Inspired by her father’s suggestion to create a “doodle a day,” Katie Lei earned the trail name “Doodles” during her 2013 PCT hike by creating a set of pen drawings to record her daily encounters. Now she’s compiled her illustrations and short written pieces about her experiences and observations into a book called Doodles Does the PCT.
Doodles Does the PCT is easily one of the most creative trail journals that we’ve seen.
For readers who have hiked significant portions of the trail, Doodles’ book (which has its own blog!) is sure to stir up memories tied to landmarks, trail magic, and the joys of zero days. But even if you’ve never set foot on the PCT, Doodles’ energetic drawings are a source of intrigue and even inspiration to pursue the experience of a long hike.
Doodles’ written entries range in topic from recognizing the thru-hikers “you know will make it,” to quoting John Muir, to noting the similarities shared by hikers and 5-year-olds, and it is this breadth of focus that allows her to convey the experience of such a long trek so successfully. Wildfires, sunsets, resupplies and rattlesnakes… come along as Doodles reveals the frustration and fun of a thru-hike.
Katie captured the spirit of the PCT through drawing her experiences on the trail. Some pages are devoted to legendary locations on the PCT, like this one for Kennedy Meadows.
“We walk through valleys and hills and fatigue and foot pains. We walk with our backpacks and our day dreams.” – Katie Lei
EDIT: One of our Facebook fans pointed us to Doodles’ and Scones’ great video of their time on the trail: