22 Trek Bloggers on the Pacific Crest Trail You Should Be Following in 2024

As the hiking season officially kicks into high gear, the Pacific Crest Trail welcomes yet another class of thru-hikers, all of who are hopeful to complete the entire 2,650-mile journey. Some of The Trek’s intrepid bloggers have already set foot on the PCT’s storied path, while others meticulously prepare for their impending journey, eagerly counting down the days until they embark on their own epic adventure. Amidst this excitement and anticipation, we celebrate the start of another PCT season by highlighting the 22 remarkable individuals who will be documenting their PCT journeys alongside The Trek. 

Join us as we eagerly follow along with these incredible adventurers, each with their own motivations, aspirations, and dreams waiting to unfold along the Pacific Crest Trail. 

This feature is meant to shine a spotlight on some of our bloggers. It is NOT an exhaustive list. Click here to view a full list of our talented, intrepid blogging team.

Abby “Shitwater” Evans

I’m Abby Evans (they/them) and I go by “Shitwater Fireball: Queen of the Salamanders” on trail, but usually just the first part. I’m trying hard not to light all of my gear on fire and I enjoy helping salamanders cross the trail. I finished thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2023 and I’m headed out on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2024. Huzzah!

Post highlight: The Uncomfortable Truth About the Dirtbag Lifestyle

Excerpt: “When I hugged the Katahdin sign at the terminus of my Appalachian Trail thru-hike, I realized the only thing I wanted to do was keep going. My heels were on fire, my body was malnourished, and I was more tired than I’d ever been in my life — but I was happier and more free than I’d ever felt too. Usually, people take a little while between thru-hikes to gather more funds, process what they went through, and start new life paths. But I was hooked. I made up my mind that I wasn’t quite done with long trails yet and decided to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail the following summer.”

Follow Abby: @abbigator53

Chris Smiley

Greetings! My name is Christopher Smiley. I am a twenty-year, retired veteran of the United States Air Force, MBA graduate from the University of Arizona, and survivor of stage IV head and neck cancer. I currently reside in beautiful Bend, Oregon, although I could be considered a nomad – having lived in a dozen states and multiple countries as both a military brat and service member. I spend my time cooking for family and friends, while daydreaming of my next big outdoor adventure. I will be living out my dream of hiking the PCT on the 8th of March, 2024. I have dreamt of hiking this trail since falling in love with backpacking as a young teen in Southern California. Some 30 plus years later… my time has come. I hope to see you on trail, or hear from you soon. One step at a time!

Post highlight: Days 31 – 33: Miles 444.3 – 424.3 (San Gabriel Mountains)

Excerpt: “Some hikers rely on the ‘old timers”’to define thru hiking. Others may base their opinion on a definition they picked-up during some reading. Regardless of where you got your definition of thru hiking… one thing is clear. There isn’t a clear definition of what a thru hiker is. For me, there is much more to thru hiking than the overall distance traveled or whether or not a footpath is completed from beginning to end. I am beginning to see thru hiking as not just a physical activity or accomplishment, but a frame of mind. This journey is so much more than simply ‘walking’ from one destination to another…”

Follow Chris: @smiley_walks

Erik Collins

Hello! My name is Erik! I will be attempting a thru hike of the PCT in 2024. I am no stranger to backpacking and camping so I excited for my first thru hike. I found my love for the outdoors while living in Arizona for 10 years. I am proud to say I have been a vegan for 6 years. I look forward to sharing my journey with you all and hope to see you on the trail!

Post highlight: Fuel for the Trail: Exploring Vegan and Gluten-Free Options

Excerpt: “Food on the trail is so important. Sometimes, it seems like the next snack or meal is the only thing that keeps hikers going. The vegan and gluten-free options on the trail have been shocking and a special treat! So far, my favorite meals have been the dehydrated tofu scrambles and tortillas. It’s a simple lunch that I enjoyed while cold-soaked! Additionally, all the dehydrated meals I’ve had rehydrated perfectly in my Jetboil, and I’m satisfied with each meal’s flavor and overall taste.”

