Finding Perspective on the PCT

On every trail that I’ve done, I have walked away with something. Maybe it was a life lesson or realization. Maybe it was clarity or peace of mind. I finished the Appalachian Trail with a newfound knowledge that I was capable of anything I set my mind to. I quit the Arizona Trail halfway through with a better understanding that it’s not about the destination, it’s the journey. I finished the West Highland Way full of newly wed bliss confident that we could take on the world together.

Magic atop Katahdin at the end of her 2021 thru hike of the AT

It’s the pursuit of the unknown that keeps me coming back to the trail. I am always eager to see who I will be on the other side. Thru hiking has a way of stripping you down to your core and humbling you in ways you never thought possible. The resilience you gain by continuing on in spite of challenges and hardships is what refines you and helps you to walk away as a truer version of yourself. In every day life we can lose sight of who we are and what’s important to us. The trail offers a constant connection point by limiting distractions and providing a singular focus: forward.

Now in the “real world”, I crave the simplicity of forward momentum that can only be found on the trail. My husband and I have completely reshaped our lives to center around the trail. We met on the AT in 2021 and moved to east Tennessee together in 2022 to work as backpacking guides in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We have spent the past three years hiking for a living, but it was never on our own terms. Our sole focus as guides was keeping the clients safe and happy. Our vacations centered around hiking for our own enjoyment, and we began dreaming of one day running into the woods again for an extended period of time.

I remember swearing up and down on the AT that I would l never do another long trail. As time has passed since my first thru hike, I have found myself longing for that life once again. “Distance makes the heart grow founder” as they say. Short trips aren’t scratching the itch anymore. I don’t remember the exact moment or conversation, but at some point my husband and I decided that we were going to attempt the PCT in 2025.

Magic working as a backpacking guide in GSMNP

How I Got Here

I came to the AT almost by accident. I was laid off from my job in 2020 and didn’t know what to do with my life. I had a couple of friends that were planning on doing the AT in 2021, and I suddenly had the time and resources join them. In hindsight it feels like the stars aligned to send me to the trail. I made the decision to set out from Springer, but I didn’t make the choice to lose my job or have my life upended. I felt powerless to the whims of life, but one step at a time I was able to come back to myself and finish the trail more resilient and self assured. 

Attempting the PCT feels like a completely different experience. I wanted to do the AT but I didn’t position my life to build towards that dream. The biggest difference between the AT and the PCT has been choice. My husband and I have been very intentional since committing to make the PCT a reality in 2025. We have created a good life for ourselves, but we are choosing to walk away from it. We are choosing uncertainly over stability, pain over comfort. 

Most of our friends and family think we’re crazy for leaving our stable lives behind. At this point no one close to us is surprised, but it’s still hard for them to wrap their heads around our unconventional lifestyle. One thing that AT taught both of us is that life is short and we have to seize every opportunity we have to live life to the fullest. We don’t know what the future holds, and if we delay our dreams we may very well never get around to making them a reality. 

Now that I have put so much more effort into deciding to do the trail, I understand what an absolute privilege thru hiking is. Most people can’t press pause on their lives and go gallivant in the woods for six months. We worked hard to be in this position, but I don’t want to lose sight of what an amazing opportunity we have created for ourselves. 

Dreamy campsite on the AZT in 2023

It’s the Journey, Not the Destination

I am hoping to keep that perspective as I venture towards Canada. My mindset too is different than on other trails. Previously the goal has always been “finishing”. In 2023 when we set out on the AZT, we called in quits about halfway through. Not completing the AZT helped me to shift my mindset from finishing to just enjoying the trail. I learned that not completing a thru hike is a possibility on every trail, and it was a dose of humility and an ego check.

Instead of focusing solely on the end goal, I want to let myself fully enjoy the journey. Really, I just want to have a good time while we’re out there. Between snow and fire closures it doesn’t seem like many PCT hikers are able to keep a continuous footpath from Mexico to Canada. That understanding helps me to let go of the notion that finishing is the only way to feel accomplished. Don’t get me wrong, I want to reach the Canadian border! We recognize that this is basically a six month vacation and we don’t know when we’ll be able to have another opportunity like this. We want to make the most of our time out there and enjoy whatever miles we accomplish.

Magic hiking on the AT to train for the PCT in 2025

Rose Colored Glasses

I hope that I am able to keep this positive mindset throughout the duration of my time on the PCT. It’s easy to romanticize life on trail and only visual the good parts. In reality, the majority of a thru hike sucks. My pack always feels heavy despite my legs growing stronger. I’m seemingly always wet, either from sweat or rain. I have to dig a hole to poop in for crying out loud. The saying on trail is “embrace the suck”, and I’m hoping my upbeat pre trail perspective will help me not get overwhelmed by the tough moments on trail. 

The highs are high and the lows are low in the backcountry. Choosing to move forward in spite of those lows is what shapes you into a better version of yourself and why I believe thru hikers come off trail with a more refined sense of self. I am eager to see who I am at the Canadian border, because I know she will be different than the woman who set off from Mexico.

Follow along to watch the joinery unfold!