Article in Eugene Weekly (May 1st 2008)

EUGENE HIKERS HOPE TO HELP THE PCT

Last Friday, April 25, Jeramy Vallianos and Serena Becker left Eugene with 15 pounds of gear in their backpacks and boarded a plane to Los Angeles. The pair hopes to hit the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) trailhead, on the border of California and Mexico, early this week.

They plan to hike 15 to 25 miles a day along the Cascade Mountains, covering 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada, arriving in late September. Vallianos and Becker hope to raise $10,000 for The Pacific Forest Trust, The Pacific Crest Association and Cascadia Ecosystem Advocates.

"Our main goal is to raise money to protect threatened landscapes" by buying land, says Vallianos. "It's important to be aware of how we impact wild ecosystems and how dependent we are on them." Vallianos and Becker want to spread the news by talking to people about the experience of walking the trail, writing and posting pictures on the Internet throughout the trip.

Becker and Vallianos have both worked in wilderness therapy and know how wilderness can affect people's lives. "I hope to inspire people to get out and experience nature and make positive changes in their lives," says Vallianos.

They have spent the last two months preparing for the trip, and now they are ready to hike.

"I think it's important for folks to get involved to maintain and expand wild spaces and natural communities," says Vallianos. "We love being outside, traveling, backpacking and try to find a way to do the thing we love and have an impact on something bigger."

You can follow their hike (and donate to the cause) by going to their website www.walkforwild.org