Follow Erik: @erikanthony932

Elizabeth Brentano

Post highlight: An Eventful First Day on the PCT

Excerpt: “I’m not a morning person. Papa Bear said he’d be flipping pancakes at 6 am and most people planned to get up around then. I secretly wanted to ask ‘what is the latest the pancakes will still be available?’ After a fitful night of sleep with wind, rain, and nerves, I woke at 6 am to the sound of others unzipping their sleeping bags and tents. I could hear the soft rain on my tent and debated falling back asleep, but instead opted to join my classmates for breakfast. I got dressed and forced myself to leave the comfort of my sleeping bag.”

Follow Elizabeth: @elizbrentano

Becky Wandell

Hi, I’m Becky, a teacher, writer and curious explorer of the world. From the earliest age I was always happiest when I was camping, but it wasn’t until my 20’s, when I started backpacking in the Pacific Northwest, that I found my soul. For thirty years since then, I have dreamed of seeing the PCT from end to end. After a side jaunt into the Peace Corps serving in Ecuador and the past five years living, working and tramping around South America, I’ve gained my confidence, my ability to sleep anywhere and deal with anything that comes my way. I’m ready.

Post highlight: My PCT Hike, a Journey of Awe and Gratefulness

Excerpt: “Each day I just have to walk, and make three decisions: What will I eat?, Where will I get water?, and Where will I sleep? When life is simplified, I notice it more. I live it more deeply. When living with only the basics, I have time to find awe in the landscapes in which I am fully immersed: the dramatic snow-covered mountains, the towering trees, the tumultuous rivers I will cross, and the dragonfly alighting on a leaf. It will all be there for me to notice, to breathe in, and to appreciate. The simplicity is what I’m looking forward to most.”

Follow Becky: @beckysonthewingadventures

François de Neuville

Hey! I’m François, 34 years old, former commando-paratrooper, adventurer, entrepreneur, and tsunami survivor. I’m from Belgium, but I’ve been a nomad for the past seven years. I have my own business (high-performance coach, speaker, and author). I’ll be hiking the PCT in 2024 with my wife!

Post Highlight: Nutrition Strategy for Optimal Performance During a Thru-Hike

Excerpt: “After geeking out on ultralight gear, I started preparing my resupply strategy. And I quickly got one concern: do we really have to eat unhealthy during a thru-hike? Of course, you can finish a thru-hike relying only on processed carbs, but the price to pay is high: Increased hunger, increased pack weight, rollercoaster energy levels, decreased endurance and performance, nutrient deficiencies, digestive issues, etc. You might save some money, but is it worth it? In this article, I share how I crafted my nutrition strategy.”

Follow François: François de Neuville

Sakari McGregor

My name is Sakari, an adventure seeker from Finland. I will be attempting to thru-hike the PCT in 2024. Looking forward to sharing my photos and stories with you.

Post highlight: Big smiles and even bigger miles.

Excerpt: “I have always enjoyed meeting people around the world, hearing their stories and learning from their experiences. But with trail families I believe the experience goes a lot further. You build up a bond really fast with the people you hike. If someone is suffering you help them out, you share meals and snacks. Get overly excited about each others resupply boxes and share your cathole stories.”

Follow Sakari: @sakarimcgregor

Joy Morrison

I am Joy and I was born and raised in sunny San Diego, California. I moved to Oregon a couple times in my childhood but still call SD home. I am really excited to share my 2024 PCT thru hiking experience here through the Trek blog. I am currently certified as a USA weightlifting coach and hold certifications in different Yoga disciplines as well. I have backpacked and summitted Mt. Whitney four times, two of those, I am proud to say, as a solo female back packer. My last solo summit was August 11, 2023. A record breaking snow year. This was done 8 months after having a spinal fusion from the abdomen (ALIF) with bone graft from my left hip. I like to think that’s pretty cool. I have 5 kids, three over the age of 21 and two under the age of 18. I am hoping that my journey is not only inspiring to them but also to others out there that find the trail to be “Their peace”.

