On May 2nd, 2018 I will take my first steps on the trek of a lifetime!  I will be backpacking from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail for about 5 months.  It will be an epic adventure through all types of environments, weather, and terrain and a great opportunity meet a wide array of people as I experience all the outdoors have to offer.  The best way to follow along on my journey is follow me on Instagram as I will be posting photos, videos, and stories.  If you don’t have Instagram I will be cross posting photos on Facebook or you can visit my page in your browser.

If you are here on this website it is most likely because you are friends or family looking for info on my journey.  More specifically, on how you can help me along the way.

Any help is certainly not necessary but greatly appreciated.  I have been thinking about, planning, and preparing for this trip for about two years so while I have everything I need anything extra will help make my trip a little easier, slightly less stressful, or just make me smile.

Most people have expressed interest in sending care packages and food and that’s perfect!  Any snacks or goodies will add a nice variety to my diet and my pre-planned resupply packages. (Just remember, I’m going to have to carry it on my back!)

Below you will find a list of all the places I am planning on stopping and receiving a resupply package from home.  While I will be stopping in more towns than the ones listed below (about 30 towns total!), I will already be expecting a package in these towns and will have pretty solid plans to stop at these post offices/pick ups spots during their open hours.

A few special things to know about sending me things on the trail:

• Please make sure to use the address exactly as it is found below to ensure it arrives at the correct place.  Only ship to these addresses using the couriers(s) specified.  Some of these places are fairly remote and have certain guidelines about the packages they receive or which courier delivers there.
• Always include “Hold for Thru Hiker” and my ETA (found below) fairly large somewhere on the top of package (even if it’s included in the address).  On the boxes my parents will be shipping me I’m also including my last name and ETA fairly large on all sides of the package.  These locations receive a large quantity of packages for hikers and it makes it easier for them to sort and find.
• As a general guideline ship about 2 weeks before my ETA.  Generally, this two week window will give me some leeway even if I’m a ahead or behind schedule. Post Offices will hold general delivery packages for about 30 days and other locations typically cater to hikers, so don’t stress too much. The ‘ship deadline’ dates found below are for Omaha.  USPS, FedEx, and UPS all have pages on their websites to help estimate how long it will take to get there.
• Please send me a text, email, DM, etc. letting me know you are sending me something.  A surprise would be great but there will be a lot of packages at these locations and I wouldn’t want to miss something.
• There may be changes to the info below!  Depending on my pace, weather and potentially many other things I may be at these places earlier or later than originally planned.  Most likely, these changes will not effect my ability to pick up packages based on the timeline below (thanks to most of these places holding things for a while) but please check back here once more before sending anything.  I will update it if there are any drastic changes.

Don’t know what to send?

I don’t have dietary restrictions and eat (almost) everything! Treats, candy, or things I’m not already planning on eating are all welcome.  My planned resupply boxes will include various dehydrated rice, noddles, and stew dishes, multiple kinds of bars, dried fruit, nuts, etc.  In towns I’ll be buying more noodles/ramen, tortillas and whatever I can think to put inside them, oatmeal, beef jerky, snacks, random things.  I’m not afraid of, and will actually need, fat an calories.  All that said, I will be ecstatic about and thankful for whatever you send.

Don’t want to deal with shipping something?

Completely understandable! If you prefer the relative ease of helping financially, while not necessary, it will help allow some flexibility in my trip as sometimes random expenses do arise.  If gear breaks and needs to be replaced or I need to take a longer stay in a town due to illness or injury, or just to give me more options when resupplying in town, it can help offset those costs.  As a side note:  I plan to keep my overnight stays in town, where I’d have to pay for accommodation, to a minimum, only when physically or mentally I really need to. I want to be on trail as much as my body and mind allow.

If there is something you’d like me to use the money for, being as specific as you’d like, I will gladly send you a pic or message or post when I use the funds for that.

The best way to send money would be via Venmo or Chase QuickPay and I also have PayPal.  If there is enough interest in just sending me money I will set up a GoFundMe as I know not everyone uses or is comfortable with those apps.  If you’d prefer GoFundMe please message me!