PCT 2020

When COVID-19 hit, it was a heartbreaking but easy decision to cancel my thru-hiking plans. States along the West Coast were mandating stay at home orders, small trail towns were asking tourists not to come, and the PCTA asked hikers to get off trail. I hoped that I could start in May instead and looked […]

July 10th, 2020 Mile -30.1 to Mile -14.7 I am here!!!! Today I woke up at 5am, said goodbye to my parents, and drove 4.5 hours with Matt to Hart’s Pass. We drove slow up the Forest Service Road and didn’t arrive until 11am or so. We had some pretty stunning views of North Cascades […]

July 11th, 2020 Mile -14.7 to Mile 0 Today was the hardest day of hiking I’ve had in my entire life. I’ve never gotten emotional from physical activity but today I was close to tears a few times.  Matt and I woke up at 5:30am and took about 90 minutes to break camp. We were […]

July 12th, 2020 Mile 0 to Mile 11.4 The first real day on the PCT!!! Woop woop! We slept in a little this morning (if setting a 7am alarm counts as sleeping in) and started our ascent away from Canada. We spent some time at the border to take pics with the monument and sign […]

July 13th, 2020  Mile 11.4 to 30.6  Today we woke up at 4:15am to a gentle sunrise and a deer in the camp! We had to pack up and move quickly because we had to get over Rock Pass AND travel 18.5 miles back to the car.  Luckily, Rock Pass was much better this time […]

July 14th, 2020  Mile 30.6 to Mile 46 I woke up this morning a little emotionally hungover from last night, but ready to tackle the day. I had a conversation with the neighboring campers about the PCT and then packed up to leave.  The whole morning was along various ridges. I could look across the […]

July 15th, 2020 Mile 46.0 to Mile 63.8 This morning was a chilly climb out of the valley to Methow Pass. I had a solitary climb and recently adopted the habit of talking to myself. At the pass I had a breakfast shake and saw some prairie dogs (do those exist here? Ground squirrels maybe?). […]

July 16th 2020  Mile 63.8 to Mile 80.7 I woke up this morning happy again to see that my bear hang did its job throughout the night. I got my things organized and started the 17 mile section through North Cascades National Park.  Most of the morning was a downhill walk through a forested section of […]

July 17th 2020 Mile 80.7 to Mile 100.2 My first 20 mile day!!! (I know I’m 0.5 miles short but it counts, okay?) I finally think I’m turning a corner for the better here. I left camp at 7am as usual and saw more deer. I started the climb through a forested section out of […]

July 18th, 2020 Mile 100.2 to Mile 121.1 I was the first to wake up today, 6am as usual. I got moving by 7 and made it over a lot of the snow before it softened up. The others all hike faster than me so I figured they’d pass me as the day went on. […]

July 19th 2020 Mile 121.1 to 138.1 I woke up to the sun beaming into my tent this morning!! It was actually warm as I packed up and got ready. Lucas, Emily, and I decided to hike the whole day together because of the bushwhacking and snow still on Fire Creek Pass.  We got moving and […]

July 20th, 2020 Mile 138.1 to Mile 158 I slept in an extra half hour this morning but got moving by 7:30. I didn’t poop all day yesterday but went today before leaving camp and felt GREAT after. I was going pretty fast in the morning and snacking periodically. I only had a little bit of snow […]

July 21st, 2020 Mile 158 to Mile 178.7 I’m almost back at Steven’s Pass and Highway 2!!!!!! And I walked here from Canada!! It’s been crazy watching my little location dot move closer and closer to home every day. Now I’m just 10 miles from the highway!  We got up and rolled out around 7:15 […]

July 22nd, 2020 Mile 178.7 to Mile 188.3 I woke up a little early this morning to ensure I made it on time to meet my mom. I was out hiking by 6:30ish.  The hike was pretty low key. I met a handful of short term backpackers around Lake Valhalla. Saw some pretty cute dogs.  […]

July 23rd, 2020  0 Miles  I woke up around 7am but rolled over and slept for another hour or so. I got up and made an egg and cheese breakfast sandwich on an English muffin. Plus my mom had the fancy passion fruit greek yogurt so I had some of that. I puttered around and […]