Post highlight: Can We Address the Elephant in the Room Please

Excerpt: “I again want to say that I’ve not read a whole lot about the state of emotional turmoil that’s associated with starting this thing. I don’t even know what it’s all about for me. I can’t say exactly what it is that’s making me lose sleep. I am confident I can pitch my tent, I’m pretty sure I have all I need, so what exactly is it? Pre-trail jitters are assholes. Can I say that here? I think the day just needs to get here and let me do my thing and see where we go from there.”

Follow Joy: @the_butterfly_adventures

James “Sparrow” & Marie-Soleil

We are James “Sparrow” Therien and Marie-Soleil Cordeau, thru-hiking enthusiasts on a quest for the Calendar Year Triple Crown, embracing van life and our love for food along the way.

Post highlight: Shipwreck to Triple Crown: Charting an Unlikely Journey

Excerpt: “At 45, I sold everything, leaving behind a comfortable but unfulfilling life, in search of deeper meaning for my existence. My journey began with an ambitious project to sail across the Atlantic, which turned into a nightmare when my boat sank, taking with it all my possessions. This was a decisive turning point, leaving me with nothing but my thirst for adventure. South America, where I ended up thanks to the cargo ship that rescued me, became my playground and rediscovery, where hiking became my new passion.”

Follow James & Marie-Soleil: @epicadventuresnomads

Saida Garcia

Hello hello! My name is Saida – like.. “hey! can I get a 𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂 chips!. I have started my northbound PCT journey from Campo and am on my way to Canada! Originally from Los Angeles, CA, I have been in Sacramento for the past 8 years where I was able to really dive into the outdoors and backpacking solo. Looking forward to what this trail will throw my way and the memories that are waiting for me…. to Canada!

Post highlight: In The Blink of 5 Days

Excerpt: “I hopped off the bus at San Diego Old Station and looked around, trying to get my bearings. I went under a tunnel and came up the other side where I must’ve stood for a second too long, looking confused. A homeless male looked at me and asked ,”Are you hiking the PCT?”. I nodded, and he responded with,” In those clothes?”. Before I had time to respond, he added, ” Shuttle comes and picks all of you up under that beat-up sign,” and walked off…”

Follow Saida: @sciii

Jil Zilligen

As a sustainability and nutrition professional well into my second half-century, and as someone who’s most alive and attuned outside, attempting to through-hike the PCT in 2024 feels both wildly gutsy and deeply nourishing. I’m thrilled to be hiking NOBO with my beloved, adventuresome daughter and will be writing about our journey here and @nourishedgutsylife.

Post highlight: Lessons from the Start

Excerpt: “This trail can be hard. The miles are long, the climbs steep, the water sources sometimes far apart. And we are all here entirely by choice, embracing and meeting every challenge, hopefully with recognition of our incredible privilege in being here and choosing to undertake this through-hike at all. The contrast between our privilege and the almost unimaginable hardship of those who encounter the wall from the other side could not be more stark. I recall this contrast each time I feel the urge internally to complain that my feet are sore after today’s seventeenth consecutive rocky mile. Instead of complaining, I am grateful for the opportunity to be here walking among such grandeur, with people from across the globe, helping each other and cheering each other on. I am writing here not about politics but human experience and I am considering what it means to be not just human, but a member of both the smallest and the most all-encompassing of communities.”

Follow Jil: @nourishedgutsylife

Pat “Rearview” Wilver

“Rearview” on the trail. Former U.S. Army officer, engineer by training but entrepreneur in practice. Hiking the PCT NOBO in 2024. I like to talk about people and ideas, and sometimes hiking.

Post highlight: Physical Training for the PCT

Excerpt: “I have no formal training at all in any of this stuff, but I have hurt myself enough times to know how not to hurt myself as much anymore.  I spent six years as an active duty U.S. Army infantry officer, graduated from Army Ranger School, and spent four years before that as a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.  I had to carry a lot of heavy shit back then – often I would have 60 lbs on my back, sometimes 80+.  I was also young and dumb and generally treated my body like shit, pushed through injuries I shouldn’t have, etc. Now that I’m older and wiser, I have decided to approach the PCT a lot more deliberately.  Here’s how I’ve been preparing my body over the last few months.”

