NEWS: 1st 900mi Idaho Centennial Trail FKT Attempt

Update (Jul 12, 2021): A bear found, dug up, and completely annihilated one of my resupply caches at mile 321 (near Thunder Mountain mine) for my next 100 mile leg. See photos and more info in report.

The Idaho Centennial Trail (ICT) was designated as the official state trail during Idaho’s Centennial year in 1990. It passes through some of Idaho’s most spectacular country, including over 300 miles in three wilderness areas: the Sawtooth Wilderness, the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness (the largest contiguous wilderness in the lower 48) and the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. The main route is about 900 miles (1’448km) long and has two alternatives, the West and East section. The ICT is a beast: wild, rugged, and remote. And that’s an understatement.

Legend has it that only 17 thru-hikers have successfully completed the entire trail. No one has claimed a Fastest Known Time (FKT) so far.

On Fri, Jul 2, 2021, ~5:00pm MT, I plan to start for a 1^st solo and self-supported FKT attempt of the ICT at the Nevada border.

[pullquote]”What you’re missing by not hiking the lesser-known trails is a cathartic, life-altering, and eye-opening experience. You will see things that very few people see, have to rely on your own navigational skills, and gain self-confidence in your ability to navigate in the backcountry.” Rebbeca Sperry [/pullquote]

To the best of my knowledge, the only FKT attempt was made in 2016 by Andrija Barker and Taylor Neal, who set out to complete the trail supported in 30 days. The attempt unfortunately ended just short of 800 miles on day 27. According to the FKT website, it took the fastest hiker 52 days to complete the trail. However, in 2018, Dan Noakes thru-hiked the trail in 42 days and I’m told that Gry Folge completed the trail in 2019 in 39 days.

I plan to follow the official main route as shown on the embedded map below (or here). I will honor all official closures as well as private land that I am aware of (and which is signed as such on the ground). I will only consider the West and/or East alternatives in case of wildfires or other official closures. If there are official reroutes, I will follow them. Note that the route on the FKT website is not current and conflicts with several private land sections.