Hiking the 4,270km Pacific Crest Trail, Hongkonger helped by ‘angels’ battles frostbite

Joshua Leung Nok-yan was struck by more than just the towering beauty of America’s wild and empty expanses when he hiked the full Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). He was left with a lasting impression of the depth of human kindness.

The Hongkonger hiked the 4,270km route from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington. He was forced to split his journey into two legs, in 2019 and 2020, when he was evacuated for frostbite.

“There is a term, ‘unconditional positive regard’, which is doing something to care for others, without any pay backs or rewards,” Leung, 24, said. “The first time I met trail angels, I thought they were the real actions of the unconditional positive regard.”

Nicknamed trail angels – people who live near the trail or former PCT hikers – go out of their way to help others on their journey. Leung is a social worker, but even he was taken aback.

“For example, when we finished a 50-mile (80km) stretch and were back in a town, and at a supermarket,” Leung said, “some people asked if we were looking for a place to stay. They took us to their home and let us stay in their RV.”

Leung had long dreamed of his PCT trip. He wanted to walk the whole route in one go but his plans were cut short. He hiked to the summit of Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the Lower 48 states. The snow was deep and a storm blew in, exposing Leung’s lack of experience in cold weather.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

“As I was hiking in the High Sierra, it was cold almost every day. I thought my feet were just cold,” he said. “In fact, they were badly frostbitten.”

Thankfully, two Norwegians were hiking the trail and spotted Leung’s discoloured feet. Leung failed a quick test of toe-poking to determine the level of feeling.

“It was one of the most unforgettable moments, they even put my cold feet against their belly to warm them. I couldn’t believe they did that for me. I was so touched,” Leung said.

The storm stopped a helicopter reaching him immediately and the Norwegians continued to look after him, with another hiker sharing his tent and also monitoring and keeping Leung warm.

Eventually, he was picked up and taken to hospital where a doctor said: “Your hiking days are over for this year.”

“It was painful at first, but I was glad,” Leung said. “I got inspiration from my teacher, the first Hong Kong woman to summit Everest, Ada Tsang. It took her seven years and three trips. It inspired me that it might take me more years.”

He resolved to return in 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic began and cases in the US rocketed. Leung was torn. His friends and family told him not to go, but this was his dream. After consulting via Facebook groups with others on the trail, he decided it was safe.

This time, he went with his girlfriend Lee Ya-yun. She flew from Taiwan and the first challenge was visas. As they arrived separately, Leung worried that a single Asian woman might provoke prejudice: “I think the States are afraid people from Asia are going to try to get married and stay. Last year, she couldn’t get the visa. That’s why I did it alone last year. But in 2020, I did all the stuff to prepare her for the questions.”

Lee made it through and the pair picked up where Leung left off – the trails were empty as everyone was in lockdown. They didn’t see anyone for the first three days. Years of trail running, and 2019’s misadventure, had prepared Leung for life on the trail but his girlfriend was not quite ready.

“I was used to hiking for 10 hours and sleeping for six, but for her it was pretty tough,” Leung said. “Under the high desert without any shade, she got a lot of blisters and even some allergies, and had an issue with sun exposure.

“We sometimes argued over the miles. My aim was pretty clear, I had to hike to Canada by September, that was my main goal and nothing could stop me. But for her, she needed time to get used to that hiking mode. So we argued. I wanted to do 20 miles a day, she wanted to do 15.”

She got her “trail legs” and by the end they were hiking 12 hours a day. After two years, and 150 days of hiking, they reached the terminus on the Canadian border.

“My first emotion was excitement, I was so satisfied. I was looking to that terminus for almost two years,” he said. “There’s no way to describe it. I’d put a big burden on myself, I wanted to achieve that goal.

“The second emotion for me is a little bit sad, even a little bit depressive. On the trail, we wake up and we had a clear goal to achieve every day – 20 miles today, and this 20 miles is helping me achieve that goal. But after, I may feel a little bit lost, what am I going to do? People call it post-trail depression.”

Back in Hong Kong, Leung is trying to bring his experience to everyday life and practice unconditional kindness to strangers.

“I’m wondering, if this kind of enthusiasm, could that be used in Hong Kong or Asian culture? Right now, I no longer hesitate to help others. I help without any conditions.”

He also has a new level of “perseverance – work to do one thing, even with a lot of setbacks and hardship”.

“Be humble. I felt how insignificant human beings are when we were truly in the wild. We encountered high snow, wildfire and dangerous wildlife along the trail. Whether we overcome those challenges and complete the whole journey is not only dependent on our own ability, but mother nature.”