The Pacific Crest Trail: how I combined two great loves of my life

I always dreamed of making movies.

Growing up, I was that girl. Obsessed with every movie that came out in theaters, claiming to know more about Star Wars than all the boys and covering my bedroom walls with posters of hobbits, the TARDIS and the Girl on Fire. Movies were my refuge, my sacred space to hide when life made me feel overwhelmed. In movies I found hope. I hope all friends are as loyal and kind as Samwise the Brave, and that all love stories are as beautiful as Katniss and Peeta’s. In movies, good always wins in the end.

After high school, I pursued the radical dream of becoming a director. I attended a small media arts school in Madison, Wisconsin, and learned the ins and outs of video editing and production. It was there that I realized that the fantasy of making movies and the reality were two completely different things. In my late twenties, I was faced with the weight of being a young woman in an industry heavily dominated by men. I had my body examined, sat across tables with older filmmakers without a full understanding of what they expected of me, and was faced with the fact that networking and connections were more valuable than quality or talent. It was an experience that left me incredibly jaded about the film industry, and I came away with a degree I barely used and a promise to never look back.

However, it was also where I fell deeply in love with making documentaries.

There is something very exciting about going out into the field with a camera and the impulse to tell a story. Documentary filmmaking is so raw that it keeps you on your toes as you work to capture something happening in real time. You don’t spend hours writing storyboards or playing with perfect lighting or building sets, which were things I hated while studying film. Real life doesn’t wait for you to have the perfect photo, but you should try to get it anyway. It was a thrill I sorely missed as I moved on to other activities over the decade that followed my time in Madison. The dream of being a filmmaker still lingered in the back of my mind, but I allowed my attention to focus elsewhere.

That’s what brings me here.

If you’ve read my other blogs, you’ll know that my love affair with hiking began on a brutal beach walk at the northernmost point of New Zealand. Te Araroa broke me in many ways, but it also showed me a new way of life. One where the only belongings that really mattered were the ones I could carry on my back and where the outside world became my office, my backyard, my home. It got into my blood and I wanted more.

My biggest regret about TA is not having documented it more through film. I have a few short reels on Instagram that I love to remember, but that’s it. When I started the Pacific Crest Trail in March 2025, I promised myself that this time would be different.

Armed with a GoPro and my iPhone, I set out to create a PCT documentary that would tell the full story of how to complete a hike. Inspired by those before me, like the incredible Elina Osborne and Courtney Eve White, I wanted to help the public understand the unique magic that comes with hiking. I wanted to take all those skills I had learned in film school and finally put them into practice in my own way.

That being said, I am proud to share my film,

You Bow to No One: A Love Letter to the Pacific Crest Trail

It is what it says it is: a love letter in all its forms. Not just the trail itself, but the people, the ups and downs, the animals, the best and worst days, and me. To be brave and take risks. To do what you like most. It’s a movie for hikers, aspiring hikers, sympathizers, people who love the outdoors, people who think we’re absolutely crazy, and people who are just curious about this way of life.

I am very excited to share this with the world and to be able to combine two wonderful things in my life: hiking and film. I hope you watch it and maybe even see some familiar faces. Click the link above or find it on my Youtube channel: satherkatelyn

send it,

Kruisy

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