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Andrea Davis
Sep 24, 2018 : Andrea Davis Pacific Crest Trail

This Week’s Top Instagram Posts from the #PacificCrestTrail

Welcome to our weekly roundup where we carefully select and showcase the most impressive, hilarious, and all-around epic photos taken by hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail. Use the hashtag #trekthePCT, #PacificCrestTrail or #PCT2018 for your chance to be featured! Here are few of our favorite photos from the week of Sept. 16, 2018, to Sept. 23, 2018, for your viewing pleasure. Happy hiking!

 

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Beautiful northern WA. Sunshine and dirt! 🤘🏽👣 #pct #pct2018 #girlgonewilderness

A post shared by Girl Gone Wilderness (@thegirlgonewilderness) on

 

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August 15 | Today we reached the Canadian border. 2650 miles of dry desert, postholing up snowy passes, fighting off swarms of mosquitos, pushing through pain I feared would end my journey, hiking through the black of night, meeting truly awesome people folkowed by heartbreaking goodbyes… I could never have completed this trail without the amazing people I met on the PCT. I am humbled by the strength, willpower and empathy of these people. They have motivated me push my boundaries further than I thought possible and inspired me to open myself to the world. I am eternally thankful to them. I don’t know what will follow, but I know that life will never be the same again.

A post shared by Annika Eriksson-Lindberg (@stengangaren) on

 

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#whyihike #contest @eddiebauer SPOILER ALERT: THRU HIKING IS NOT ALWAYS FUN. The other evening, I had a very real moment when I wanted to stop backpacking the PCT. It wasn’t bringing me happiness at that time. I was tired. My body wanted to rest. And the loneliness was getting to me. But I kept marching on. ………………………………………………………………… The more time I’m out here, the more I realize that thru hiking is not just about enjoying nature or being outside. It’s not this hippy dippy stuff that I expected it to be. So, for all of you who are thinking about thru hiking the PCT because you think it would be a grand ole time-let me just warn you now: Your body will ache, you’ll be homesick, you’ll cry a lot, and you will be on an emotional rollercoaster. ……………………………………………………………………… So that’s not necessarily #whyihike. But I think I’m slowly starting to learn why I’m out here: I hike because it’s hard. I hike because it teaches me not to give up. I’ve learned to control my breath when I’m tired AND when I’m anxious. I hike to embrace both good and bad feelings. I hike to feel small as I fall asleep under the Milky Way. I hike because it helps me reclaim my body and reminds me of my femininity. I hike because I am forced to face and embrace the best and worst of myself. And I think that is what this short life is about. Who will I be after this trail? I’m not sure. But maybe I will become a better version of myself that I’d like to keep around for a while. So, I’ll keep marching on. . . . . . #pct2018 #andshesdopetoo #womanbackpacker #pcthiker #sheadventures #findyourpeak #outdoorlife #adventureculture #mtnchicks #likeamountaingirl #dametraveler #campingcollective #sheadventure #radgirlslife #staywild #letscamp #forceofnature #optoutside #wildernessculture #sheexplores #hikerlife #whyihike #idhikethat #outdoorwomen #wildernessbabes #sheexplores #california #stayandwander #reiproject1440

A post shared by Grizel // Backpacker (@_grizel_) on

 

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There’s never a day that goes by when I don’t wish I was back on the PCT. 📸:@bennettfisher

A post shared by Taylor Key (@taylorshaky) on

 

