Trail Name: Couscous

In May of 2019 I left on the train from my winter home in Lake Tahoe down to the southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail. The hike began in the Mojave Desert at the US/Mexico border wall before wandering up to the unseasonably snowy Sierra Nevada, then through the mountains of Northern California. From there, down to the mellow terrain and big miles of Oregon along the Cascade volcanoes before crossing the Columbia River and into to the quite wet North Cascades of Washington, terminating at the US/Canada border.

Having thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2017, I definitely had some preconceptions about how this hike would unfold. The basic ones, like how I would see stellar views, hurt like hell, get cold, wet and occasionally miserable all while being extraordinarily fulfilled were certainly met. What I didn’t expect was to find a hiking partner and dear friend that I would end up hiking over 2,000 miles with. Lebowski and I got to camp together nearly every night from mile 80 to 1,016, then again from 1,410 to Canada. I of course experienced immense personal growth, but more than anything I learned how to be a better partner.

This hike was hard for me, much harder than the AT was. I knew I could do it physically, I just had to grind out the miles while nursing a multitude of injuries to make it happen. I managed to stay in very good spirits up until Washington, but by then I was running on fumes. I was sick of the 30+ mile days, sick of getting rained on, sick of my disintegrating shoes, and actually sick to the point that I couldn’t breathe. Regardless, I had to keep pushing every day until I made it to the border.

Thru hiking is a game. Not a game of pounds or miles, but of time, chance, persistence, and luck. It isn’t something you can just roll out of bed and do, but the only way to succeed is to get up and take step after step, mile after mile, day after day. It’s a game of hardship, pain, hunger and loss. It‘s also astoundingly beautiful, grounding, fulfilling and enormously rewarding. 

Thru hiking is a game. And I won.

Distance: 2,652.6 miles

Elevation Gain: 489,418 feet

Days taken: 155

Zero days (no distance traveled): 35

Average mileage with zeros: 17.1

Average mileage without zeros: 22.0

Highest mileage: 60.0 (18:15)

Steps taken: ~5,602,000

Pack Base Weight: 11.5 pounds

Heaviest Recorded Pack Weight: 34 pounds