Stories From the Trail
Daily photos, videos, and reflections from Paul's 2,650-mile PCT journey. Follow along as he walks from Mexico to Canada.
The First Step: Standing at the Southern Terminus
Standing at the southern monument, looking north toward Canada. 2,650 miles of trail ahead. The sun is barely up and the desert air is still cool. This is the moment I’ve been preparing for — the moment everything changes. For mom. For dad. For everyone still fighting.
20 miles in and my feet are already talking to me. But the desert sunrise was worth every blister.
Found a perfect stream today. Sat with my feet in the cold water and thought about Mom’s garden.
No light pollution out here. The Milky Way stretches above like a river of light. Dad would have loved this.
The heat is relentless, but the sunsets make it all worthwhile. Met a fellow hiker who lost her mother to breast cancer.
The desert is blooming. Purple, yellow, orange — everywhere. Nature’s reminder that beauty follows hardship.
The stars remind me of camping with my dad. I can feel him walking with me. Tonight’s vlog is for him.