Background: Eddie and Eric attended Gonzaga University together and were roommates for 4 years. We tend to post the good times and some jams on our shared instagram page (@epctrail_) in an attempt to keep both our own spirits high and assuage the concerns of those that care about us. Nonetheless, lest people think the trail is all sunshine and cactuses, it is important to note that there are many times every day that totally suck. Each day on trail is a grueling test filled with rigid deadlines (if I don’t limp 5 miles to that stream right now, I may die of thirst). No doubt many other people would attempt a through-hike but, for a variety of reasons, are not so fortunate as us. We are grateful for the opportunity to even begin this adventure. Few people attempt a through-hike and an even fewer amount of people (20-30%) actually finish them. The opportunity to even attempt a through-hike is a testament to months (15 months in our case) of financial and mental...