The Fear of Something New : Thru-Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
Thru-Hiking is not new to me, but the Pacific Crest Trail is a different animal than the Appalachian Trail that I came to call home. I know once my feet are on the dirt, all will be well.
Ever since I placed my hand on the Katahdin sign in Maine, I knew that my thru-hiking story was far from over. I knew I wanted to experience the magic of the Pacific Crest Trail.
& I'm excited to finally announce that Treats & Barbie will be thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2025!
Hi 👋If you’re new here, I am Tristan aka “Treats 🍪” on trail.
In 2025 my partner, Barbie and I will be thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. In March of 2023, I began an adventure down the Appalachian Trail in Georgia and a few days later met Barbie. We hiked 2000+ miles together down the Appalachian Trail and we’re thrilled to hike thousands of miles together again on our next adventure of the Pacific Crest Trail.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified to start our thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in just a few weeks. My excitement outweighs my fear but not sharing my feelings of anxiety is a disservice to the beginning of this story.
I wake before the sun most mornings, my brain racing with all the things that I still need to check off before we leave. A house that needs to be packed up, scrambling to make last minute gear changes, and finding someone to mow our grass.
It is such a beautiful privilege to be able to go on an adventure like this especially for a second time. I don’t take that lightly. Despite what many seem to think, attempting a thru-hike of a long trail is not a vacation. It has vacation-like aspects to it - experiencing new places, soaking in epic views, and meeting wonderful new people, but it’s not easy and in many regards it’s far from relaxing in the typical sense. It’s hard work - it challenges you physically and mentally, in ways I had never dreamed until I actually stepped foot out on the trail. I must have liked the challenge, because here I am gearing up to do it again.
Even as I revel in the privilege and gratefulness that I have the opportunity to go on the PCT, I am once again struck by how hard it is to leave. After leaving and completing one thru hike, I thought the leaving would be easier this go round. That I wouldn’t be second guessing myself as much, that my confidence would be higher, and that I wouldn’t feel as heavy-hearted for what I might be missing while I’m gone.
I gain so much from thru-hiking but in the same vein I also give up a lot to go on a grand adventure like this. Is it a choice I have willingly made, twice? Yes, and I would make the same choices again and again. But that doesn’t make walking away any easier. I miss time with family, trips with friends, loving on my Zeus, big moments, little moments, things I don’t even realize I miss until I do.
Being out in the woods and thru-hiking feels like second nature, but not until you’ve been out there for a little while. I remember sitting in the passenger seat as my mom drove me to Georgia to start the Appalachian Trail with the most anxious feeling in my gut. It wasn’t the kind of gut feeling that tells you something is wrong but the one that says you’re about to make a big change. Are you ready to take the leap? I thought I would be more ready this time. I hoped I wouldn’t be subjected to those similar feelings of anxiety plaguing me going into the PCT. It makes me wonder what if I had hopped on a trail right after I finished the Appalachian Trail or even 6 months after? Would I have still been met with the same anxiety or has it been brought on by being back in a society that strives to keep you from breaking free from the norm?
What I do know is this: I planned and researched and re-planned my Appalachian Trail thru-hike over the span of 6 years. Regardless of these 6 years of research, I questioned myself and my choices the closer I got to the Southern Terminus. And while my planning and research did help me in some regards, nothing could have truly prepared me for how profoundly wonderful this trail was, how it would change me, and the plethora of challenges it would throw my way.
Though I know the pre-PCT anxiety will continue to creep in until I step foot on the trail. It will try to grab hold of me, make me feel like maybe I could be headed down the wrong path, I remind myself of the Appalachian Trail. It was what I expected and so absolutely, completely unexpected in the best way possible. I have to believe the Pacific Crest Trail will hold a similar kind of magic.
I let the fear in, acknowledge its presence, its desire to keep me safe (and comfortable) and then I let my excitement for my impending adventure replace it. I remind myself that all the wonderful things that came out of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail would have never happened had I never taken that first step.
And I look forward to taking that first step onto the Pacific Crest Trail… probably with a treat in hand.
Happy Trails!
Treats 🍪
Other Pacific Crest Trail Posts you might find interesting:
Treats' Pacific Crest Trail "Whys" : Why I'm Walking 2000+ Miles... Again
Pacific Crest Trail Gear : What I’m Starting the Trail With (coming soon!)
A Healthy Dose of Fear : What I’m Afraid of on the Pacific Crest Trail (coming soon!)
& don’t forget to also explore my Appalachian Trail posts