{"id":15581,"date":"2026-07-14T21:42:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T21:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=15581"},"modified":"2026-07-14T21:42:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T21:42:13","slug":"what-its-like-to-paint-the-pacific-crest-trail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=15581","title":{"rendered":"What It\u2019s Like to Paint the Pacific Crest Trail"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"justify-start\">\n<nav class=\"align-left col-span-full mb-base\" data-pom-e2e-test-id=\"breadcrumbs\"\/>\n<p>A California landscape artist is thru-hiking the iconic trail with his art supplies in his backpack. Every day, he stops and paints another picture of an iconic vista, breathtaking wildflower, or scenic forest. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"border-border-light border-t py-base-tight\">\n<div class=\"flex h-4 justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-x-base-tight\">\n<div class=\"\"><button class=\"inline-flex shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full cursor-default bg-bg-surface hover:bg-bg-light focus:bg-bg-dark text-primary border border-solid border-border-light aria-pressed:bg-brand-primary aria-pressed:text-text-surface py-very-tight px-base-tight gap-tight font-semibold font-utility-2 opacity-50\" aria-label=\"Loading audio\" aria-pressed=\"false\" id=\"article-listen-button\" disabled=\"\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewbox=\"0 0 18 18\" fill=\"none\" class=\"\"><title>Listen to this article<\/title><path d=\"M12.5265 16.2C12.2326 16.2 12.0122 16.1265 11.7184 16.053C11.2775 15.9061 10.9102 15.6122 10.6898 15.2449C10.4694 14.8775 10.3959 14.4367 10.5428 13.9959L11.5714 10.3959C11.6449 10.1755 11.7184 9.95509 11.8653 9.80815C12.0122 9.66121 12.1592 9.51427 12.3796 9.36733C12.6 9.29386 12.8204 9.2204 13.0408 9.14693C13.2612 9.14693 13.4816 9.14693 13.702 9.2204H13.7755C14.2163 9.36733 14.5837 9.58774 14.951 9.95509C14.951 9.66121 14.951 9.29386 14.951 8.99999C14.951 7.38366 14.2898 5.8408 13.1877 4.73876C12.0122 3.56325 10.5428 2.9755 8.92652 2.9755C7.31019 2.9755 5.76733 3.63672 4.66529 4.73876C3.48978 5.8408 2.82856 7.38366 2.82856 8.99999C2.82856 9.29386 2.82856 9.66121 2.82856 9.95509C3.12244 9.66121 3.56325 9.36733 4.00407 9.2204H4.07754C4.29795 9.14693 4.51835 9.14693 4.73876 9.14693C4.95917 9.14693 5.17958 9.2204 5.39999 9.36733C5.6204 9.4408 5.76733 9.58774 5.91427 9.80815C6.06121 9.95509 6.13468 10.1755 6.20815 10.3959L7.23672 13.9959C7.38366 14.4367 7.31019 14.8775 7.08978 15.2449C6.86938 15.6122 6.50203 15.9061 6.13468 16.053C5.76733 16.2 5.39999 16.2 5.03264 16.2C4.66529 16.1265 4.29795 16.053 4.00407 15.9061C3.63672 15.6122 3.41631 15.3918 3.12244 15.0979C2.90203 14.8775 2.75509 14.5102 2.68162 14.1428L2.38774 13.0408L2.2408 12.6735C2.2408 12.6 2.16733 12.453 2.16733 12.3796C1.87346 11.2775 1.79999 10.1755 1.79999 8.99999C1.79999 7.08978 2.53468 5.25305 3.9306 3.9306C5.25305 2.60815 7.08978 1.79999 8.99999 1.79999C10.9102 1.79999 12.7469 2.53468 14.0694 3.9306C15.3918 5.25305 16.2 7.08978 16.2 8.99999C16.2 10.102 16.053 11.2775 15.8326 12.3796C15.8326 12.453 15.7592 12.6 15.7592 12.6735L15.6857 12.9673V13.0408L15.1714 14.1428C15.0979 14.5102 14.8775 14.8041 14.6571 15.0979C14.4367 15.3918 14.1428 15.6122 13.849 15.7592C13.5551 15.9061 13.1877 16.053 12.8204 16.053C12.7469 16.1265 12.6735 16.2 12.5265 16.2ZM3.71019 13.849C3.78366 14.0694 3.85713 14.2163 4.00407 14.4367C4.15101 14.6571 4.29795 14.7306 4.51835 14.8775C4.73876 14.951 4.8857 15.0245 5.10611 15.0979C5.32652 15.0979 5.54693 15.0979 5.76733 15.0245C5.98774 14.951 6.06121 14.8775 6.13468 14.7306C6.20815 14.5837 6.20815 14.4367 6.20815 14.2898L5.17958 10.6898C5.17958 10.6163 5.10611 10.5428 5.10611 10.4694C5.03264 10.4694 4.95917 10.3959 4.8857 10.3224C4.81223 10.3224 4.73876 10.249 4.66529 10.249C4.59182 10.249 4.51836 10.249 4.44489 10.249H4.37142C3.9306 10.3959 3.63672 10.6898 3.41631 11.0571C3.26938 11.351 3.19591 11.7184 3.26938 12.0857C3.34285 12.3061 3.34284 12.5265 3.41631 12.6735L3.71019 13.849ZM13.2612 10.3224C13.1877 10.3224 13.1877 10.3224 13.2612 10.3224C13.1143 10.3224 13.0408 10.3224 12.9673 10.3959C12.8939 10.4694 12.8204 10.4694 12.8204 10.4694C12.7469 10.5428 12.7469 10.6163 12.7469 10.6898L11.7184 14.2898C11.6449 14.4367 11.7184 14.5837 11.7918 14.7306C11.8653 14.8775 12.0122 14.951 12.0857 15.0245C12.3796 15.0979 12.5265 15.0979 12.7469 15.0979C12.9673 15.0979 13.1877 15.0245 13.3347 14.8775C13.5551 14.8041 13.702 14.6571 13.849 14.4367C13.9959 14.2898 14.0694 14.0694 14.1428 13.849L14.5102 12.6735C14.5837 12.5265 14.5837 12.3061 14.6571 12.1592C14.7306 11.7918 14.6571 11.4245 14.5102 11.1306C14.2898 10.7633 13.9959 10.4694 13.5551 10.3224H13.4816C13.3347 10.3224 13.2612 10.3224 13.2612 10.3224Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"hidden sm:inline\">Listen<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/p>\n<p class=\"fp-leadCaption py-tight text-left font-utility text-utility3-size leading-utility3-line-height text-secondary\">Kevin Gleason is painting the Pacific Crest Trail this summer<!