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| DAY 603—Jeremy Jacobus begins his hike at Valle Lindo Park in Camarillo on day 603 of what he plans to be 1,000 days of hiking. |
1,000 days of hiking
Almost two years ago Jeremy Jacobus told his wife that he’d like to tackle 100 hikes in 100 days. The Ventura resident hoped it would get him back in shape and help him shed some of the weight he had gained.
His wife, Jessi, told him that 100 hikes weren’t enough and he’d put all the weight right back on when he was done. She said he should hike for 1,000 days straight.
She never expected him to accept the challenge.
“Because it’s every day, it’s like Groundhog Day,” said Jessi Jacobus.
On Nov. 16, 2010, Jeremy Jacobus hit the trail to begin his quest.
It hasn’t always gone smoothly. He says he often gets lost and, in fact, it only took two days for that to happen.
He was hiking the Santa Rosa trail near Wildwood in Thousand Oaks on the second day, Nov. 17. The plan for the day was to go three miles. He got lost and the three miles stretched to six.
But along the way he got to see three sunsets as he ascended and descended different hills, so he’s learned to enjoy where the hikes take him.
“I’ll just look something up on Google Maps real fast,” said the 37-year-old. “Then I’ll just say ‘Let’s go out there and see what happens.’”
Jacobus said there are many local hikes he enjoys, including one in particular that can’t be found on maps: “The Secret of the Arroyo,” which he said could be accessed near the ball fields on Ventu Park Road in Newbury Park.
He’s hiked throughout Ventura County and the Santa Monica Mountains as well as farther afield in Northern and Southern California, Hawaii and New Zealand.
He keeps a blog of all his trail activities at www.calihike. blogspot.com.
Jacobus grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. When he arrived in Ventura 10 years ago, he appreciated the accessibility he had to mountains. With a desire for discovery and urge to explore new vistas, Jacobus plans to complete the 1,000 hikes at 1,000 different locations.
Completing the challenge won’t be easy. Jacobus works fulltime for a debt collection company and he’s a family man with an 8-year-old son and 11-year-old stepdaughter.
He doesn’t miss a day of hiking and his quest has put some stress on the family.
“Whenever we go somewhere, we have to work around his hikes,” Jessi Jacobus said.
While his wife and the children often join him on weekend hikes, Jessi is not the most willing of participants.
“I do not like being dirty and nasty,” said Jessi Jacobus who runs a day care service out of the family’s home. “It’s a big pain.”
Although Jeremy Jacobus hasn’t lost as much weight as he’d hoped in more than 600 days of hiking, he said feels healthier and his legs are stronger. Nonetheless, it’s been an uphill battle for the self-proclaimed “lazy hiker.”
“I’m not naturally good at this,” Jacobus said. “I remember being in the woods as a kid, getting lost and crying. Now I am not crying, but I still struggle”
Nick Sanders, a former coworker who has known Jacobus for five years, said his friend is anything but incompetent when it comes to hiking.
“Doing 1,000 days straight is just crazy. I’m pretty amazed by him.”
Sanders, 25, has been on two of Jacobus’ 1,000-day hikes, and plans to join him on others.
The 1,000 hikes won’t be the end of the line for Jacobus. He said he recently read about a man who hiked the same trail in New Hampshire for 2,850 days in a row.
Jacobus’ reaction?
“I guess I have to do that then,” he said.
On day 1,000, which will be in August 2013, Jacobus plans to hike Mount Whitney with his 8-year-old son, Ayden.
Jacobus said that after 999 hikes, he’ll be ready for the big 1,000.
“With my son with me, it will be an . . . experience that we’ll always share,” Jacobus said. “It’s priceless.”
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