If you ever thought about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) but needed a little bit more incentive (it is very long, after all) then maybe this offer might tempt you.
To celebrate the opening of the new 16-mile, eight-years-in-the-making Capital to Tahoe Trail (which links Carson City to the Tahoe Rim Trail and, by extension, the PCT), Visit Carson City is looking for two thru-hikers to trek from Carson City to Canada in 2025, and they’ll pay them $5,000 each to chronicle the epic adventure. That’s a hike of 16,000 miles in total, which should take two to three months.
(To clarify, that doesn’t take in the entire PCT – just the northern two thirds or so – but if you are successful in your application, you could always take the opportunity to do the Mexico to Carson City section first.)
Visit Carson City is accepting online applications until May 31st. The hike is expected to take place in the summer of 2025, depending on weather and trail conditions, starting on the steps of the Nevada State Capitol Building. Applicants are being asked to submit a 60-second video detailing why they’re the ideal candidate, and the lucky winners will each receive $5,000 upon reaching the Canadian end of the PCT, having documented their journeys along the way (so we’re guessing Visit Carson City is looking for social media savvy hikers, at the least).
“Once we realized that someone could start hiking right here in Carson City and take the Capital to Tahoe Trail to some of the greatest hiking trails in the world, we knew this would be a terrific opportunity,” says David Peterson, executive director of Visit Carson City. “This is a chance for someone who has always wanted to thru-hike the PCT to experience the adventure of a lifetime – and partner with us to get paid while they are out there.”
Although, let’s be honest, if it takes you three months, that’s a daily rate of about $55 so it’s hardly worth quitting your job over, but, hey, it’s a nice bonus if it’s the kind of thing you’d consider doing anyway.
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