People will soon be able to walk from the steps of the Nevada State Capitol in Carson City through the Sierra at Lake Tahoe and to the Pacific Crest Trail, where they can complete the 1,600-mile journey to the Canadian border.
Oh, and two contestants will win $5,000 each for doing it.
There's a caveat to this money-making trip: The couple will keep a travel journal as they go.
The Carson City to Canada Quest, which is accepting applications until May 31, is intended for experienced hikers only. Finalists will be contacted at the end of July.
The mission start date will be summer 2025.
The search was sparked by the July 2023 opening of the Capital to Tahoe Trail, which was completed after eight years. It is the first single-track connection from Carson City to Lake Tahoe.
The trail is approximately 9.8 miles and crosses Nevada State Parks, U.S. Forest Service, and private lands.
The new trail features rugged, forested scenery, rugged rocks, and beautiful views of Carson City and the neighboring Washoe Valley. Mountain biking, hiking, running and horse riding are allowed on the trail.
“Once we realized this connection could be made, our trail coordinator thought it was cool to be able to go from Carson City to Canada. Let's challenge someone to do it,” said Lydia Beck, marketing and public relations manager for the Visit Carson City tourism bureau, the trail's sponsor.
The Tahoe Trail portion is currently buried under layers of snow; Parts of the trail near Carson City are also covered in snow, according to Beck. The trail is expected to open around July, when more snow has melted.
To be considered for the contest, applicants must submit a 60-second video saying why they want to complete the trip and why they would be a good fit. The two chosen hikers must be willing to send weekly updates so that everyone can follow them on their trip.
“We want people who aren't experienced hikers to see what the trip is like,” Beck said. “We have to be able to access the GPS device they are using. We hope to incorporate that into our landing page to have a tracker.”
