Reflections on Life from the Pacific Crest Trail: An Open Q&A

Field Reflections from the Pacific Crest Trail

Eighteen days after deciding to restart a previously abandoned research project, Chen-Yin boarded a plane to the United States. In the days prior, she had obtained her PCT permit, booked round-trip tickets, prepared all the necessary gear, and applied for a visa.

She intentionally placed herself in an entirely unfamiliar environment—as a solo woman thru-hiker conducting field research on the Pacific Crest Trail—exploring survival skills, self-care, and mental health through lived experience.

It was her first time in the United States, in Canada, her first long-term journey in the wilderness, and her first time camping alone in the snow.

If the PCT is a metaphor for life, then the backpack we carry represents the responsibilities and choices we each bear.
Even when walking the same path at the same time, our encounters and outcomes differ—shaped by our preferences, decisions, and attitudes.

Let us walk into the wilderness and into ourselves—
to witness the intersection of nature and life, and the light and infinite possibilities within each of us.