After 12 1/2 days and 160 miles of trekking on the Pacific Crest Trail through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, we stopped to resupply in Yosemite National Park’s Tuolumne Meadows. Now we were faced with a weather forecast of up to a half-inch of rain (and potential thunder and lightning) for each of the next three days. There was also a looming fire closure to the north of us.
During the first six days of our Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) Sierra Nevada trek, we completed 69 miles and ascended over five passes of at least 11,500 feet in elevation. We also contended with afternoon heat and sudden rainstorms. While the altitude of the passes would diminish as we continued north, we knew that the trail (and the weather) would continue to be challenging.
Five years ago we attempted to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from Mexico to Canada. While we didn’t finish the entire 2,650-mile path that year, we did complete over 1,800 miles in California and Oregon before stopping after 4 ½ months. Since then we have tried to get back on the trail in California to finish the 300 miles we had remaining in the state.
We entered 2021 having hiked over 4,000 miles in the past eight years. During that time we have completed a variety of treks throughout the world. One thing we have learned is to tailor our gear to the conditions of each trek.
The Mazatzal Wilderness is located in Arizona’s transition zone between the desert and Colorado Plateau. Our 72-mile Arizona Trail trek took us through a variety of flora as the heat was on with warm temperatures.
As 2021 dawned, we became optimistic about outdoor trekking opportunities this summer. So we created a multi-day “traverse” around the northwest Mojave Desert portion of Joshua Tree National Park, linking together 60 miles of trails, dirt roads, and overland sections.
In October 2020 we undertook our latest journey: a 110-mile section hike in Arizona from Pine to Flagstaff. Take a look at a short video of our six-day trek.
Arizona is known for its saguaro cactus desert in the south and its rugged Grand Canyon in the north. Between these two areas lies the Mogollon Rim. It was also the location of our latest trek, covering a 104-mile section of the Arizona Trail.
In 2019 we undertook our latest adventure: hiking in California, Arizona, and Washington in what we called Trekking the U.S. West. During our three treks, we hiked 550 miles. At the conclusion of each hike we made short summary videos.
In the last two weeks and 246 miles of hiking, we gained over 45,000 feet and lost over 43,000 feet in elevation. While my heel had been hurting since we left the Columbia River and Darren had occasional calf issues, we both felt rested after spending a day and a half in Seattle.
After 82 miles of hiking and a rest day in Trout Lake, Washington, we were ready to continue our journey along the Pacific Crest Trail. The next section would take us alongside the iconic mountains of Adams and Rainier, as well as through the Goat Rocks Wilderness, considered one of the most scenic portions of the entire 2,650-mile trail.
In April 2016 we began hiking the Pacific Crest Trail north from the Mexican border. Our goal was to hike the entire trail in one year, but after 1,828 miles we stopped at the Columbia River in Oregon. A little over 1,000 days later, we stood at the same location, ready to pick up where we left off.
