It wasn't challenge enough for Christof Teuscher to climb two of the Pacific Northwest's famed volcanoes in sequence.

He also ran the distance in between.

The 42-year-old Portlander believes his Mount-Adams-to-Mount-Hood adventure in late May was a first.

In less than three days, he traveled 158 miles by foot, gaining in total about 40,000 feet in elevation, according to his tracking gear.

He slept just three hours in the course of the journey. Most of the dark hours were spent running, he wrote in an extensive blog post.

Just two years ago, Teuscher didn't count himself a runner, let alone an ultramarathoner.

A friend asked if he wanted to run a 50K at Burning Man, and he responded, "Why not?"

"I surprised myself by pushing my limits," Teuscher said. "It went quite well."

A professor of electrical and computer engineering at Portland State University, Teuscher made a connection between his professional passion for exploration and the experience on the trail.

"In research, we really try to push the limits and go into uncharted territory," he said. "I think there's a parallel here. You're blending the boundaries between ultrarunning and mountaineering."

Last year, Teuscher gave himself a Mount-Adams-to-Mount-St.-Helens challenge.

This year's journey was more than twice as long.

Teuscher found a community of runners and mountaineers online at Fastest Known Time, and they helped inspire him to push his limits even further.

On May 22, he posted his plans, drank a beer and hit the trail. He followed up with an account replete with details.

Teuscher hopes someone will follow in his tracks.

Meanwhile, he's looking ahead to the next summit.

-- Carli Brosseau

cbrosseau@oregonian.com

503-294-5121; @carlibrosseau