The Journey of a Lifetime
In the spring of 2019, I set out to hike from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. Over the course of my
6 month trek, I pushed myself to new limits, expanded my horizons beyond what I ever thought possible and met a countless number of inspiring people.
Carrying everything needed to survive on my back through remote, beautiful and frankly dangerous landscapes has humbled me tremendously and has helped me cultivate many skills both personal and professional. It was the experience of a lifetime and
further solidified my love for nature, the importance
of human connection, and my desire to live
passionately in everything I do.
The southern terminus of the trail is found at the border of
the US and Mexico in a town called Campo, California.
In more remote parts of the trail, trail markers can be
found so that hikers have an easier time staying on course.
Having the view outside my tent change every day
was one of the most magical aspects of my hike.
2019 was an uncharacteristically rainy year for Southern California
and we were treated with wildflower-lined trails during the springtime.
Every hundred miles is marked by a small Andy Goldsworthy-esque formation of rocks, pine cones, snow or other native elements found in the area. The 700 mile marker celebrated the end of the first section of my northbound trail, the desert, and the beginning of the Sierra Nevada Mountains section.
Some nights, my hiking group and I would sleep in the open air rather than set up our tents, a style called “cowboy camping.” We did this until realizing how many crawling critters come out in the desert after the sun sets.
It’s common for hiking groups, lovingly called “Tramilies” or Trail Families to form while on the trail.
I had the pleasure of hiking with this tramily for over 400 miles.
The Pacific Crest Trail can seem incredibly daunting when looking at it from a distance. Hiking from Mexico to Canada? It sounds unfathomable. This trail became an excellent lesson in breaking down large objectives into more bite-sized tasks.
As a fellow hiker once said, “I’m not hiking to Canada today… I’m just hiking to that burger in town”
The rain that gave the south its wildflowers gave the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range incredible amounts of snow.
For our safety, some members of my hiking group and I decided to bypass the majority of the Sierra section,
which saw over 200% of average snowfall. Although I had originally set out to hike the entire trail in one shot,
I learned to let go of my ego and come to terms with the limitations of my current skillset.
Some days, we would lose the trail to snow entirely and had to rely on our GPS maps to head in the generally correct direction until the snow gave way to dirt again.
In Washington State, the third and final state on the Northbound PCT, hikers are treated with a breathtaking section called The Goat Rocks Wilderness with views of Mt. Rainier.
After traversing “The Knife’s Edge” I turned around to found the spot where the above photo was taken and took a minute to thank my knees for the work they were doing in descending that much downhill terrain.
In The Goat Rocks Wilderness there is a section of the trail called “The Knife’s Edge” which follows the spine of a mountainous ridge before descending back down below the tree line.