Oh shit, I’m actually doing this: PCT 2026

It’s 2018. I’m on YouTube when a video called “This is not a pretty hiking video” appears. I’m about to pack my backpack for a three-night camping trip to Austria with two of my high school friends that I just graduated with. I hesitate for a second, then click on the little thumbnail. A ten-minute video begins to play. This is a boy from Austria who walked from Mexico to Canada. I look, impressed. Then I laugh. How crazy do you have to be to do something like that? I smile and send it to a friend.

«Haha, look at this. We should do this instead.»

Minutes later, my phone vibrates. His response is just a series of laughing emojis. I put my phone away and finish packing for my first self-planned camping trip.

That’s how I first heard about the Pacific Crest Trail. I didn’t know much about it back then, but that ten-minute video quietly became one of the most important decisions of my life.

The PCT stayed in my mind for years. I wasn’t convinced I would ever do it. I didn’t research equipment, make spreadsheets or train. I kept thinking about it.

In 2019, I found myself searching for hiking videos again after returning from my gap year abroad.
In 2020, I tried to explain the trail to a friend and accidentally spoke as if I was already going.
Then in 2023, I finally said it out loud:
“I think I’m going to walk from Mexico to Canada.”

That same year I took my first hike in Europe: 77 days and 1,280 miles through France, Spain and Portugal (read more about it here). It wasn’t the PCT, but it was the first time I saw a line on a map slowly turn into steps. For the first time the idea stopped being imaginary.

And now, after years of dreaming, hesitating, and silent planning, I finally got a permit to start the PCT in late April 2026.

How to stay sane when you’re alone in nature

Over the past few years, I’ve learned how to read a map and use a compass without panicking, how to navigate snow on trails, and how to filter water so it’s safe to drink. I discovered how to share the trail with wildlife and what it feels like to trust a piece of cloth as a home.

My most recent hiking trip was to the Balkans, a week through the stunning national parks of Albania and Montenegro. There were times when I was miles from anything that could be called civilization, and it felt terrifying and exactly right. I set up my new tent for the first time. I stayed awake listening to the wolves and secretly hoping to see a bear. Somewhere between the rain and the ridges, I realized that I was no longer simply dreaming about the PCT.
I was preparing for it.

I bought an ultralight tent so I could carry my harmonica

Did I ship an ultralight tent from Canada to Europe? Yeah.
Do I trim my toothbrush every time I hit the trail? Hell yes.
Do I have a small custom side pocket on my backpack just for my harmonica? Absolutely.

So yes, I count the weight. But I also count on joy and plan to wear both unapologetically.

I’m definitely the type of person who makes a fancy coffee on the go, even if I add an extra 4 ounces. And yes, I would still drink it straight from my pot.

Essential? Absolutely.

I have a slight obsession with mashed potatoes, which is VERY helpful for the PCT. At the end of the day, sitting at 9,000 feet with a bowl of mashed potatoes is what makes me happy, besides walking, of course.

I love groundhogs, bears, and rattlesnakes, although tricky river crossings and frozen snowfields still make me nervous. I love hiking alone, but I miss having company when I camp alone. I love cowboy camping, but I’m afraid of the desert heat.

And then there’s the idea of ​​walking in the same direction for months. It is both exhilarating and strange. It’s hard to imagine what that long period of time will feel like. Part of me is excited and eager to set foot on the road. Another part of me wonders what it will be like to keep moving for so long, to be alone for days at a time, and see how I handle the unpredictability of it all. It feels surreal, like being on the edge of a story I’ve been reading my whole life and finally entering it.

So yes… this is really happening

In just a few months I will be on the border with Mexico with my backpack strapped, making a dream come true that began with a ten-minute video on YouTube. I still don’t know exactly how many river crossings, rattlesnakes, or family servings of mashed potatoes await us. But somehow I’m already excited for each of them.

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