Click on a marker above to learn more about each of our treks
Miles
Hiking Days
Average Miles Per Day
In April 2016 we set off to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Although our goal was to trek the entire 2,650-mile distance that year, we ended up hiking about 80% of California and the entire state of Oregon, with the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California and the state of Washington still to go.
Ever since then our goal has been to finish the rest of the trail. So we made plans for 2019 to complete as much of the PCT as possible, with a focus on Washington. Our goal was to also complete hiking the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, but we were unable to do that this year.
We used a 26-mile section of the PCT, closest to our Palm Desert home, to complete a 33-mile training hike and also trek a portion of the trail that we had to skip in 2016, due to the Lake Fire closure. This trail has its own set of challenges as the path climbs from the desert to the mountains, gaining over 7,000 feet in elevation.
While we had hoped to hike all the way across Washington, some injuries forced us to stop after completing 317 miles. Over our three weeks of hiking, from the Columbia River to Stevens Pass, we were continually surprised by the beauty that we saw, including rivers, lakes, flowers, and mountain views.
In addition, we included one non-PCT trail on our 2019 hiking list. The Arizona Trail is one of 11 designated national scenic trails in the United States. It runs 800 miles in a north-south direction from the Mexican border to Utah. One of the trail’s highlights is a traverse from the south to north rims of the Grand Canyon. We hiked a 200-mile portion of the Arizona Trail this year, with a goal of possibly finishing it in the future.
Take a look at our summary videos below.
Read more about our journey below:
This Year We are Trekking the U.S. West!
Sandy introduces this year’s adventure – 1,000 miles of trekking in the Western United States on the Pacific Crest Trail and Arizona Trail!
From Sand to Snow: Hiking the “Missing” Pacific Crest Trail
With our goal of finishing the entire PCT in 2019, we decided to complete a missing piece of trail that we needed to detour around three years ago. It is a challenging section, climbing over 7,000 feet in elevation from the desert sand to the forest snow.
Use It or Lose It: Preparing Our Gear for Trekking the U.S. West
As we prepare for our Trekking the U.S. West adventure this summer, we have been focused on our gear. Taking into account the lessons we learned from hiking the PCT three years ago, we have strived to review every backpacking item to lighten our load. If we aren’t going to use something extensively, it stays…
The Dry and Winding Road: Beginning the Arizona Trail
During our first week hiking along the northern-most section of the Arizona Trail, we passed through a ranch area along winding dirt roads. It is a relatively dry terrain, and much of our daily distance was dictated by the availability of water sources.
What Goes Down Must Come Up: Trekking Rim to Rim along the Arizona Trail
After six days and 103 miles of hiking the Arizona Trail from Flagstaff, Arizona, we arrived at the Grand Canyon’s South Rim only to be confronted with an adverse weather report. Once we hiked down, we had to come back up. The question was where – the South Rim or the North Rim?
To the Red Cliffs of Utah: Completing the Arizona Trail
When we emerged from our rim-to-rim trek through the Grand Canyon it was cold and windy, and there was too much snow on the ground for us to hike on the Arizona Trail (AZT). We had 76 more trail miles to reach the red cliffs of the Utah border and a shuttle pick-up there in…
Of Mosquitoes and Mice: Hiking the Washington PCT
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…
In the Shadow of Mount Adams and Mount Rainier: Continuing the Washington PCT
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…
A Rocky Finish to Our Trekking: Ending the Washington PCT
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.
Trekking the U.S. West Summary Videos
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.