Hiking the 4,270km Pacific Crest Trail, Hongkonger helped by ‘angels’ battles frostbite
- Joshua Leung is forced to split his dream of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail over two years when he gets frostbite on Mount Whitney
- The trail goes from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington, following the West Coast of the US
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.”