Follow Pat: @pat_wilver

Sifre van Teeffelen

Hi! I’m Sifre, a recent graduate of Molecular Life Sciences from the Netherlands. I love to hike because it is a connection to the fascinating natural world, because reaching destinations solely by the power of your feet just has something special, and because my life is inspired by the adventurous spirit of Pippi Longstocking. While I’ve explored multiple trails in Europe, none took longer than two weeks. However, in April, I will attempt to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Through my experiences before and along the way, I hope to share insights and inspiration.

Post highlight: Ready, Set, Trek! My Journey from Doubts to Dreams in Preparation of the PCT

Excerpt: “While I’m incredibly enthusiastic about going on my hiking adventure, I can’t ignore the doubts that have crept into my mind regarding whether it’s the right decision. As I prepare to live in a tent for six months, I’m aware of my privilege in a world where so many struggle with homelessness. It feels absurd to me that I am going to live for five months in a tent for fun, while some people try to escape a tent to a real home as soon as they can. Moreover, the decision to fly to the USA for this journey weighs heavily on my conscience, as the plane emissions have a significant contribution to climate change. I could also explore the beauty closer to home as an alternative. The internal conflict between my personal desires and my principles leaves me struggling with feelings of guilt and selfishness. So why am I still pursuing this dream? Honestly, at this moment, I do not have a clear answer. When I set my mind on something, it becomes stuck until I act upon it. Somehow, I cannot seem to let go of my dream to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I know I will have to confront these feelings of guilt along the trail. However, I also anticipate experiencing intense happiness of immersing myself in nature and minimizing my reliance on modernity for example on electricity. I view my time on the trail as an opportunity to reflect on the kind of person I aspire to be.”

Follow Sifre: @sifrevanteeffelen

Jill “Tarot” Dell

Hi there, I’m Jill, trail name Tarot. I am attempting a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike in 2024. I’m no longer a spring chicken, but a seasoned one. I’m a wife, mom and Grandma all of which I love. Sometimes I may seem a bit scattered, I have case of attention deficit disorder, so yeah, all my trail gear is getting my name on it. LOL!! I’m a licensed hypnotherapist in WA state with over a decade of experience and medium. I love learning and exploring trails, their history and energy 😉 I’m really looking forward to sharing my journey with you all. Feel free to check out my YouTube channel above for additional videos from the trail and from past trails I’ve explored. The Pacific Crest Trail has been a dream of mine, sitting on my bucket list for over 24 years. Finally, this year I’m taking a long hike on it! The time to launch is ticking down and it’s getting real!

Post highlight: Planning paralysis – Planning my thru-hike of the PCT

Excerpt: “Seriously, I am focusing on one step at a time and I haven’t stepped a foot on to the trail itself! And it’s all too easy to get caught up in comparisons, worries and fear.  With ADHD already, I equate all of this planning to mental doom piles. Decision fatigue is real! Looking at the whole planning of the PCT enchilada makes my stomach literally flip flop inside. I honestly want to do anything but plan as it dials my anxiety up.  How do I eat the elephant that’s not just in the room but dancing on my head? One small bite at a time.”

Follow Jill: Tarot on the Trail

Hannah Williams

Ahoy hoy fellow hikers! I’m Hannah and this will be my first thru hike. Outside of the PCT, my longest hike was the JMT in 2021. I’m hiking because I want to push the limits of what I can do mentally and physically. Back in 2017, I went on my first major hiking adventure and realized that hiking is the perfect metaphor for life. You work really hard and sweat and cry and pout and question why you are even here to begin with. Until you reach your summit and suddenly everything becomes viscerally clear. I’m hoping the unravel more of these keys to happiness while hiking the PCT.

Post highlight: Ripped from the Violent Birth Canal of the PCT

Excerpt: “As I contemplated the purpose of life, I suddenly realized… I was no longer alone! The pitter patter of a friend was joining me at my site. A small… delicate… MOUSE! Gnawing at the food I was too lazy to properly put away.

