Meet the adventurer who rode the CDT on a unicycle with a unicorn helmet

tHru-hikers may stand out in the “real world” because what we do is unusual, but once we hit the trail, we quickly blend in: the same dusty gear, the same bomb ramen dinners, the same tired feet.

That’s not the case for mountain unicyclist Jamey Mossengren, perhaps better known as the Unicorn Unicyclist.

While most of us walk mile after mile on two legs, Mossengren travels the trail on one wheel. He has unicycled the Colorado Trail (CT), the Arizona Trail (AZT), and most recently the Continental Divide Trail (CDT).

Meet the unicycle unicorn

Mossengren grew up in Minnesota and discovered the unicycle by chance when, at age 10, her grandmother bought one at a garage sale. «My brother and I came to his farm, saw it, and thought, ‘What is that?’ “We spent every visit trying to put it together… and eventually we both learned,” he says. «I was hooked right away.»

He then participated in national and international unicycling competitions, but it was always just a hobby. After high school, Mossengren earned a degree in mechanical engineering and worked for several years at a medical company. «I didn’t like the corporate world. I felt like I was in prison. So I left it and moved to California. I saw a street artist and thought, ‘That looks like fun. I wonder if I could do that.’ That was 18 years ago. “I’m still doing it.”

Mossengren has been performing around the world at festivals and fairs for almost two decades. Along the way, he adopted the Unicycling Unicorn persona, dressing as a unicorn for his shows and even dressing his unicycle as a unicorn.

Pedaling through New Mexico on the CDT. Photo courtesy of Jamey Mossengren.

From fairgrounds to trails

While going through a divorce in 2015, Jamey learned about the Colorado Trail. “I learned that you can walk or ride a bike. I loved mountain unicycling and I thought, ‘I wonder if I could do it on a unicycle?’ So I just did a little research, bought a bunch of stuff, and learned to be light… Then I went and did it. It was my first time camping alone on an overnight trip or something,” he explains.

The Colorado Trail gave her space to recover from her divorce. «It helped me think about things. I had three weeks to be alone and try to figure things out,» he says. «When I started the journey, I was a little lost and sad. And then when I finished the journey, I felt better. I felt like I had a plan. I felt like I learned to forgive myself for what had happened, for not being perfect, and then I also learned to forgive my ex for what he did. And it was an incredible adventure.»

He also fine-tuned his equipment setup along the way. Like bikepacking, uni-packing requires creative equipment solutions. Mossengren carries most of his gear on the unicycle while his food and water are in his backpack.

HEAR – Backpacker Radio 74: Jamey Mossengren aka «The Unicycle Unicorn»

Tackle mountain passes and peaks on a single wheel. Photo courtesy of Jamey Mossengren.

Change wheels for boots (sometimes)

The Colorado Trail gave Mossengren a taste for long trails. But not all trails are open to wheels, so he had to hike like the rest of us when he embarked on the Appalachian Trail with three friends from home.

After CT and AT, he looked for other wheel-friendly routes. He convinced two other mountain unicyclists to join him on the Arizona Trail, and also unicycled the Oregon Timber Trail. Between work gigs, Jamey hiked the Superior Hiking Trail in his home state of Minnesota, along with large portions of the Pacific Crest Trail and Long Trail. In 2023, he completed half of the Continental Divide Trail, knowing he would eventually return.

Mossengren uni-packaged gift the opportunity to spend time in nature doing something I loved. Offered respite and healing after a divorce, a gift I didn’t know I would need again.

CDT Loss, Healing and Wheels

On January 1, 2025, Mossengren’s sister committed suicide. Struggling to cope, he decided to take time off work. “How am I supposed to make people laugh and smile when I’m not well? I’m not a super religious person, but nature is my religion. I knew from the Colorado Trail that it helped me and healed me when I was going through that difficult time. “So I had a good feeling that it would help me get through this difficult time.”

When Mossengren hiked the first half of the CDT in 2023, he and his friends used two pickup trucks to get up the trail and avoid the snow. There were sections of the trail he missed, so Jamey devised a strategy to make up those miles on his unicycle.

Mossengren’s 7-Wheel Strategy: Park the van at the trailhead → Ride the moped with a unicycle north to a different trailhead → Ride the unicycle south to the van → Ride the van north past the moped → Ride the unicycle south to the moped → Ride the moped with a unicycle north to the van → Repeat. Photo courtesy of Jamey Mossengren.

Mossengren headed to the CDT in his van, accompanied by a moped and his mountain unicycle. “I would park (the van) “At a trailhead, I would get on the moped with my unicycle strapped to it, ride north to a different trailhead, ride my unicycle south to the truck, get to my truck, and then ride north past the moped to a different trailhead, and then get on my moped, get on my moped, and keep jumping.”

At one point, while barreling down Wolf Creek Pass at 10 mph on his moped with a unicorn horn on his helmet, Jamey couldn’t help but laugh. “I just remember feeling like Dummies and dumbers. My unicycle is tied to the moped and I have the horn on my helmet. People walk past me thinking, ‘What the hell is this?’”

Learning to forgive in the mountains

Undeterred by the complicated logistics, Mossengren persevered. As complicated as his CDT itinerary was, it was nothing compared to the complexity of his path to healing.

“Some days I would cry and feel miserable,” he reflects, “and the next day I’m laughing at the fact that I have a unicycle in these mountains, in the middle of nowhere, and then I’m riding down these mountains.” (happens) just screaming and having the time of my life. “I don’t think I’ll ever be completely cured of this, but it definitely helped.”

The first few weeks were especially challenging, he says, but as time went on he had time to reflect and process. “In the mountains, I learned to forgive myself for not helping her and maybe for not doing some things I should do to help prevent it. I learned to forgive her for hurting me and doing what she did, and her husband as well. To move forward, he needed to forgive those three people. And the mountains help.”

A magical night of trails under the stars in the CDT. Photo courtesy of Jamey Mossengren.

Magical path and a mission

Wherever the Unicorn Unicycle goes, Mossengren tries to share his message of love and laughter. On the CDT, he did this by providing trail magic to other hikers when he could. She brought coolers to trailheads, prepared food at campsites, and delighted hikers with her infectious unicorn energy. He also donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

«I wanted to contribute a little bit to suicide prevention. So I ended up just donating… It was just me trying to be a good human being and help prevent suicide. I didn’t realize how big of a problem suicide is in the US, and it’s pretty common… If more people were out enjoying this beautiful world, I think there would be a lot fewer deaths.»

The road ahead

Mossengren packed about 1,200 miles of the CDT from Grants, New Mexico, to Yellowstone between June and August 2025. He then returned to work performing at Renaissance festivals in New England and spent the fall performing and hiking sections of Vermont’s Long Trail and plans to spend the winter traveling.

Wherever you go, you will find love, laughter, and a unicorn horn.

Jamey Mossengren, also known as the Unicycle Unicorn, at the CDT. Photo courtesy of Jamey Mossengren.

You can follow Mossengren on instagram, Facebookand YouTubeor learn more about your website. To learn more about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, you can visit their website.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, you can call or text. 988 or chat via 988lifeline.org 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.