At HydraPak our purpose is to help athletes reach their peak performance. And. we're constantly looking for opportunities to support them in their goals, ensuring they have the proper hydration equipment they need to perform at their best. This past summer, HydraPak athlete, Max King reached out to ask if we could help in his quest to achieve a Fastest Known Time (FKT) on Steens Mountain..
Located in the wildlands of southeastern Oregon, Steens Mountain Traverse is largest fault-block mountain in the northern Great Basin. Steens is a special place for Max - he's been going to the mountain for the past 15 years to run with 400 high school athletes at the Steens Mountain Running Camp. In fact, he attended the camp himself. It had such a lasting influence on his running career that it made perfect sense for it was the perfect location for his first FKT. That meant beating the previous record of 1 day, 10 hours, 23m and 45s.
We jumped at the opportunity!
The Big Day
For 28 hours, Max and his running partner, Jackson Brill, traversed the 75 mile ridge line of Steens, tackling over 21,000 feet of climbing on trail-less, technical terrain. With limited potable water sources accessible, our 42mm Filter and UltraFlasks were essential to their success, allowing them to drink water from lakes and streams that would otherwise be undrinkable.
"I never would have made it without HydraPak's filter flasks. Man, those things have changed how easy it is to stay hydrated in the backcountry. I took water from the scummiest streams."
Max completed the Traverse in 1 day, 4 hours, 48 minutes and 55 seconds - 5 hours ahead of the previous FKT.
His inspiring and epic endeavor was captured with the help of Spirit of Dylan studios in his new film: The Big Day. The trailer below, and the full-length film can be viewed on YouTube.
Learn More About Backcountry Filtration
Interested in learning more about the importance of filtration in the backcountry? Explore our line of HydraPak Filtration Products and Filtration FAQ with athlete Hillary Allen and explore our line of HydraPak filtration products.
