Carson Hopwood (he/him or they/them) was born in Belgium and grew up mostly in Virginia, with a five-year stint living in Seoul, South Korea thrown into the mix. After being introduced to backpacking by his mom as a pre-teen, Carson quickly became obsessed. He graduated high school a semester early and set off to hike the Appalachian Trail, starting in Georgia in late February of 2021 and ending in Maine in July a couple of weeks before starting college. After studying Environmental Science and History at the University of Virginia, he started the Pacific Crest Trail in May of 2025, starting at the Mexican border and finishing in September at the Canadian border. Carson works in the outdoor recreation industry, and when he’s not hiking, he also loves writing, running, and caving. Carson looks forward to moving to Washington in mid-July to start a master’s program in sport and recreation management at Washington State University, although he does not look forward to moving away from this fellowship.

Click here for some pictures of Carson’s journey.