I smacked at the tent and watched him run away. Just to return 30 seconds later. Smack. Run. Return. Smack. Run. Return. Smack…

This continued through the night. Needless to say, that chocolate bar was his now.

I slept on and off, as I’m wont to do while sleeping in a tent. Sometime in the middle of the night, the rain stopped. The wind calmed. And the night became still.

Finally, light began poking through the thin layer of my single wall tent. I ripped open the zipper like a kid on Christmas morning. A gorgeous fog had settled above the small lake below my site. The sun glimmered through spattered clouds. And the mouse was gone.

A smile wound its way onto my face. Welcome to the PCT.”

Follow Hannah: @hikerhannah24

Levi Dockendorf

My name is Levi and I am a Pacific Crest Trail thru hiker or at least I hope to be. I have been a Realtor, truck driver, construction worker, funeral director/embalmer and Army Veteran. I’m still not sure what I want to be when I grow up but someone who has completed the PCT is at the top of the list for now. I’ve completed the West Highland Way in Scotland, the GR20 in Corsica, the Old Chicago World Beer Tour and climbed every 14er in Colorado.

Post highlight: Mummy Attacks Hiker After Third Consecutive Zero Day

Excerpt: “As a funeral director, I hear some version of this almost on a weekly basis: ‘Dad was the strongest man I’ve ever known, but he retired, sat down in that chair, and he was dead 2 months later.’ You stop moving, and the mummy is gonna getcha.

I’m hiking the PCT to put some distance between me and the mummy. I’ll be thinking about that bastard coming for me when the days get long. I’ll be thinking about the hell I’m going to put him through. Every steep pitch, long boring slog, and river crossing will make me laugh, because if it’s hard for me, it will be even harder for him. Because, well… screw that mummy; he’s trying to kill me, and eventually, he will.”

Follow Levi: Levi Dockendorf

Sid Modi

Hey! My name is Sid, I hail from Mumbai, India but I have been living in Vancouver, BC for over 11 years now. I am an Embedded Systems Engineer and I spend most of my time developing software for electronics. I like the outdoors and I like doing things outside – I like trail running, I like climbing rocks, and I like finding spots with good views. I also like computers, and dogs. I have maybe spent a total of 20 nights in a tent in my life so far? Though that’s about to change! Follow along as I attempt to thru-hike the PCT and increase that count by about 150?

Post highlight: The Countdown To Campo

Excerpt: “After a broken ankle in early 2023 derailed all my trail running and rock-climbing plans for the year, I was in search of the next big adventure. This might sound melodramatic, but when you’re confined to a boot and crutches for four weeks, taking your first steps can literally bring tears to your eyes (speaking from experience, perhaps). So, the silver lining of this mishap was my newfound appreciation for walking. Combine that with my love for the West Coast, its forests, and mountains, and it didn’t take long for me to set my sights on the PCT. A single conversation with a friend who completed the trail in 2019 was enough to convince me that this was the right choice, thanks to some good old confirmation bias.”

Follow Sid: @sidmodi

Jillian Urbach

Hi there! I’m Jillian (she/her), a twenty-something island child from the PNW who loves just about anything outdoors. This spring, I’m quitting my job to embark on the ultimate adventure of attempting a thruhike of the Pacific Crest Trail! I can’t wait to take you along for the ride!

Post highlight: Hiking Toward Home on the Pacific Crest Trail

Excerpt: “I’m excited to do something that is solely for me—for my own personal growth and enjoyment. No matter how my hike goes, I know it’s going to challenge me in new ways every day and will take a lot of mental and physical endurance. I’m a little terrified, but mostly excited to see how the trail shapes me into a stronger, more confident version of myself.”

