I’m sitting on the plane in my hiking clothes and it STILL hasn’t quite hit me that tomorrow I’ll be embarking on my walk from Mexico to Canada.

 
Before I hit the trail I wanted to share some final details about what I’m doing and how you might reach me over the next 5 months.

My Resupply Logistics

Due to some extreme life business, I’ve opted for the resupply-as-I-go strategy. This means that I’ll buy my trail food and any necessary supplies from towns near the trail. Some of these towns will really only be a small convenience store, which means my meals will most likely be creative for some stretches (poptarts and peanut butter?). For the very remote locations, I will send a package of food from a previous trail town. I’m counting on getting in the swing of things after a few weeks out there.

YOUR Resupply Logistics

Oh, you want to send me goodies while I’m on the trail? No problem. My hiking partner, Abby, put together this list of places that we can stop to pick up packages. These locations will hold the package for 30 days so give yourself some leeway and send early, especially since we might arrive there before our ETA. Abby covers this in her post, but the address should follow this format:

 
Leila Pike, PCT Hiker, ETA mm/dd/yy
Store location (if applicable)
Street address
City, state, zip

 
Abby has conveniently filled out the ETAs for the various stops so you can get a sense of when we might arrive.

 
If you DO send a package, please let me know so I will know to stop and pick it up.

What should you send?

Goodies! Snacks, cookies, candy, dried fruits, fancy energy bars, words of encouragement, or anything else small that I will consume immediately or will help me on the trail. I’m trying to keep my pack weight down, so please don’t send any books, magazines, or other material items (unless they are in e-reader form!). Also, I’m a vegetarian, in case you were thinking of sending me some beef jerky.

How can you contact me?

My phone will be in airplane mode while I’m on the trail, but every time I’m in a town, which will range from 2-7 days, I will be able to use it. So you can send me texts, voicemails, snapchats, emails ([email protected]), etc.

 
I’ll also be carrying a GPS Spot device. Every day on the trail I’ll send out a ping which will send an email with a clickable GPS location to people who are concerned about me or who just want to know where I am (my parents and YOU if you send me your email and ask to be included on the list).

How can I contact you?

Among the digital ways, I will also be sending out some postcards. So email me your mailing address!

Come hiking with me!

Seriously. I’ll be on the trail for 5-6 months, starting tomorrow, and would welcome anybody who wants to join me for a day or a week or a month! Email me and we can coordinate.

 

 
Well, my plane took off and I suppose that’s it for me and the East Coast for the next 5 months.

 

From my device to yours,
Leila