Holland Hall Coach Hiking Pacific Crest Trail

A faculty member at Holland Hall is doing something right now that only about 4,000 people in history have ever done: hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail (or PCT).

Greg Spencer, who’s the website coordinator and a track coach at Holland Hall, set off on the epic, 2,650-mile hike on May 8th. His goal is hike the PCT in 108 days, which puts his completion date in mid-to-late August.  

We talked to him on the phone this week while he taking a break at Silverwood Lake. That’s about 25 miles north of San Bernardino.

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“I’m feeling good,” Spencer said. “I’m kind of getting my trail legs under me now.  I’ve had blisters off-and-on, and it hurts to walk on them at times, but I think my feet have pretty much toughened up by now after about two weeks on the trail.”

The trail was made famous - especially for non-hikers – after it was featured in the 2014 film Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon.  The film is based on the true story of a woman’s cathartic experience hiking the PCT.  Last year, the Pacific Crest Trail Association’s website shows the most hikers ever completed it.

Even so, only 626 people accomplished the feat.

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Before he set out earlier this month, Spencer told us he had been researching his journey for a year.  It started with his desire to see the Sierra Nevada, a mountain range that he still has 300 miles to reach. But during his research, Spencer decided to hike the entire trail. 
 
As for his mode of transportation, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“The journey is what makes it,” Spencer said. “Yeah, I can drive a car to all these points and see it.  But actually traveling on foot with everything I need on my back just makes it that much more special.”

He made sure to mention that he hopes his family knows that he’s safe and that he’s going to make it.