I'm Walking to Canada (PCT)

Not from NY, that would be too easy. From Mexico.

Next week I start my first thru-hike on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). This will be my first, and likely only thru-hike, because it's a bonkers hobby that'll take ~five months and all my wits to finish. It starts at the bottom of CA and ends at the top of WA, where I'll probably stumble my way into Vancouver before flying home to Brooklyn. The first six weeks will be in the desert, then a harrowing month in unprecedently snowy Sierra Nevada, a couple of weeks more in northern California, and finally a month each in Oregon and Washington. It's so wild, and I'm so excited for all of it. 

Elina Osborne—a YouTuber and 2019 PCT alumnus— is to blame for my hyperfixation. She made it sound like a great alternative to what the rest of 2020 had to offer. Sadly, hikers rely on trail towns to resupply, and those all rightly shut down along with the rest of the world. I opted for the adventure of Corporate America for the following two years, funding my life in a city I now love and have incurable Stockholm syndrome for (I <3 capitalism and can't wait to clock back in for September). After quietly quitting and later actually quitting, I got to the final round of a ritzy NYC job and bargained with myself that if I didn't get it, I'd hike the PCT instead. Maybe I wasn't the right fit, or perhaps I purposefully fumbled the interview with the C-suite? I'll never tell. Either way, it was time for me to take a lap and go on a walk. 

"Omg, Caroline, quit burying the lede and tell us W H Y you're doing this." 

Because—

1. Wild places make me happy. There's something hysterical about being on the top of a mountain. Like, nobody asked you to go up there?! Get down before you fall off. 

2. Hikers are friendly, weird people I want to commune with and ethnographically study with my anthropology minor (brag, I'm so eclectic). Think of the stories I'll collect!? Come on. 

3. The simplicity is unbeatable. Just wake up, walk, eat, drink, set up camp, think, read, and go to bed. Well, not bed, go to sleeping quilt on the ground. 

4. I want to do something solely for myself. There's no degree at the end, cash prize, or outside expectation to finish other than intrinsic motivation. This is novel for me!

5. I'm so lucky to be able-bodied, and I don't want to waste that gift.  

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: 

Are you bringing a gun? 

I have been asked this question almost exclusively by 40+ men, and it's exclusively and swiftly answered "no". 

Have you been training? 

Yes, my rockin' bod is ready. Lifting, some cardio, stretching, just daily NY living, et al. It's not like marathon training with strict excel sheets dictating your weekends for months (marathoners are crazier than me, and I'm walking over 100 marathons). Alas, nothing truly prepares you for backpacking like backpacking, so I'm going to start slow, and by WA, I'll do 20+ miles/day.  

Who are you doing this with? 

Starting alone, but I'm a quick friend. My ole' college try wasn't good enough to persuade anyone to join me. They all had jobs and leases and other noise to deal with.  

Aren't you scared? 

More excited. I trust myself to take risks but also turn around if I need to. I'll have a tracking device for safety and will turn on my charm to make friends so I won't hike the dangerous passes alone. 

Snow is packin' this year, so I may flip-flop northern parts before southern ones. 

Are you foraging? Hunting? 

Lol, of course not. I'd certainly die. There are towns along the way to stop in and resupply or send boxes in food deserts.

What’s in your pack? How much does it weight? 

This stuff. It’s about 25 lbs. Food is the most cumbersome.

Can I send you anything? 

The friends who asked this are too nice! Please don’t feel like you need to send me anything! BUT if you want to send something small, fun food, or a letter, here are reliable places along my route: 

Warner Springs

Mail General Delivery to Post Office:
Hiker Name
c/o General Delivery
Warner Springs, CA 92086
Please hold for Thru-Hiker (ETA: MM/DD/YY)

Kennedy Meadows ($6 fee here so throw in some cash perhaps) 
Hiker Name
c/o Kennedy Meadows General Store
96740 Beach Meadows Rd.
Inyokern, CA 93527

Vermillion Valley Resort (put my name on all sides of the letter/package) 

UPS ONLY (preferred method):
Hiker Name
Vermilion Valley Resort
c/o Rancheria Garage
62311 Huntington Lake Rd.

Lakeshore, CA 93634

Sierra City 

For Mailing to General Store:
Hiker Name
c/o Sierra Country Store
213 Main Street
Sierra City, CA 96125

Crater Lake 

UPS ONLY!

Hiker Name
c/o Shelter Cove Resort
27600 West Odell Lake Rd.
Highway 58
Crescent Lake, OR 97733

Please Hold for Thru-Hiker (ETA: MM/DD/YY)

White Pass 

Hiker Name
c/o White Pass Rural Branch PO
At the Kracker Barrel Store
48851 US Hwy 12
Naches, WA 98937

Snoqualmie Pass

Address to Gas Station:
Hiker Name
521 WA-906
Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068
Please Hold for Thru-Hiker (ETA: MM/DD/YY)

Address to Summit Inn:
Hiker Name
603 WA-906
Snoqualmie Pass, WA 98068
Please Hold for Thru-Hiker (ETA: MM/DD/YY)

Stehekin 

Send packages to PO:
Hiker Name
c/o General Delivery
Stehekin, WA 98852
Please Hold for Thru-Hiker (ETA: MM/DD/YY)

I’ll post periodically or whenever I have something new or funny to share. I miss you all so much already! Stayed tuned! Think of me when you’re in a warm bed or eating fresh produce!