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PCT DAY 48 | 35.5 Miles | The night was cold but I stayed just warm enough bundled in all my layers under the cold bright stars. I woke often in the night the drafts finding their way into my quilt through the zipper and the cold wind puffing at my face. I woke at five as normal but then kept my eyes closed and fell back asleep. It was 7am when I woke again. We must have needed that. We climbed up and up. There was still hunks of granite but the soft ground was covered in long tufts of grass and the path edged in blooming wildflowers. Northern California was soft just like the evening and morning light there. I felt so happy and calm and mellow. I wanted to push big miles, but I stopped myself from trying to race. I’m was so happy to finally be back at the start of the section that in my mind that finally made me fall in love with the trail last time. In the afternoon I didn’t see anyone for four hours,I climbed in and out of canyons with layered waterfalls, I rock hopped over streams and didn’t even mind when I slipped and my toes plopped in. The world became humid and the hours stretch out. I found my mind drifting to town, to life after the trail and to the future. What do I want? Why did I come out here again? I get frustrated when I do this. Why is it so hard for me to live in the moment? Around four I reached Ebbets Pass. There was a sign for pct hikers, a table draped in a red tablecloth and chairs.There was cereal, milk and hot coffee. I told Chipmunk (the trail angel) I had been dreaming about exactly this all day. We hiked out into the hills as the sky deepened that evening. Five more? Let’s walk until 7.30 we said. Then it was long miles through long golden light and the gnats lit up like little fireflies in the paling sky. The mountains grew soft and dim as they rolled out into the horizon. Camp found us on a windy plateau among the pine trees. We ate dinner and we pitched. Just as fast as he wind had come now it was gone. I lay on my pad listening to the now gentle wind through the trees and felt content (especially because I had just discovered my grazed up ass cheeks were now healed enough to sit down on again). The simple wonders.

A post shared by A y e s h a “Heaps” (@wilderbound) on

 

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Roads go forever on

A post shared by Miles Cottingham (Bones) (@bonesthenomad) on

 

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Oh Washington. After over 2000 miles, I finally crossed a state border. After having one last #hikertrashvogue shot, courtesy of @twerkinthedirt 😜, I realized I’d have to crunch 13 miles to finish Washington. Mostly downhill, but at 4:30 PM, probably not doable, I’ll just camp early, I thought. It had rained on me, I fell and scraped my knee in the last creek crossing, and my fingers were SO cold. Then I heard them. I knew those sounds like the back of my hand, the endless chug a chugs and whistles.. 6 years of responsibility came flooding back as I hiked and instinctively listened. My first job. My first time living alone in a new place I’d never been.. and I fell in love. Vancouver, WA, was like stepping through a gateway to another world, one that was luscious and green and mountainous, things this Texas girl hadn’t really experienced. Later when I moved to the Bay Area and found groups like @girlswhohikesf and @womenwhohike, they ignited my real interest in hiking. I gained confidence in the outdoors and even became an ambassador, meeting people who inspire me and drive me daily to explore my world more, this backyard in California and Washington most city folk don’t ever get to see much less experience. Still, I can’t really fathom the turn of events that finally led me to quit my “secure” job, give up my wonderful apartment, and end a long term relationship right before attempting to hike across the country, but here we are. Sometimes I wonder, what would that 22 year old me have thought of this 29 year old now? Would she be terrified of the PCT – the bears, the cougars? Would she be excited – the adventure, the views? Would she have known that her insecurities would fall away whenever she catches a glimpse of the gorgeous PNW woods, a waterfall, the ominous fog? I can only hope… It took 6 long, hard years to realize, coming back to this same place, that I belong. Even if I’m having a bad day, the trail is there. It picks you up and kicks your butt in gear and teaches you how to adapt. It allows you cry and wallow in your fears, but you gotta keep moving. Damnit, 7:30 PM.. 3 miles of night hiking it is. #pct2018

A post shared by Alicia Henry (@ahabitatoutdoors) on

 

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Hiker Trash Vogue . . 📷 @twerkinthedirt

A post shared by Oliver Mar Svoboda “Low Tide” (@oliver_outside) on

 