-- --> (Photo: Kevin Gleason)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p>Published July 14, 2026 02:12PM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/kevingleasonart.com\/\">Kevin Gleason<\/a>, a Santa Barbara, California-based painter and former high school art teacher, is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail this summer. Every day, Gleason, who is 50, finds a new spot along the iconic 2,650-mile trail to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kevingleasonart\/\">capture with his paintbrush<\/a>. He told <\/em>Outside<em> about his process for painting the trail, and what he\u2019s learned from the different sights along the way.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The other day was my wedding anniversary, and I started the day wondering about what picture my wife would most love to see. She\u2019s my backpacking buddy but I\u2019m doing this thru-hike solo. I saw two columbine flowers sitting next to each other and painted them. No, it wasn\u2019t a spectacular mountain pass or a lake vista. But I knew it was what she\u2019d like to see, and I put a little more intention into that painting the scene.<\/p>\n<p>This task that I\u2019ve taken on\u2014painting one picture every day along the Pacific Crest Trail\u2014has given me a truly singular experience during this Mexico-to-Canada hike. Sometimes when you are thru-hiking, you can get a little too focused on the destination. People on the Pacific Crest Trail want to get to Canada, so they know the must attain a daily goal of 25 miles over 106 days of walking. It can cause a hiker to get tunnel vision. <em>I need to reach the next resupply. I need to get to the next town.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2747407\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1952\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2747407\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8709-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8709-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2747408\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1946\" height=\"2560\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2747408\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8712-scaled.jpg?width=2048&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x, https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8712-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 2x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8712-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2747409\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_2747409\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1914\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2747409\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8713-2-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8713-2-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\"><span class=\"article__caption\">Three of the 70 images that Kevin Gleason has painted during this 2026 thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<p>My project has shifted these goals. I spend my day thinking about where I\u2019m going to stop and sit for a while and really take in the view. There\u2019s something about sitting down for two hours to paint that gives you a completely different appreciation for a hike. You see how the topography and landscape changes, and how the colors change. A view can get burned into your memory.<\/p>\n<p>Every day, I hike between 20 and 25 miles, and I try to capture one view along the way. The other night I was sleeping under the stars, and when I awoke I saw the sunrise, and painted it. Other days, what I paint is the last view I see before I go to bed. Most days, I choose a landscape that happens somewhere in between.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m intentionally trying to find different types of views. If I painted a forest yesterday, then today I might focus on a creek. I\u2019ll do a mountain pass tomorrow. I want the paintings to look distinct, because the way the trail looks is constantly changing.