Trail Angels
Thanks for your interest in becoming part of the PCT Passport.
Most Trail Angels who help Hiker Trash never think twice.
A ride into town, a cold drink left in a cooler, a couch for the night.
That’s not a program; that’s just how Trail Angels do it.
The Passport doesn’t try to replace that.
It just adds a little structure, so the support keeps happening year after year, and those giving it get something back.
Why This Exists
When I brought back the PCT Yearbook at the first of this year, I saw a major hurdle.
Every yearbook would involve marketing the yearbook to a group of hikers who had no idea there was a yearbook.
When I went to PCT Trail Days in August and talked with hundreds of hikers, 80% had no idea there was a yearbook.
This was after I had been all over social media in PCT groups talking about the yearbook since the beginning of the year.
If only I could get something in hikers’ hands that they keep the entire time they are on the trail.
This is where the idea for the PCT Passport began.
How the Passport Works
The Passport is a pocket-sized, 8-panel accordion document.
On one side, hikers collect a custom rubber stamp from businesses and Trail Angels they visit along the way.
The other side lists towns and locations, along with resources hikers need along the trail.
On top of that, a link and QR code connect to even more resources, including Trail Angels, all in a downloadable PDF they can save right to their phone.
Example Only
What Is a Passport Checkpoint?
A Passport Checkpoint is any business or Trail Angel supporting hikers along the way.
Every Checkpoint gets a custom rubber stamp.
When a hiker comes through, you stamp and date their passport; you become a permanent, physical mark in their PCT story.
That covers trail magic, shuttles, and water caches too.
If you support hikers, you’re part of their memories, and you should have your own stamp.
Next Year – 2027
I’ll be one of the first sponsored hikers myself, one month on the trail.
In 2028, I will hike the entire trail in four months at age 70.
I’m doing it myself first, so somebody else can see it’s actually possible, work for the Yearbook, and get sponsored to hike the PCT.
That’s how this eventually gets handed off to whoever takes it over when I move on.
After 2028, I’ll still get out there a few weeks every year so this Yearbook never gets written entirely from behind a desk.
The real goal past that isn’t me anymore; it’s sponsoring a hiker, or hikers, to do the full trail every single year.
Every Trail Angel / Checkpoint sponsor is what makes that possible.
Be Part of the PCT Passport and Sponsor a Hiker
100% of money raised from Trail Angel fees goes to sponsoring hikers.
- $10 reserves your spot now; a deposit toward your sponsorship
- $25 minimum gets you listed as a checkpoint stamp on the PDF guide, and sponsors a hiker for half a day
- $50 sponsors a hiker for a full day; that's the real daily cost of being out there
- Want to sponsor a hiker for a week or more? Just let me know.
Balance due January 1-15, 2027.
Payment instructions are included in your follow-up message after you sign up.
Getting your own rubber stamp isn't included in the sponsorship, but I'll help you get one at cost through Vistaprint, same as I do for the businesses.
Timeline:
- Passport listings close on December 1, 2026.
- Official launch is March 1, 2027, at the Southern Terminus, CLEEF.
What To Do Next
Sign up below, and you’ll get your spot, your stamp, and a copy of the annual PCT Hiker Trash Yearbook once it’s out.
See you on the trail…
Douglas Hark – “Grateful”
Hiker Trash, Class of 2020