Baker High School alumnus Jason Hardrath has climbed his way into Pacific Northwest mountaineering history by scaling all of Washington’s 100 tallest peaks in 50 days, 23 hours, 43 minutes.

The feat took him through 869 miles of Washington state’s mountain terrain while accumulating over 411,500 feet of elevation gain.

This list of 100 peaks is commonly referred to as the “Bulger’s List,” and just 82 climbers – most taking four or more years — have completed the list since its first finisher in 1980.

Regarding fast finishers, the previous record for this feat of endurance, tenacity, and mountain prowess had stood for two years at 13 1/2 months.

Hardrath, a 2007 BHS graduate who teaches school at Bonanza, near Klamath Falls, was drawn to the mountains after a car accident in 2015 stole his identity as an Ironman triathlete. Not being able to run, he took up climbing. He built his mountain skills and knowledge base over the years since the accident, taking on bigger and bigger objectives, which eventually led him to discovering the Bulger’s list.

“I wanted to do this to test myself, I wanted a challenge, I wanted a grand adventure,” Hardrath says, “I wanted to answer the question, both for myself and the PNW mountaineering community: What can be done on these 100 peaks if the person just doesn’t go home until it’s finished? I also had this deep drive to be authentic to my students when I tell them to dream big, chase those dreams, and don’t let setbacks get you down.”

Those who are familiar with the terrain in the North Cascades have been stunned by not just Hardrath’s athletic ability, but also the amount of planning that had to go into such an undertaking.

“(Jason’s) logistics (transportation, routes, food, gear, electronics, etc.) were as mind-boggling as (his) physicality,” said John Roper, the first to complete the Bulger’s list.

Since finishing, Hardrath is taking some hard-earned rest time, but is looking forward to getting back out in the mountains.

“It is never just about the end with these things,” he said. “Yes, I was racing a clock until the final step from the final peak, but it was about fully experiencing every peak, every bushwhack, every challenge out there. It was about being in the moment, both with the testing moments and the glorious ones. I truly feel I poured ut the best I could bring to these challenges along the way. I feel a deep satisfaction of hard work, well done.

“This was exactly the sort of thing that a kid who couldn’t sit still growing up in Baker City was supposed to find himself out doing,” Hardrath said. “I am proud of this effort, but excited to get back out playing in the mountains on the next adventure.”

Hardrath’s record was verified through live satellite check-ins, GPS data, and geo-time-stamped cellphone photos demonstrating his visits to each correct summit. The record has been accepted by www.fastestknowntime.com and the Bulger’s List Finishers group, who plans to honor his effort at their yearly finisher banquet at “The Mountaineers” Complex based in Seattle this November.

Along for the ride was production company WZRD Media, which is in the process of creating a mini-documentary about Hardrath’s achievement. The film should be released this fall, and might appear in the well-known Banff Mountain Film Festival. The short film’s proposed title is “Journey to 100.”

Find and follow along on Jason’s adventures on Instagram @jasonhardrath, or on his website, jasonhardrath.com.