FAQs

Telling people I’m hiking the Pacific Crest Trail elicits many questions. Here are the answers to a few of the common ones.

Wait, what are you doing?

I’m hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which is a 2,650(ish) mile long trail that stretches from Mexico to Canada through California, Washington and Oregon.

How long is that going to take you?

I’m planning for it to take around 5 months. I will start on April 18, 2022 and finish in mid-September.

Are you going alone?

I am starting alone, but you meet many people along the way. The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) issues 50 permits at day for those starting at the southern terminus outside San Diego, CA, so you’re bound to meet people wherever you go. Many hikers link up with a “trail family” aka a group of friends who they hike/camp with along the way. I’m excited to meet people!

Are you quitting your job?

Nope! Because I work for an amazing company, Blue Pisces Consulting, they are letting me take a leave of absence from work. The plan is that I will return to work for one of our clients when I return.

And special shoutout to Blue Pisces, as they have given me $1,500 towards completing this goal, just to be supportive. I am so grateful! (And I can now say I’m officially a sponsored athlete 😎)

What about bears?

Bears attacking humans is quite rare, but a big concern is bears getting into food. It is extremely important to protect bears from getting into human food because once they get a taste for it, they won’t leave human-populated areas alone and usually have to be killed. “A fed bear is a dead bear.” To learn more about this, visit the PCTA website.

I will be carrying a bear-proof canister for my food and scented items in the Sierras, around Lake Tahoe, and in Lassen Volcanic National Park.

How are you going to get food?

Every 3-8 ish days, I will stop into towns along the way and either buy food in grocery or general stores, or mail myself a box to a Post Office or another establishment.

Are you going to bring a solar charger?

Nope - in my experience, they don’t work that well and are super heavy. I will take an external battery which I will charge when I stop into towns.

What are you doing about your cat?

Figuring out what to do with my kitty Joanie was one of the biggest stressors going into this whole planning process. My friend Nolan has graciously agreed to take her into his home for the time that I’m hiking. Thanks Nolan!!

How are you feeling?

I am scared, excited, nervous, happy, overwhelmed and super stoked!