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Day 126 – Mile 2,652: CHALLENGE COMPLETED … What a feeling … To put so much work into something Our blood, sweat, tears and joy – And then to fully realize our goal Watching it arrive sooner than we anticipated And then pass suddenly. … We can’t help but think that this was never about Canada. Ok. Maybe it was a little about Canada. … But, the walk. The people. The moments alone in pure wilderness. They are what will stick with me for a lifetime. … As I told my Hiker Trash friend @stephlo88 : … Our journey continues on through us returning to the world and integrating all that we’ve experienced. … Merging the trail and our life journeys as one path. … On to the next adventure.. —— Every piece of Hiker Trash I crossed paths with: I am grateful to call you my TRAMILY for life. Stay in touch and let’s do this again some time. Maybe after a nice, long break until we get antsy again. —— THANK YOU to my family, my friends, and every one who followed my journey. I appreciate the heck out of each and every one of you. … For every word of encouragement when I needed it the most. For every positive thought or smile sent in my direction. … All the care packages sent my way – they were so appreciated! Fueled my body and lifted my spirit! Thank you to all who hosted me. … Thank you to all the Trail Angels – for every hitch, every cold beer or bit of Trail Magic, EVERY ACT OF KINDNESS – I saw so much of it on this trail. … Thank you to the @pctassociation for maintaining such a beautiful trail and keeping us safe. … And, THANK YOU TO MY BODY. It handled whatever I threw at it with ease and resiliency. I feel so proud of myself. I will now give it the much needed rest and recovery it deserves. 🌲✌🏼

A post shared by Randy Dacus // Raccoon (@raccoonthehiker) on

 

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Well… we got here a few days sooner than expected and Frank was stoked! When the Delta fire erupted in front of us we got off trail in Etna for much needed rest and to figure out what to do next. After 3 zeros, one of which was spent very far from trail with my friend @feruginous we found ourselves back on trail setting out from Old Station. We skipped more than the required closure, and I’m okay with that because we also avoided the smokiest area and the notoriously hot and dry Hat Creek Rim. Both my physical and mental health are better off for the rest and skip. Frank got the zoomies a few hours after returning to trail which only encouraged me to keep waking. My foot which had been causing me mind numbing and limp inducing pain since before Crater Lake finally started to show improvement. I sent home nearly 2lbs of shit I didn’t need and re-planned my resupplies for lighter loads as well as limited my mileage goals to 20 miles a day. If I feel good I’ll do more but I’m moving forward fully trusting that the Sierra will allow us to pass at that pace before winter sets in. And yes, it feels so good to be closer to Mexico than Canada. And also yes, I want to go back later to complete the skipped section. 👣 #imgonnawalktomexico #campingwithdogs #pacificcresttrail #pctog #trekthepct #longdistancehiking #asdt #womenwhohike #pct2018

A post shared by Wild Amanda Van de Weller (@tidelinetoalpine) on

 

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Just a friendly reminder to go outdoors and hug your friendly neighborhood tree!

A post shared by Kyle “Birdman” Wicks (@kyles_pct_trials) on

 

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I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream…

A post shared by Toga (@sj.camacho) on

 

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Cold and windy weather the past week or so has made getting out of the sleeping bag each morning more of a struggle but has been perfect for hiking. All in all the miles are really flying by as I walk further into the Sierra Nevada! I’m at Lake Tahoe now and taking my first true zero since reaching Oregon almost 7 weeks ago. It’s clear the rest is much needed but I’m eager to get back on trail as I’ll be walking into Yosemite and the much anticipated High Sierra, where I’ll join up with @lucas_boland for the John Muir Trail from Yosemite Valley to Mt. Whitney. I’ve been looking forward to this coming section for the whole trail so far and it’s hard to believe it’s up next!

A post shared by Soren Johnson (@sorenljohnson) on

 

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Dear Pacific Crest Trail, Jaye and I are in a dangerously romanticized relationship with you. We have been hiking parts of you on and off for the past year or so, and we cannot stop thinking about you. Our house is covered with pictures and maps of you. Our boots crave your touch beneath them. Our trail thoughts are engulfed in fantasies about you. We WILL conquer you one day in full. Mark my words. With much love and affection, Max #pacificcresttrail #pct #throughhike #nobo #NonbinaryNomads #nonbinary #gaaayyy #queer #diversity #trans #backpacking #camping #hiking #adventure #optoutside #queersinnature #staywild #hikertrash #dogswhohike #queerswhohike #getoutstayout #adventurenthusiests #keepitwild #greatoutdoors

A post shared by Max and Jaye (@nonbinarynomads) on

 

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When the veil of clouds lift and the views have you slowing down, savor that shit.

