This story was shared with permission from KUNR Public Radio. For an audio version of the story, please visit the KUNR website.
Visit Carson City will pay two lucky hikers $5,000 each to walk from the steps of Nevada’s State Capitol to Canada.
This endeavor is known as the Carson City to Canada Quest. Lydia Beck, the marketing and PR manager for Visit Carson City, said the Quest was sparked by the opening of the new 16-mile, single-track Capital to Tahoe trail.
“When this trail was finished, we realized that the connection got us to the Tahoe Rim Trail, and that connects to the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. And then you can go all the way to Canada or Mexico,” Beck said.
But there’s more to this opportunity than just hiking.
“A big part of this is documenting the journey so we can live vicariously through this person. So this is a way for those of us who aren’t thru-hikers to be able to see what this journey is like,” Beck said.
Since the full Carson City to Canada Quest is 1,600 miles, Beck said they are looking for experienced hikers, and participants must be over 21 to apply. She also said if people are feeling even more adventurous and plan on doing the entire PCT, they could start in Mexico, but they are required to stop in Carson City and hike the Capital to Tahoe portion to qualify for the program.
“We’ve gotten applications from all over the world actually, which has been so incredible. So we are really excited to see where these two people come from,” Beck said.
The deadline to apply is May 31 at carsoncity.com/quest.
Kat Fulwider is the 2024 spring intern for KUNR and the Hitchcock Project for Visualizing Science.
