Hi. I’m Jake. I also go by the name Mellow, particularly when I’m outdoors. It’s my trail name, given to me by my friend Pudding on the Appalachian Trail in 2018.
This year, in 2019, I’ll be thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail northbound. The PCT runs from the Mexican border to the Canadian border through California, Oregon, and Washington. It traverses the Mojave Desert, the Sierra Nevada, and the Cascades. The goal is to hike the entire trail, though we’ll see how that goes. 2650 miles is a lot, after all.
I’m starting at the southern terminus in Campo, California, 40 miles east of San Diego, on April 12. I’ll be heading to the trailhead solo, but there are 49 other people scheduled to begin on the same day (and 50 per day every other day in April and May), so I’ll have company if I want it.
I’m excited for the challenges of hiking through unfamiliar terrain. I’ve never hiked long distances in desert or alpine areas, and that pretty much sums up the first half of the trail. The day-to-day life of long distance hiking is familiar to me – and I have really missed it – so I’m hoping that I’ll adjust easily enough, despite heading out into the unknown.
I’m not sure how often I’ll have the chance to update this blog. I should have service at least once every few days, but whether or not I’ll be inclined at the time to post an update is another question entirely. Photos will be dependent on internet speeds, so some posts may have them and some may not (at least, not right away).
I think that’s all for now. Follow along by checking back periodically, if you’d like.
Mellow Travels 