A post shared by Holly Candice (@lostinthewritedirection) on

 

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Once upon a time, before Uber and Lyft, there was a FREE method of car-sharing based solely on trust, kindness and curiosity… . . I was nervous to write a post about hitchhiking because I don’t want to imply that it’s for everyone. I acknowledge that my skin color and gender make it easy for me to get rides. People of color and trans and queer folks may have a more difficult and/or dangerous experience hitchhiking. I also know that women are at an increased risk of being taken advantage of and have to be careful about extending our trust to strangers. . . A few years ago, I would have shuddered at the thought of hitchhiking because I was told from a young age that it’s not safe to get into cars with strangers. But when you hike long trails, you have to rely on people with vehicles to get you from the trail to town every five days to resupply. After many positive experiences hitching around trail towns, I felt emboldened to start catching rides all over the place. . . I can’t believe the number of fascinating folks I’ve met hitchhiking—people I would’ve never been exposed to otherwise. I’ve gotten rides from Trump supporters and Trump haters. Jesus freaks and vocal atheists. Rural Americans in beat-up trucks blasting country music. Chinese tourists in a rental car who barely spoke English. A district attorney in a luxury sedan on her way home from work. Climbers and vagabonds livings out of their vans. Cement pourers. Students. Pot growers. Former long distance hikers repaying their karmic debt for all the rides THEY got when thruhiking. I even spent an hour in a car in the eastern Sierra discussing water politics with an employee of the LA Department of Water and Power. . . Continued below.

A post shared by Janel Healy (@janelgazelle) on

 

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“I’ve walked here!” . 21 weeks and 2 days later I’ve arrived. Canada. A goal I had in my mind for almost 3 years. 21 weeks, walking through nature, sleeping in nature, being in nature. . It felt like a lifetime! Feeling anxious and scared, learning and growing, loving and mourning, losing myself and finding myself. Making new friends, having to say goodbye to friends, seeing old friends again. Feeling joyful, sad, happy, angry, tired, energized, moody, cheerful….tears and smiles, frowns and laughter. And then, at the end of my journey, just warmth. Walking over the border, on a day with snow and rain, and all I feel is this intense warmth in my chest. The heart is satisfied, the soul is nurtured. I’m happy. . And if, one day, I can leave my life the way I’ve left this trail, I dare say “I lived”. . #pct #pacificcresttrail #pct2018 #pctig #pcta #hikertrash #mexicotocanada

A post shared by Stefan Venzin (@crumbsontrail) on

 

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Less than 1000 miles left: Help me reach my goal of $2650 raised for suicide prevention with @afspnational. That’s $1 for every mile that I hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. 100% of all funds raised goes directly to saving lives and creating important mental health resources in our communities. My adventure is funded by myself! To make a contribution to my campaign with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, please visit : https://afsp.donordrive.com/campaign/Hiking-for-Hope-and-Healing – or go to Artemishikes.com, click the link in my bio for more details regarding my thru hike for suicide prevention. ♡ #pct2018 #pctsobo #hikertrash #dirtbagdarling #pctclassof2018

A post shared by Staci “Artemis” Anderson (@artemis_hikes) on

 

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I walked here. #pctig #trekthepct

A post shared by Tom Grossmith (@tomgrossmith) on

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Andrea Davis
Sep 24th : Andrea Davis
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Andrea Davis's Bio

Hi there! I am an avid hiker, blogger, and adventurer from a small town in Massachusetts. Last Fall, I fell in love with hiking – particularly in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. And, I have set a goal to crush all of the 48 4,000 footers in under a year. I may be new to the hiking community, but since October of 2017, I have summited over 200 peaks, spent countless hours in the darkness of the wilderness, trekked hundreds of miles in unfavorable terrain, and found myself in the process.

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