Follow Jillian: @aperfectworldbydark

Riley Simpson

Hi Trek readers! My name is Riley and I will be hiking NOBO with PCT class 2024. I have very limited backpacking experience, but I am ready to give this thru-hiking thing a go. I enjoy walking everyday with my dog Juni, reading, and crafting. I have always had a great interest in wildlife and nature, so I am excited to make that part of my blog. As some say, opportunity never knocks twice at any man’s (or woman’s) door, so this is my chance. Read along so we can find out how to do this together.

Post highlight: Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire

Excerpt: “I know that what I don’t know now I will learn along the way. I strangely feel unworried and no stress for the first time in a while. I guess quitting your job will do that to you.

I am happy to be starting the trail with my mom, who is my biggest supporter! She has the same adventurous spirit as me and has probably been more excited than me as well which seems almost impossible, but is true. She tells anyone that will listen about our upcoming adventure with a huge smile on her face. She will be hiking the first two weeks with me, so maybe that is why I am feeling less worried about starting this big adventure. Thanks for reading. Now, let’s hit the trail together!”

Follow Riley: @rileyeliz99

Paul Leckey

Hey everyone, I’m Paul Leckey, affectionately known as “Strap On” among fellow backpackers. By day, I’m your average cubicle-dwelling engineer. In my downtime, I’m an avid disc golfer, skier, and trail runner. Back in 2021, I took a leap of faith, leaving behind the confines of the 9-5 to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. The trail became the lifestyle I crave and, like many others that came before me, that experience left me hungry for more. 3 years later, and it’s time for more. Starting this spring, I’ll be attempting to thru-hike the PCT Northbound. Follow along as I eat copious, yet necessary, amounts of peanut butter ramen, get terrible sleep, and mosey through hills.

Post highlight: Pre-Hike Jitters and the Meaning of Life?

Excerpt: “You go from a life which, for me, is very screen-time-driven, and can sometimes lack good social interactions. But on the Trail, that’s not an option. Life becomes simplified. You have three things you really need to do in a day: you must walk, you must eat and drink, and you must sleep. Out in the real world, there are so many more responsibilities, and none of them are really for survival. They’re just a part of a collective societal imagination. I’m not saying I could survive without society. I’m just saying it’s not what the human program was really meant to do. People were meant to be nomadic and a part of communities. We weren’t supposed to be this sedentary, and in an age where life, at least for me, has become less and less about community, thru-hiking feels like getting back to what it means to be a human being.”

Follow Paul: @scajififify

Reyna Schedler

I grew up in Washington state and am a West-Coaster in my soul, though I currently live in Summit County, Colorado. I work as an outdoor environmental educator with 2nd to 10th grade students and spend almost every minute of my free time outside skiing, hiking, climbing, biking, or rafting. In 2022 I completed the Colorado Trail and I’m thru-hiking the PCT in 2024. I can’t wait to walk home!

Post highlight: The Long Walk Home

Excerpt: “My mom is my best friend, a great travel buddy, and the strongest, most independent and determined woman I know. I look up to her immensely. And yet, our relationship isn’t perfect. We struggle sometimes with communication, mostly on my side as I work to find independence and my own path. I fear disappointing her. Her path has been my inspiration, but her footsteps are massive things to follow. Not to mention, six months is a long time to sleep in the same tent with someone that you haven’t spent more than two weeks with since you left for college over six years ago. I’m hoping this shared experience of living outside and marveling over the endless natural beauty of the trail will bring us even closer again.”

Follow Reyna: @reynaschedler 

Suzie Riedel

Just a girl over here trying to hike a million miles and write books about them.
I’m also more of the, ‘Learn as you go type’, so basically I’m over here winging it y’all.

Post highlight: Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. This is Insane… Or is it?

Excerpt: “Regret is a funny thing. Sometimes it is the hardest weight to bear. I don’t think we have a choice in whether or not we experience regret, but I do believe that we have a choice in what part it plays in our lives. So I make a list of all the things I want to do in this life and slowly one at a time, I cross them off. At the end of life we want to have really cool stories and I never want to utter the words, “I wish I did that”. I’ve learned that the best stories aren’t the ones where everything is perfectly comfortable. So here goes another adventure, I hope we don’t die :)”

Follow Suzie: @suzie.riedel

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