<\/p>\n<p>I sit down crosslegged and use a piece of corrugated plastic as a desktop. I clip my sketchbook to it, and then I take out my folding palette, paints, a few cups of water, and my five brushes.<\/p>\n<p>If I wasn\u2019t doing the art, my backpack would be much lighter. My painting stuff probably adds about four pounds. I have my paints, brushes, and a sketchbook with 54 pages.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2747411\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1954\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2747411\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8146-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8146-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2747412\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1935\" height=\"2560\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2747412\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8147-2-scaled.jpg?width=2048&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x, https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8147-2-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 2x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8147-2-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2747413\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_2747413\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1907\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2747413\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8359-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_8359-scaled.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\"><span class=\"article__caption\">Kevin Gleason is painting different landscapes and portraits along the Pacific Crest Trail<\/span> (Photo: Courtesy Kevin Gleason)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The painting affects my resupply. My wife shipped me food boxes the other day and I asked her to throw some more titanium white paint into the box. Since I\u2019m painting with Gouache, a water-based paint made from natural pigments, I use white a lot because it makes the other colors lighter. I\u2019ve also used a lot of ultramarine blue. The other colors have been steady since I left Mexico back int he spring.<\/p>\n<p>I also carry an umbrella with me for shade, because the Gouache watercolors I use dry so fast. So I zip-tie my umbrella to one of my hiking poles and then stand it up like a beach parasol.<\/p>\n<p>It usually takes me about two hours to paint each portrait, but to be honest, when I\u2019m painting, I lose track of time. I become completely absorbed. A painting is nothing more than a bunch of shapes and color together on a page. I spend my time appreciating the colors and shapes in nature, and then attempting to recreate them on the page.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve learned during this process hat I cannot capture everything in a view. I focus on the one thing about the landscape that is truly amazing, and I make that the focus of the painting.<\/p>\n<p>Every painting is on a 9-by-12-inch paper and I draw out a 6-by-8-inch\u00a0rectangle to frame them. I\u2019m carrying the pictures with me in sketchbooks, and I plan to send each book home with my wife when they are filled.<\/p>\n<p>Other hikers have been extremely supportive when they see me painting. They will come over to observe the picture, or stop me at the next campsite and ask if they can check out the finished landscape. One guy said \u201cyou must paint really fast out there.\u201d That\u2019s how I got my trail name.<\/p>\n<p>They call me Quickdraw.<\/p>\n<p><em>As told to Frederick Dreier.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><span hidden=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/outdoor-adventure\/hiking-and-backpacking\/pacific-crest-trail-paint\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A California landscape artist is thru-hiking the iconic trail with his art supplies in his backpack. Every day, he stops and paints another picture of an iconic vista, breathtaking wildflower, or scenic forest. Listen to this articleListen Kevin Gleason is painting the Pacific Crest Trail this summer (Photo: Kevin Gleason) Published July 14, 2026 02:12PM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15582,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wild-living"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15581"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15581\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}