Adam “Too Fast” Slobatian
Adam Slobadian from Bozeman Montana is a fast hiker. His trail name is “Too Fast,” but he doesn’t really hike too fast, just faster and longer each day than the average hiker.
Adam averages between 35-40+ miles per day on the Pacific Crest Trail. He left Campo near the Mexican border on May 15th and he expects to reach Canada by mid August. Wow! A 2600 mile hike through rugged terrain in 3 months!
Adam had been wearing his Altra Timp hiking shoes for 720 miles by the time he got to Burney. He wore down soles and the cushions so it was time for a new pair.
Before reaching Burney he checked one of the PCT apps on which people record their experiences and recommendations for PCT friendly stops. He saw that the Word of Life Assembly of God Church welcomes hikers. PCT hikers can sleep overnight in the gym. Kathy Newton is very hospitable and helpful, and church members provide trail magic. He also read that they receive and hold packages for PCT hikers.
So Adam ordered a new pair of Altra shoes online and had them shipped to WOLA. He hiked the stretch along Hat Creek Ridge on July 2. Coming down to Baum Lake, he pulled out his cell phone to check reception when he was suddenly called back to attention by a rattlesnake.
“Hey Buddy! Pay attention to the trail!” the snake rattled.
Adam spent the night at Burney Mountain Guest Ranch, and on the morning of July 3, hiked down to 299 to hitch a ride into Burney. The third car that came pulled over. Inside was Rev. Ken Frazier, pastor of WOLA, who was on his way to the church.
I met Adam in the coffee shop as he was waiting for his shoes. If the shoes arrived early enough he was planning to head back out on the trail. If they didn’t come until late afternoon or early evening he planned to spend the night at the church.
Adam is 32 years old. He grew up in upstate New York in a town near Binghamton. He attended the University of Vermont where he studied philosophy and art. During that time, he spent a lot of time hiking the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
When he received his degree in 2009, the economy was still suffering. Adam read about Bozeman and decided to head West to see what the Rocky Mountains were like. For the first three months, he lived in a tent. His found a job as a dispatcher for a towing company. Then he was hired by a firm that trains professional accountants where he has worked successfully for the past 7 years.
Living in the East, Adam had wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail. Living in Bozeman, he decided instead to try the PCT. He applied to his boss for leave explaining ways in which his absence would actually benefit the development of the company.
His boss said, “Sure, take six months off and enjoy yourself. We’ll see you when you get back.”
Because Adam is “Two Fast,” he hikes the trail mostly alone. Most hikers average 20 to 25 miles a day. When he has told some of the hikers the pace he sets, several have asked to join him thinking that it would increase their pace. It did, but after a few hours they would drop behind wanting to rest or linger for a while someplace along the trail.
For many hikers, “It’s the miles not the smiles.” For Adam it’s the miles and the smiles.
“The Pacific Crest Trail has been an amazing experience with incredible scenery and extremely generous and kind people that I will remember for a long time,” Adam said.
Pit River Country 