It’s official! I will be thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail during the 2023 season, and I'm honored use this adventure as a platform to encourage diversity in outdoor spaces by raising money for Trailmixer's OUTdoor Access Fund. In doing so, I hope you'll help me in raising funds to provide scholarships for LGBTQ+ youth to attend life-changing outdoor leadership programs.

I recently secured a permit from the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) to begin my hike on April 2nd, starting at the Mexican border near Campo, California. The PCT runs approximately 2,650 miles from the Mexican border to the Canadian border, and I intend to backpack the entire trail this season. The journey will take me through the southern California desert, over the snowy Sierra mountain passes, into the lush forests of Oregon, and finally the spectacular Cascades of Washington. The trek of a lifetime! I anticipate taking about five months on trail to reach the Canadian border before the early-season snows blanket Washington.

As my passion for backpacking has grown, I have been privileged to traverse some of the most beautiful landscapes both in the United States and internationally. Upon moving to Los Angeles in 2019, I was immediately captivated by the diverse landscapes along the PCT and knew that this trail would provide the physical and mental challenges, and epic natural beauty that I sought in a long-distance backpacking trip.

In my short time hiking with Trailmixer, I completed all three 2022 fundraising hikes while raising over $3,000 towards scholarships for underserved LGBTQ+ youth to attend outdoor education programs. Outdoor spaces have been monumental in my personal growth and development, and I'm excited to continue fundraising to provide opportunities for the underserved LGBTQ+ communities to connect with nature.