As it happened, Gröne was in the process of a monumental hike. In May 2018 she had set out from the border of Mexico. There she followed the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), a famous hiking route that winds its way up the west coast.
The PCT begins in San Diego county, close to the Mexican border, and follows the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range up through the states of California, Oregon and Washington. The trail ends at Manning Park, just on the border with Canada.
The PCT winds for over 2,650 miles through mountain ranges, forests and national parks. Elevations rise from sea level where Oregon meets Washington state, to more than 13,150 feet in Sierra Nevada’s Forester Pass. The trek can take four to six months, but travelers need to be thoroughly prepared.