As 2026 enters the heart of the vacation season, people may still be looking for things to do.
K’lena Schnack, a Milford High graduate, went hiking last summer – not just any hike but the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail.
The trail runs from Mexico to Canada. Schnack and Jenna Miller, a friend from Omaha started their hike April 18 at the southern end. Schnack’s sister Katie Wergin started posting on a blog in May to keep everyone updated with Schnack’s progress.
“It was the hardest but most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” Miller told a gathering in Milford in February.
They used an app and guidebooks to determine their distance for each day. Hikers can leave comments on the water sources, and those were helpful, Miller said.
Each was given a trail name by other hikers.
Miller was “Jailbreak.” She wore a knee brace because she’s had knee problems, but when it dropped around her ankle, it looked like an ankle monitor.
Schnack was “Big Eyes” because she usually bought too much food to take along.
They hiked 10 miles on the first day and built up to 28 miles, which was their longest day. Through the desert, they averaged 20 miles each day, and through the mountains they advanced 13-15.
“As we went on, we were more confident,” Schnack said.
The two started with a group of other hikers. They said getting to know some of them and learn about their cultures (some were from other countries) was cool.
They met a family of nine at the beginning of the Sierra Madres, and Miller said it was not uncommon to see kids hiking with their families.
“Everyone is there for a different reason,” Schnack said.
Once the two settled into the hike, each day had its routine. Most days, they didn’t worry too much about fixing their hair before getting started.
At the beginning, they tried to stay clean, but it didn’t take long before “we got very comfortable being dirty,” Miller said.
“At some point you just embrace it,” Schnack added.
She went 10 days with one braid and wore the same shirt multiple consecutive days.
“If you don’t take off your shirt, you don’t know it’s dirty,” she said, grinning.
Among the gear they carried was a Kula cloth to replace toilet paper and hand sanitizer since they couldn’t wash their hands.
They had Sierra gear to transition from the desert to the mountains. Shoes required spikes for traction, and they had an ice axe available.
“We had it out once,” Miller said.
They also had a bear box to store food because “you can’t carry food loose,” she said.
The trail is patrolled by Wilderness Rangers to help keep the hikers safe, they said.
Miller said the map they carried showed water sources along the trail and elevations.
Schnack said they learned to enjoy some interesting food combinations like pop tarts and peanut butter.
“I added mayo to everything,” Schnack said.
Lunch was one of the highlights of the day, Miller said. It was a chance to rest and relax for a bit, as well as refuel.
One of their favorite foods was dehydrated refried beans and tortillas – “life changing,” Schnack said.
They consumed at least 2,500 calories each day. On the blog in May, Schnack reported planning for 4,000 calories per day, but that was too much.
At the end of each day, they set up camp at a site they’d selected at the beginning of the day. It usually had water, so they could refill, but they didn’t light a lot of campfires, Schnack said.
Each had her own tent, but sometimes they’d have “sleepovers” with just one tent.
About two weeks into the hike, they encountered their first wildlife face to face – literally. Schnack woke up to a mouse crossing her face. Miller said it was interested in the fruit pies they had.
“It was a learning moment,” Miller said. “We got more efficient packing our stuff.”
They also learned that cheap shoes are not the way to go. Schnack went with quality when buying her footwear. Miller looked for bargains and ended up with swollen feet.
“I tried off-brand Crocs, but they didn’t work,” Miller said. “You go through about five pairs of shoes.”
Schnack said they wore gaiters, too, to help protect their feet from the rocks and other hazards.
Hikers are able to visit towns along the way but had to leave the trail to get to them. They were separated by three to four days, with the longest span nine days.
One of the scarier moments came when they were hitchhiking into a town and were picked up by some “scary guys,” Schnack said.
Another moment of fear came later on the trail. Schnack called her dad at 10:30 at night – she was without Miller that night – thinking there was a bear outside.
“It was actually a deer,” she said, laughing.
Towns were a treat, though.
“There’s nothing like a nice hot shower and crawling into a nice bed,” Schnack said.
Most towns had places for the hikers to stay, but sometimes, Schnack and Miller and their group would splurge for a hotel room, packing as many into the room as possible.
“The through-hiking business is very lucrative,” Schnack said.
The towns are also places where the hikers can get mail and packages from home. Schnack said the cards included in the packages meant a lot.
“I was able to stay on the trail because of my support system,” she said.
They reached the mountains near the beginning of July and the Bridge of the Gods in Washington state in August.
Miller had to leave because of injuries on Aug. 20, leaving Schnack to finish the hike on her own. In Washington, part of the trail was closed because of fire, which meant hikers were stranded. She was able to find a ride, however. She reached the Northern Terminus Sept. 9 and finished the trail Sept. 10.
In looking back over the experience, Schnack said she was blown away by the interest people in Milford showed in what she was doing. The cards and encouragement that came as she hiked helped keep her going, she said.
When asked about doing another long hike, Miller said no.
“Two months was enough,” she said with a smile.
Schnack said she’d like to hike the Continental Divide through the Rockies.
