SALT LAKE CITY — You might have seen him during one of your hikes in the Salt Lake City foothills.
At 73 years old, Dru White says that over the last 13 years, he’s finished over 1,000 hikes, hiked over 8,000 miles, and over 6 million vertical feet. And he’s not slowing down anytime soon.
"It's more than just a change of scenery," White said.
The Payson native, who says tracks his progress through Garmin devices, completed hike number 1,803 with FOX 13 News this month while on The Living Room Lookout Trail in the foothills of Salt Lake City.
"There's nothing like it," White said during the hike. "The mountain can actually give back to you what the city takes away and that's really something.”
He says his passion for hiking runs in the family. White's father was also an avid hiker who continued later in life.
"I just grew up doing it," White said. "My father hiked, I was down with him on Mount Nebo, the highest peak on this range when he was 82.”
During the hike, White ran into another hiker who shares his love for the trails. Erwin McPherson, 79, who lives in Sugar House, finds similar peace in the mountain.
"Hiking really just settles my mind. Things may not be going well, you get out and walk and after awhile, they're okay," McPherson said.
For White, the trails offer more than physical benefits. They provide wisdom that he carries into daily life.
"As my grandfather once told me, to succeed in life takes a certain amount of not caring. The wisdom comes in choosing which things to care about and which things to let go of," White said. "Being up here on the trail helps you to put things into perspective.”
As 2026 begins and many people set new resolutions, White encourages people to consider starting their year outdoors.
Even as temperatures drop, he says these trails are worth the trek this winter:
—Living Room Lookout Trail (moderate)
—Mount Van Cott (medium hard)
—Limekiln to Dry Creek Loop (medium hard)
—Avenues Twin Peaks (moderate)
—Red Butte Canyon Overlook (easy)
—Bonneville Shoreline Trail, U of U to Emigration Canyon Road (easy)
—Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Dry Creek to Bobsled Loop (moderate)
—Red Butte Skyline East Loop (moderate)
If you want to learn more about White and for helpful hiking tips, head here.
