This Man Hiked Over 2,600 Miles From Mexico To Canada And Took A Selfie At Every Mile

He hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, the same trail from the movie Wild.

From May to October of 2013, Andy Davidhazy hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mexico border to Canada. He documented the journey with a selfie for every mile, keeping track of the distance by using paper maps, a mobile app with GPS, and by time.

Andy Davidhazy / Via youtube.com

In order to show the entire PCT journey, Andy explains that the video is actually a combination of two separate hikes. The first 2,424 miles were hiked in 2013, until an unexpected snow storm made it impossible to continue the trail on foot. Instead of quitting, Andy found a road detour that would get him to Canada, still hiking the whole way. He also took selfies on this part of the hike, but decided to keep the video focused on the PCT. In 2014, Andy returned to the PCT and picked up from mile 2,424 all the way to the end of the trail at mile 2,660.

About that beard, Andy says:

Andy Davidhazy / Via youtube.com

"People ask a lot about the beard. Or more so, why I shaved it off during the hike. I simply got annoyed by it more than I cared about visual continuity. It also aged me more than I cared to admit at the time. I will share however, when I hit Reds Meadow (Mammoth Lakes) at mile 906 and went into town, I felt like a new man."

On his personal website, Andy sums up his total five and a half month journey with over 2,700 miles hiked, 5 pairs of shoes, 4.5 million footsteps over 400,000 vertical feet of elevation, and an impressive 4900 photos taken.

Andy Davidhazy / Via youtube.com

He also lost about 50 pounds.

Andy's final thoughts on documenting his trip with selfies:

Andy Davidhazy / Via youtube.com

"The process of stopping to take a picture every mile had a big impact on the actual experience of doing the hike. I had to be well-aware of where I was at all times, which was quite distracting in that it took me out of the moment and made it difficult to maintain good momentum. Though I suppose it was nice to have something to occupy my thoughts with as well. In retrospect, I am happy to have done it."

Watch the entire, gorgeous time-lapse here:

Andy Davidhazy / Via youtube.com

You can read more about Andy's journey on his blog, or on the website for the narrative short film about his adventures, Lost Or Found.

Andy Davidhazy / Via davidhazy.com

Mile 2640. Crossing into Canada near Osoyoos, British Columbia.