By Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Magazine – Sierra Rec Now Podcast
A Journey That Began in Carson City
When Julianne Mahoney set out from Carson City, Nevada, last spring, she wasn’t chasing a record. She was chasing connection — to herself, to the land, and to a growing community of hikers who had fallen in love with the idea of walking from Nevada’s capital all the way to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail.
“I wanted to do this for me,” she said. “But I also wanted to represent the kind of adventure that anyone could start from their own backyard. You don’t have to fly to the border — you can literally walk north from Carson City and find yourself on one of the most beautiful trails in America.”
Julianne became the first hiker to officially complete the Capital to Canada Quest, a 1,600-mile journey that strings together the Tahoe Rim Trail, northern stretches of the Sierra Nevada, and the Pacific Crest Trail all the way to the Canadian border.
Re-Entry After the Trail
Two months after finishing, Julianne admits the transition back to daily life has been harder than she expected.
“It’s been all over the place,” she said on the Sierra Rec Now Podcast. “When I finished the Colorado Trail a few years ago, I felt fantastic. But this time, I came off the PCT feeling depleted. I had dislocated my shoulder, lost weight, and was emotionally spent. It’s taken me weeks to feel grounded again.”
Back home in Durango, Colorado, the local trails and the presence of her dog, Indy, became her recovery medicine. “Getting out into the mountains here has been my saving grace,” she said. “If I didn’t have easy access to nature, I think re-entry would have been a lot harder.”
The Loneliest Beginning
Julianne’s journey began without her four-legged companion — and it nearly broke her during the first week.
“The plan was to bring Indy,” she recalled. “But right before I left, he had an injury. So, I had to start the trail without him. Those first few days were brutal. It was 115 degrees in Northern California, I lost my inReach, and my uncle passed away while I was on trail. I cried a lot.”
Despite the chaos, she pressed on. A few quiet moments along Lake Tahoe offered the reset she needed. “I spent a whole day at the lake — reading, calling family, and just breathing,” she said. “It was the first time I felt like I might actually make it.”
Finding Community, One Trail Magic Moment at a Time
While Julianne hiked much of the PCT solo, she describes her experience as “a trail family that kept changing.”
“I never had a permanent group,” she said. “But I met amazing people — like two guys with double knee replacements who finished the entire trail, and another hiker named Tundra who became a close friend. I’d slow down for a day or two to hike with someone special, and then we’d part ways.”
For Julianne, that rhythm of independence and connection became part of the magic. “Everyone felt like my tramily,” she said. “I learned that friendship on trail doesn’t always mean hiking together every day — it means showing up when it matters.”
The Beauty and Burn Scars of the Sierra and Beyond
Like many hikers in recent years, Julianne encountered the haunting scars of wildfire across Northern California and Oregon. But even in destruction, she found hope.
“The word that came to mind was resilience,” she said. “Walking through the Dixie Fire burn zone was eerie — barren hillsides, black trees, no shade. But even there, the meadows and wildflowers were coming back. It reminded me that nature rebuilds, slowly but surely.”
From the Tahoe Rim Trail sunsets to the alpine lakes of Washington, her favorite moments were often defined by quiet beauty.
“My first night on the PCT, I camped right under the Palisades lifts and watched one of the best sunsets of my life,” she remembered. “And later, hiking through Washington, I cried because it looked so much like the San Juan Mountains near home.”
Life Beyond the Trail: Lessons in Simplicity
By the end of her 1,600-mile trek, Julianne had learned more than logistical trail lessons — she’d learned how little she truly needed.
“I mailed my stove home the first week,” she laughed. “I ended up cold-soaking everything. I realized that carrying less made me happier. You start to understand that being slightly uncomfortable is okay — it passes.”
Her trail name, “Hiccup,” became a symbol of her journey. “It fits me,” she said. “I lose things, I stumble, I improvise. But I keep going. That’s kind of the point.”
Carson City to Canada: The Trailhead of a Movement
Julianne’s accomplishment marked the first completion of the Capital to Canada Quest, an initiative launched by Visit Carson City to celebrate the region as the southern gateway to the Pacific Crest Trail. The route encourages hikers, runners, and cyclists to begin their journey in Nevada’s capital and link into the PCT through the Tahoe Rim Trail and Tahoe National Forest.
“The Carson City team was incredible,” Julianne said. “They supported me the whole way — even when I lost half my gear. They trusted me to tell my story honestly, and when I came back, they threw the sweetest welcome home party.”
Her advice for future Capital to Canada hikers?
“Think about water on the Tahoe Rim Trail,” she said. “There’s less than you think. But it’s the perfect shakedown section before you hit the PCT — a safe space to make mistakes, learn your gear, and build confidence.”
A Trail That Keeps Giving
Even after thousands of miles, Julianne isn’t done. She dreams of returning to hike southbound from Carson City to Mexico one day — or maybe finishing the Triple Crown.
“There are places I want to revisit,” she said. “Moments I want to relive slower. But for now, I’m just grateful. The trail changes you — not just your body, but your heart.”
Watch or Listen
🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube:
Capital to Canada Quest: Inside Julianne Mahoney’s 1,600-Mile Pacific Crest Trail Adventure
🎧 Listen on Spotify: Sierra Rec Now Podcast – Julianne Mahoney Recap Episode
🍎 Apple Podcasts: Listen Here
Related Reading
- From Capitol Steps to Canadian Pines: Meet the First Carson City to Canada Quest Hikers
- Carson City: Your Base Camp for Sierra Winter Adventures
- Celebrating Julianne Mahoney’s Historic Finish of the Capital to Canada Quest in Carson City
