The Merino Plus Light T was as light as my synthetic t-shirts, which makes it pretty desirable for trips where weight is a concern. As a mid-layer the Action Zip Neck was also a reasonably light enough piece (8oz).