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/Chapters00:00 The Manitou Incline Challenge05:10 Mental Resilience Through Hiking07:41 The Impact of Combat on Mental Health10:07 Nature as a Healing Tool13:01 The Role of Community in Recovery15:36 Fundraising for Warrior Expeditions17:58 Accidental Discoveries in Nature20:35 Transitioning from Rucking to Hiking23:15 The Importance of Mindset in Outdoor Challenges25:23 Unexpected Changes in Combat Situations28:01 Daily Life and the Incline Challenge30:31 Supporting Veterans Through Outdoor ActivitiesSubscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.comSupport this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutsideBuy my book "Free Outside" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LpoSFEmail me to buy a signed copy of my book, "Free Outside" at [email protected] the movie about setting the record on the Colorado Trail: https://tubitv.com/movies/100019916/free-outsideWebsite: www.Freeoutside.comInstagram: thefreeoutsidefacebook: www.facebook.com/freeoutside