Heather, known as Anish on trails, became the second female to complete the “Double Triple Crown of Backpacking” in 2017. This entails completing the Appalachian, Pacific Crest and Continental Divide National Scenic Trails each twice. In 2018 she simultaneously became the first female Triple Triple Crowner and the first female Calendar Year Triple Crowner when she hiked all three of those trails in one March-November season.
She also holds the overall self-supported Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Pacific Crest Trail (2013)–hiking it in 60 days, 17 hours, 12 min, which broke the previous men's record by four days and established the first female record. She also holds the female self-supported FKT on the Appalachian Trail (2015) in a time of 54 days, 7 hours, 48 minutes, and the Arizona Trail (2016) which she completed in 19 days, 17 hours, 9 minutes.
She has hiked nearly 30,000 miles since 2003 including 13 thru-hikes.
She is also an ultra-marathon runner and has completed six 100 mile races since August 2011 as well as dozens of 50k and 50 mile events. She has attempted the infamous Barkley Marathons four times, starting a third loop once. She is also an avid mountaineer and peakbagger working on several ascent lists in the US and abroad.
When not on an adventure Anish speaks regularly about her adventures and her first book Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home chronicling her Pacific Crest Trail record, was published by Mountaineers Books in 2019.
As a professional speaker, her talks are sought after for their adventure stories, humor, and the applications of trail lessons to life off the trail.
