What It’s Like for 2020 Thru-Hikers Canceling Their Plans Because of COVID-19

Within the past week, every community, industry, age range, and recreation subset has been flipped upside down. Everything from dinner reservations to planning for the entirety of 2020 has gone out the window, and the situation is still constantly in flux. The outdoor community as a whole—including the thru-hiking subset—is no exception.

Last week, I was concerned about potential resupply changes for my upcoming PCT thru-hike. Three days ago, the situation had spiraled enough for me to cancel my hike, followed by statements from leading trail organizations asking hikers to postpone their hikes. Today, instead of shipping a mail drop or working on The Trek’s normal seasonal content, I’m asking our 2020 bloggers for their thoughts on their hikes ending before they start… or about how they’re leaving the trail hundreds of miles in.

Things have changed fast in the trail community, but I believe we’ll come out stronger on the other side with a greater sense of unity and purpose. If the collective class of 2020—including hikers from the AT, PCT, CDT, and beyond—can put the health and safety of others before themselves at great logistical and financial sacrifice following years of planning, then it proves what an incredible community we’re lucky to be part of.

Here are just a few of The Trek’s 2020 bloggers on how they made their decisions to cancel or postpone their hikes, and how they’re feeling at this time. Our thoughts go out to everyone impacted in the outdoor community and beyond.

–Maggie Slepian
Managing Editor

Bryce Maki – PCT

After days of research and thought, I’m making the decision to cancel my thru-hike of the PCT due to COVID-19. I’ve educated myself extensively about this virus, and it’s far more serious than I had originally thought. I believe that my best contribution to society is to stay isolated right now. The asymptomatic nature of this virus can create dangers that we are unaware of and I don’t want to risk spreading it to the communities along the PCT. For me, hiking in this current situation wouldn’t be enjoyable. I’ll sleep better at night knowing that I followed my brain rather than my heart on this one.

Bob Taylor – PCT

Reanna Leisure – AT

Like so many others in the thru-hiking community, the Appalachian Trail has been a dream of mine for so long. It’s been years in the making, months of tedious planning, and weeks of getting so incredibly excited to head for Georgia.

Now with less than 30 days away from my adventure of a lifetime, I’ve decided to cancel my thru-hike for 2020 per the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s instructions. This decision was not made lightly. I am utterly heartbroken. Words cannot even begin to describe my disappointment as I now have to put my goal of making it to Katahdin on hold because of an unexpected force none of us saw coming.

As for the next steps, I always promised myself that if for some reason I wouldn’t get to hike the AT, I would at least thru-hike a trail this year. I’m not sure which one yet, but I have time to figure it out while the coronavirus ensues. Hopefully this chaos subsides soon and I, along with so many other hikers, can get back to doing what we love again.

Allison Perrine – PCT

My name is Allison and I’m a 28-year-old oncology nurse. I’ve been saying “PCT 2020!” since 2016. Even a week ago I told others that my list of reasons to quit the trail was very short. My only reasons to leave were broken limbs and terminal illness in my immediate family. The coronavirus was definitely not on the list of things that I thought would prevent me from hiking. My start date was March 22. I pushed back the decision until just days before the trip. I wrestled with the same questions as many regarding resupply, store closures, and hitches into town. What ultimately convinced me to cancel my trip was seeing official statements coming from trail towns (Bishop, Mammoth Lakes, Truckee) asking people who aren’t residents not to visit. I came to terms with my trip as “nonessential travel.”

This was hard to reconcile given that this has been my most important and all-consuming goal for years. The days leading up to the decision not to hike were gut-wrenching and frustrating. My spirit is crushed and I am frustrated. I am incredibly disappointed, but I am so certain that I am making the right choice that I’m hardly saddened. I know that the experience of being on trail is not the experience I wanted for this once-in-a-lifetime endeavor. I’m hoping that by waiting I will have the full experience of trail angels, trail towns, and tramily. Oh, and not having tons of anxiety over a pandemic.

Shannon Ryker – PCT

There are many reasons I have decided to cancel but the most important reason is to keep vulnerable populations safe. I have family members in this demographic and care about their safety.

This is not the hike I envisioned. I’ve heard past hikers talk about abandoning your expectations when hiking but those folks probably never envisioned their hike could be altered so drastically.

I want the rich cultural experience provided by so many amazing international hikers and trail angels. I don’t want to spend my hike avoiding contact with people.

I don’t want to worry about empty grocery shelves, closed restaurants, hotels and national parks. At this point hiking the PCT in 2020 is more like an episode of Survivor than a long-distance hike.

I want the security of travel insurance and the availability of emergency services and medical personnel. At this point, purchasing insurance would be worthless with strong advisories against all nonessential travel. Medical personnel are already experiencing capacity issues and getting proper medical care may be more difficult. Just stepping in a medical facility is a risk.

Tyler Jeremiah – AT

Janelle Libertone – PCT

Thru-hiking is as much about the trail communities as it as about being in nature for months. We’re hiking through people’s backyards (sometimes literally). Our spirits are lifted anytime we are offered a ride, find a water cache, or a surprise burger near a road crossing. We rely on kindness and people going out of their way to help us in whatever way they can.  We stay at hotels, get mail at the post office, and eat at local restaurants. Sure, a hike is possible without trail angels and a great cup of coffee after a rough hundred miles, but the PCT experience is built on the relationship between thru-hikers and the trail communities. My choice to not go is about everyone who lives in these communities.  These towns have no ability to support a health crisis of this magnitude. It’s not about being safer about it, it’s not about using more hand sanitizer, or not gathering close together. It’s not about what you can do. It’s about not doing things. I will never know if my actions had an impact on anyone or if they were inconsequential, but I’m OK with that. I am content being in my own community as we navigate how to get through this.

I have deep feelings of loss. It’s not necessarily the loss of a six-month hiking trip. It’s the loss of getting to meet the version of me who made it to the Northern Terminus and the people who helped me get there.

I am fully planning on hiking the PCT at the next reasonable time, but I am having trouble seeing that the pandemic will have passed by summer and not come back next flu season to impact next year’s hiking season. For now, I’ve purchased a two-pound block of cheese and begun foraging in my resupply for delicious snacks.

Related

Updated Coronavirus-Related Closures

ATC Statement

PCTA Statement

CDTC Statement

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