July 24th, 2020  Mile 188.7 to Mile 206.1  I woke up around 6am today and got ready to head out. Putting on my hiking clothes felt like putting on a work uniform. I got some leftover banana bread and a final la croix and we hit the road.  It was sad to say goodbye to […]

July 25th, 2020 Mile 206.1 to Mile 227.8 I woke up at the usual time and snuck out this morning trying not to wake Peter. I saw a guy fishing while I was packing up. I hope he has more success than we did. The first few miles today were super relaxing and I was feeling […]

July 26th, 2020 Mile 227.8 to Mile 249.8 I slept in today and had the slowest morning ever. I got up at 6:30ish and didn’t break camp until 7:45. Which I think is a new record for sleeping in. But I still managed to hike 22 miles! I felt pretty slow and bloated this morning […]

July 27th, 2020 Mile 249.8 to Mile 259.2 I slept in a little later than I hoped but still had a good amount of time to meet my mom at noon. I had a little bit of a climb and had some gorgeous views of the mountains and Mt Rainier. I made my way past […]

July 28th, 2020 Mile 259.2 to Mile 279.7 Matt and I meant to wake up at 6:15 today but didn’t get up until 7:30 lol. I packed some banana bread for breakfast again and hopped in the car.  Matt dropped me off around 9am and I started hiking shortly after. I really really didn’t want […]

July 29th, 2020 Mile 279.7 to Mile 305.5 I hiked 25.8 miles today!!! So crazy. Even though I started hiking at like 8:20. It took me about 12 hours, so I was going kind of speedy.  After sleeping in, I got to text Matt which was nice. I had a bit of a climb in […]

July 30th, 2020 Mile 305.5 to Mile 326.9 Today was such a good day!! I slept in again which is now becoming the new norm. I didnt get up until 7:45. But I feel like I deserved to sleep in this time because last night the elk were SO LOUD!! I kept waking up to the […]

July 31st, 2020 Mile 326.9 to Mile 345.3 I slept in again, which is now the new normal. I broke camp around 8:30/9:00 and set off. Sheep Lake is less than 2 miles from a trailhead so I saw a lot of day hikers on their way in. I then crossed Highway 410 which goes through […]

August 1st, 2020 Mile 345.3 to Mile 357.8 I needed to get up at my old usual time today to make it into White Pass in time to meet Emma. I was able to get out a little after 7. The dad and son camping next to me were also awake, but they didn’t seem like […]

August 2nd, 2020 Mile 357.8 to Mile 377.4 I wanted to get on trail in the morning so I could try to do 20 miles, so we woke up around 7am. Emma (the best trail angel ever) cooked Shakshuka while the rest of us started packing up.  Shakshuka is a veggie dish cooked with eggs […]

August 3rd, 2020 Mile 377.4 to Mile 403.1 It was chilly this morning so I took that as an excuse to stay in bed until 7. I packed up and had to put my rain jacket on it was so cold (I usually just go in my shirt and wait until I get moving to […]

August 4th, 2020 Mile 403.1 to Mile 428.8 Most people had cleared out by the time I emerged from my tent. Ya snooze, ya lose. I got out and started hiking around 8:20.  To be totally honest, today was kind of a blur. I felt slow all day. The miles definitely did not come easily. […]

August 5th, 2020 Mile 428.8 to Mile 447.4 I’m not sure what kind of transformation I’ve been through, but today I decided to take it easy by hiking 18 miles. At the beginning of this journey, I hiked 18 miles with Matt on Day 4 and it nearly killed me. My feet were sore, I […]

August 6th, 2020 Mile 447.4 to Mile 470.5 The old man was right, it rained today. I could hear some fat raindrops landing on my tent so I rushed to get ready and pack up before it started to dump and I’d have to deal with a soaking wet tent. It was so chilly and […]

August 7th, 2020 Mile 470.5 to Mile 494.2 LAST NIGHT ON TRAIL!!! I can’t even believe it. It feels like tomorrow is just another resupply day and I’ll be on my way again. I cant believe I get to go home and relax and not walk 20 miles a day!! I’m excited for the relaxin’ […]

August 8th, 2020 Mile 494.2 to Mile 505.5 I am finished!!!! I hiked from Canada to Oregon!!!! Finishing those last few miles today felt a little underwhelming, just any other day of hiking. But coming across the Bridge of the Gods it definitely felt bittersweet. I started off on a descent this morning. I was […]