text: A Sense of Direction: A 1,200 Mile Walk on the Pacific Northwest Trail. Alex is looking for an adventure, to explore the deeper questions in life and ultimately to figure out who he is. He chose a 1,200-mile-long trail that few know about for that very reason. He knew he’d be on his own on the Pacific Northwest Trail and that’s what he was looking for. Unlike the other well-known thru-hikes in America such as the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail, the Pacific Northwest Trail is unestablished and hard to navigate. There are dozens of alternate routes and it’s easy to get lost, making the PNT a true “choose your own adventure” type of a trail. The trail sees incredible natural diversity, from rocky mountains, to high desert, to temperate rainforest, to the pacific coastline.