Three Years in the Making

Hey!!!! My name is Journey Willow Hinsdale Fleishman and I am thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail with the class of 2023 this March! I am so stoked to start this adventure of a lifetime and document my journey as a blogger on the Trek!!!

A Bit About Me

I recently graduated high school in Arizona, and I am in the midst of a gap year to make my dream of hiking the PCT a reality. I have grown up living in a small town in Colorado during the summers, and I spent this first part of my year working at the local ice cream shop and adventuring with my family and friends. The next couple months I will be traveling and prepping for the PCT, which is QUICKLY approaching! Here are some things about me/things I love in no particular order…

• Outdoor adventures (hiking…obviously, trail running, skiing, climbing, lake days, etc.)
• My family and friends (blessed with the BEST support system in the world)
• Reading, writing, journaling, drawing
• I have a hand lettering business (@letteringbyjourney on Instagram)
• Thai food, pancakes, pickles, cornbread, tea, and every/all kinds of sauces (balsamic dressing is my bff)
• Travel and missions work
• A long hammock nap
• Deep conversations while on a road trip or hike
• Dream job is to become a backcountry guide or do gear reviews
• My favorite movie is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
• Exclamation marks (you will figure this out very quickly)

Here are pictures of some people I love…

The Backstory

Allow me to take you back three winters ago to my sophomore year of high school… I was at REI with my mom because she needed a new pair of hiking shoes. While she tried on boots, I decided to meander around the store and stumbled upon the book section. One book called “Journeys North” By Barney Scout Mann caught my eye, likely because it had my name front and center across the cover. I sat down and started to read and made it about a couple pages in when I realized that I simply had to do this crazy thing called the Pacific Crest Trail. Through time, research, and conversation, I decided to take a gap year to make this thru-hike happen, and I am so thrilled I made that decision and stumbled upon that book (thanks for taking me shoe shopping with you mom;)

I Guess I’m a Blogger Now…

I am stoked to be able to have a platform to document my travels along the PCT and prep for the hike, thanks to The Trek! I am obsessed with all things gear- and hiking-related, so naturally, I was thrilled when this opportunity occurred! Feel free to follow me on Instagram at @mypctjourney and @journeywillow! I hope any of my prep work, and eventually, my hike, can be helpful to any other person and young women specifically who want to thru-hike.

Charity:Water

One last thing! I am running a campaign with charity:water to raise money for global clean water. Charity:water is a non-profit organization which is bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries by partnering with local organizations who are experienced in creating sustainable and community-focused water projects across the globe. If you feel inclined to help with my campaign, it is super simple to donate!!!

1. Go to the charity: water website and feel free to learn more about the work they are doing worldwide (https://www.charitywater.org/journ-fleishman)
2. Scroll down to “Donate to a campaign”
3. Search “The PCT Project”
4. Click “Donate”
5. Give yourself a hand because you just did something remarkable! THANK YOU