Operation Hiking Home: 122 Laps on the Manitou Incline

I sit down with yet another Jeff, but this one took things to a different level. Over the course of October and November, he completed 122 laps of the Manitou Incline, nearly a mile and over 2,000 feet of gain per lap, turning one of the most brutal stair climbs in the country into a month-long experiment in mental resilience.

What started as training for a future unsupported FKT evolved into something much bigger. A Navy veteran with multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, he shares how his nervous system adapted to years in combat and why returning to everyday civilian life felt overwhelming. Loud environments, crowds, and constant inputs became difficult, while long, repetitive movement in nature helped turn the volume back down.

We talk about why hiking and rucking can work where therapy and medication do not for some veterans, how mundane suffering and repetition create space for processing trauma, and why unsupported FKTs and long efforts with weight may be a wide-open niche for athletes with military backgrounds. He explains how the incline project became a fundraiser and awareness campaign for Warrior Expeditions, a veteran-led nonprofit that helps veterans heal through long-distance hiking.

This conversation dives into combat stress, family life, fatherhood, endurance, mental health, and the simple power of left foot, right foot. It is a powerful reminder that the outdoors offers different things to different people, and sometimes the hardest, most boring path is the one that helps us heal the most.

Check out Warrier Expeditions: https://warriorexpeditions.org/

Follow Jeff Snyder: https://www.instagram.com/jsnydersoloadventures/

Chapters

00:00 The Manitou Incline Challenge

05:10 Mental Resilience Through Hiking

07:41 The Impact of Combat on Mental Health

10:07 Nature as a Healing Tool

13:01 The Role of Community in Recovery

15:36 Fundraising for Warrior Expeditions

17:58 Accidental Discoveries in Nature

20:35 Transitioning from Rucking to Hiking

23:15 The Importance of Mindset in Outdoor Challenges

25:23 Unexpected Changes in Combat Situations

28:01 Daily Life and the Incline Challenge

30:31 Supporting Veterans Through Outdoor Activities

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