By Cate Pitterle, ’20

Mr. Rushin’s chemistry classes are known for explosions and endless labs, entertaining lectures and plenty of inside jokes. However, for the first half-trimester of the school year, Mr. Rushin was absent from the classroom, embarking on the trip of a lifetime: hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. The trail is a National Scenic Trail; Mr. Rushin described it to me as “the west coast version of the Appalachian Trail only it’s significantly longer and reaches from border to border.”

Mr. Rushin has long been an advisor for the Outdoors Club, taking trips with students to parks and hiking trails, and he said his experiences with the club spurred on this trip. “I was invited by a CA alum who was celebrating her graduation from college. She was also a co-founder of the Outdoors Club,” he said. He saw this as an opportunity for a personal challenge, as well. He added, “I’ve done a lot of backpacking in recent years but this was an opportunity to challenge myself at a different level.”

And what a challenge it was– at 2,650 miles long, the Pacific Crest Trail is the nation’s second-longest trail and stretches the length of California, Oregon, and Washington. Only a few thousand people have ever completed the journey, and the trail is well-known for its length and its dangers. Passion and dedication were essential to completing the journey, Mr. Rushin said, but “the human spirit is a powerful force when inspired & motivated.”

Students around campus know Mr. Rushin for his love of the outdoors, and this trip was an extension of that passion. He said that the coolest part of the trip was “meeting & interacting with people from all walks of life & from all parts of the world…….all of us brought together by this incredible challenge.”

“We had a variety of reasons for being there,” he said, “but those that finished the journey showed incredible resilience & perseverance.”