In the summer of 2018, four strangers embarked on a 1,200-mile hiking journey through the Pacific Northwest. With nothing more than cameras in hand and packs on their backs, they set forth into the unknown. On the other side, they came out as friends and with a feature-length film chronicling their experience.
THRU | The Pacific Northwest captures the spirit of the Pacific Northwest Trail that follows one of the wildest wilderness corridors in the Lower 48. Averaging over 20 miles per day, with 3,000 feet of elevation gain, it wasn’t just a beautiful hike, but a gritty one, too.
Each week their rations ran out and they were forced to resupply. Hitch-hiking to out-of-the-way towns, they found themselves interacting with the core of Pacific Northwest culture and learning about the first settlers to populate the region.
Due out in 2019, this film won’t be the first for the team. Their hope is that by capturing and sharing real long trail journeys, they can inspire others to lace up their boots and do the same. The more people form a deep and lasting relationship with a wild place, the more apt they are to want to protect it.
The little known Pacific Northwest Trail — the real star of the movie THRU — was only added to the National Trails System back in 2009. This massive 1,200-mile trail runs from the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean, starting in Glacier National Park and passing through three national parks and seven national forests along the way. It’s one of the most scenic long trails in the world, but also remote, rugged, and requires expert route finding.
If you want to learn more about the Pacific Northwest Trail, check out my interview with Jeff Kish, Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association, over on the Columbia blog.