Just like that, it’s over. My PCT thru-hike did not go as planned this year. After our two-week trailcation and hiking the 50-mile snowfree section from Timberline Lodge to Cascade Locks, I decided to end my thru-hike early. There were a combination of reasons why I decided to end my hike. It was a very tough decision to make, but I know it was the most responsible choice. Read more…
Tehachapi was one of our favorite town stops along the PCT last year in 2018. Bleeder and I couldn’t wait to get back into Tehachapi for another zero day this year. But first, we had to get there. On Day 43, we knew we only had 17 miles to hike until we were at the road to get into town. Making it to Tehachapi would be our big motivator for getting these miles done today. Read more…
The unseasonably cold and wet weather in Southern California has made the time on trail really challenging. I’ve often questioned myself why I’m out here hiking in the first place – something I never did along my thru-hike last year. This is why this week’s lesson has been all about learning how to embrace the suck. Read more…
The town stops along the PCT in Southern California have been wonderful, ranging from large campgrounds to RV Parks, businesses/community centers opening their property for free camping for hikers to hostels and even trail angels who open their homes to host hikers. Hiker Town was by far the most interesting stop along trail in Southern California. Read more…
Blogging and making videos about my PCT thru-hike while I’m out here on trail is fun, but its been a challenge trying to keep them current and juggle both. This is why I’m combining Week Four and Five together into one blog post. Read more…
There are two things that can end a thru-hike quickly – running out of money and injury. This year, I’ve been forced to take things a whole lot easier than I did last year. At first, I felt like a failure for having an injury so early on in my hike. Then I realized giving my body enough time to rest and heal is instrumental if I want to stay on trail and finish my hike. Read more…
Our second week out on the PCT was filled with a few bigger mile days, a couple of rest days, a milestone, trail magic and plenty of incredible desert views. Read more…
Already a week into our hike, I’ve been humbled by this trail and it’s a good thing. Better to get all of the wiggles out now within the first 100 miles. Hopefully this means the rest of our hike will be somewhat smooth sailing, at least for the next few hundred miles or so. Read more…
Proud. Accomplished. Healthy. Happy. Tired. Relieved. Changed. Overwhelmed. Surreal. Weird. Sad. These are some of the things I’ve been feeling since I completed my PCT thru-hike on Sept. 27. Read more…
It’s all a choice. Choices I’m more than happy to make. I knew there would be plenty of sacrifices to make when I chose to hike the PCT again in 2019. Read more…
Now I want to do it all over again. I want to hike the entire PCT, from Mexico to Canada. A question I often get asked now is, “Why hike the same trail all over again?” There are several reasons why I want to hike the PCT again. Read more…
Now that I’ve hiked something as big as the Pacific Crest Trail, it’s hard not to think about doing another long-distance hike or planning the next big adventure. I mean, who hikes thousands of miles through three states, over five months and comes home to do nothing? Before I got off trail to come home, […] Read more…
One of the traditions of thru-hiking a long-distance trail is having a trail name. Most thru-hikers are given a trail name at some point during their hike. A trail name is a nickname that has to be earned, somewhere out on the trail. Here’s the story of how I earned mine. Read more…
Many of you know Grit as the guy who finished thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail with me at the Canadian border. Did you know Grit and I travelled over 1,700 miles together over the last few months along the PCT? Grit played a HUGE role in me hiking all the way to Canada. I couldn’t have done it without him, nor would I have wanted to. Meet Grit. Read more…
As my PCT thru-hike was coming closer to the end, I kept hearing more and more from other hikers about post-trail blues. At first, I didn’t think it was a thing. How could not hiking make me depressed? Now that I’ve been back a little over a week, the post-trail blues is a thing and it’s been hitting me hard. Read more…
It’s hard to believe we’re down to our last five days of hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail. From Holden Valley all the way to the monument at the Canadian border, we got a window of perfect hiking weather. This is how Grit and I ended our PCT thru-hike. Read more…