Colorado resident John Jepkema became the oldest man to hike the Grand Canyon. At the age of 91, John performed this rim-to-rim trek alongside other senior friends. Spending five days backpacking through the trails with the group allowed for ample time to socialize and enjoy the process. John claims he’s pretty competitive by nature. So when he saw the open record, he decided to just go for it.
Beginning at the North Kaibab trailhead at the north rim of the grand canyon, John and his crew documented the journey for the Guinness Book of World’s Records. Although it will be a few months before they get confirmation of the record, they know for sure he is the oldest man to complete this impressive hike. Five days a week, John walked five to eight miles. He kept this up for the four months leading up to his Grand Canyon hike, according to Craig Daily Press.
However, he explains that at the end of the hike, it wasn’t the physical accomplishment that struck him the most. It was the amount of people that lined up to take photos with the nonagenarian hiker. There ended up being a line of twenty to thirty people waiting to meet him. “It was pretty special”, John said. Then he added with a laugh, “I wasn’t expecting that, but it certainly boosted my ego”.
Now that the hiking record is over, John plans to take a little break from the trails. He’s considering going back to competitive shooting, which he’s taken part in for more than seventy years. A lot of seniors never even contemplate the possibility of accomplishing something like this hike. Yet John proves that sometimes all it takes is some determination, willpower, and a little help from friends.