On March 30, 2026, I start hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.
What
I’ll be spending ~6 months hiking from Campo, CA to Manning Park, WA. The PCT travels 2,650 miles along the west coast. Everything I need, want, etc, will be strapped to my back. I will be traversing every type of ecosystem there is. The rough breakdown:
- 1 month in the desert (hot and dry; also my “home advantage”)
- 1 month in the high desert (dry and cold; up in the mountains; also my “home advantage”)
- 1 month in the Sierras (big mountains with epic passes (like Colorado))
- 1 month in northern California (still mountainous, but not like the Sierras)
- 1 month in Oregon (flat and lots of mosquitos)
- 1 month in Washington State (incredible mountains and real solitude)
Why
These answers will get me through my hardest days.
- I’m very much looking forward to the actual accomplishment.
- I want to know what the physicality feels like. I want to watch my body change over time with the extreme endeavors I put it through.
- I am an example to my kids. Do hard things.
- I am looking forward to meeting new people.
- I want to explore the country.
- I want to know what it’s like to be away from social media and the like.
How
I’ll resupply (food/supplies/gear) on average about every 5 days. The longest carry I have is 9-10 days. I will walk into a town and literally go to a grocery store to get what I need. Sometimes I’ll mail my self a package or gear from an online shop.
My gear list: https://lighterpack.com/r/fl5pbw
FAQ
How long is it going to take you?
2,650 miles will take me five to six months. Fun fact: After you’re done with the trail, it takes ~2-3 weeks to “recoup.” I’ll need 2-3 weeks to re-acclimate my body and mind to normal life, and not crazy-working-out-everyday madness.
Who are you doing it with?
Nobody, I am hiking the trail by myself. I will meet lots of others along the way. About 3,000 people start and roughly 800 will finish the whole thing.
Where does it start?
The southern trailhead is in Campo, California (just outside San Diego), at the border of Mexico.
I hear California has lots of fires and snow; what will you do about that?
Fires, I have to skip. No question. The thing with snow, it’s about how much snow / what type of snow, and your own personal risk factor. I skew towards the slightly safer ways of handling snow, but am not afraid to tackle it in the right conditions.
Do you actually go into Canada?
Yes, the trail enters British Columbia and ends at a place called Manning Park. Because Manning Park is not a Port of Entry, I will get to hike the 20 miles back into the US to get home.
How many miles will you be hiking per day?
I plan to start at around 15 miles per day and work up to around 25-35 by the end of the trail.
Are you bringing a gun?
No, I am not bringing a gun. I will fight the bears (and humans) with only my charm.
How are you getting food?
I will be stopping in towns and mailing myself resupply packages to replenish my food/gear stock. There’s a town, roughly, every 4-6 days along the trail.
Zero day
A zero day is when you walk into town and plan to be there all day/overnight. You are hiking zero miles for the day. Typically, a zero day is fairly hectic with “town chores:” resupply, restaurant food, showers, laundry, some sort of hotel. Of note: just because a town has these conveniences, doesn’t mean it has cell service.
What have you been doing to prepare?
A lot. I’ve been preparing for several years, but mainly in the last year. I’ve been physically training since September of ‘25. I’ve been A/B testing gear for about a year and have been surprised by the outcome. Some gear/food simply won’t work for this type of endeavor, no matter how much I want it to. I.E.: I thought I would be able to do the whole thing with a bivy sack, but I recently realized I should not and have opted for an ultralight tent.
Otherwise I’ve been saving money; figuring out how to keep the house going while I’m out; figuring out how to take off this much time at work and how my team will operate while I’m out; seeing friends and family.
How are you getting home from Canada?
I have no idea. If anything, I should be able to walk.
What are you scared of?
In this order: Lightning; Storms above the treeline; Loose dogs; Ticks.
Loose dogs are always threatening and are usually trained and encouraged to go after unwanted guests in their area. The scariest thing I’ve encountered were the loose dogs in Peru. My hiking parter and I were looking for a hidden trail beside a village and there were a lot of unhappy dogs in the area. We never found the trail and got the hell outta there before things went south. I’ve also encountered them in Ohio of all places. The charged me while I was on the other side of the highway. I’ve learned to keep my distance and keep moving away from them … they eventually leave you alone.
I hate ticks. They are nasty and if you don’t know about them, you should. They are everywhere. I once sat on a colony of them … it took me 30 minutes to triple check none were on me!
Are you taking a gun?
No, we talked about this.
What happens if you break your leg?
I have a Garmin device that is connected to satellites. I push a button on my watch, and a helicopter shows up. I have used this device for years and frankly, allows me to push my own boundaries. It makes me feel safe enough to go to the most remote places by myself.
What is a tramily?
A tramily is a trail family. These are the folks you hike/camp with. Typically, these tramilies are 3-7 in size, but have been known to get larger than 10. There can be a lot of ebb and flow to these tramilies. A lot of times, people will hike at different speeds, or go see different side-quests, only to regroup later on.
What is a trail name?
At some point, someone else along the trail will “gift” me my trail name. I’ve met one person that has done the PCT and their trail name was “two times.” They were named that because they had attempted the PCT twice. Perhaps I will have the honor of giving someone their trail name.
How many pairs of shoes will you go through and do you carry them from the beginning?
I will go through 5-6 pairs of shoes throughout the hike. When I need a new pair, I either stop at a store along the way, or most likely I will order them online and have them shipped to the next resupply town.