PaCT: Books and Exhibitions

PaCT documents a 23 year, two-part journey with an art show, a zine, a photo-animated flip book, and a 263 page art-book and memoir – all by Peter Miles Bergman. In 1996 at the age of 23, Peter and Dylan Kuhn set out to hike the 2,650 mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. Burned out, injured, and broke after 90 days and 1,750 miles they quit in Oregon with a pact to return for the remaining 900 miles when they were twice as old. In 2019 they reconvened at 46 to reflect on life’s journey, and race increasingly threatening storms towards Canada.

Twice As Old: Following Suit

This is the second chapter in a series exploring a Pacific Crest Trail hike that began on April 16, 1996 and didn’t end until my partner Peter Miles Bergman and I had doubled in age and fulfilled a 23-year-old pact, completing a TAOist thruhike.

In the first chapter I looked at how the planning of such a trip has drastically changed over the years. Next, before I get onto the trail, I’m going to take us on the road. Nearly every trail hike starts with a road trip to a trailhead, but in August of 2019 ours included a hunt for a buried relic from 1996. This strange detour takes us into some of the psychological terrain unique to our story.

Pilgrimage to Mt. Holy Cross

In 2010, a year after walking across Wyoming on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) – that’s detailed on the MAN MADE post – Dylan and I decided to try something different. Instead of a destination oriented hike, or a treck on a trail, we decided to walk out of my front door in Denver and bushwhack west for two weeks – figuring at 15-20 miles a day we’d make it about 250 miles and end up somewhere near Leadville Colorado. We’d be on a walkabout or colossal scale dérive.

MAN MADE

MAN MADE is now a zine! is PRESS has taken the first step in the 2019 iteration of the PaCT project by releasing this 36 page, 6 x 8″ saddle-stitched zine with a letterpress masthead and back cover! MAN MADE is a trail-journal that documents a 2009 535 mile 31 day walk across Wyoming on the Continental Divide Trail (by PaCT Partners Peter Bergman and Dylan Kuhn with Ann Fish Kuhn) with a forward about a 2006 attempt to end an 11 year stint not flying by skydiving and an afterword about a 250 mile walk from Denver to Mount Holy-Cross in central Colorado.

PaCT 1996-2019: time has been flying by!

We’re hitting the trail August 17th! I likely won’t be posting actively on this blog. You’ll have better luck catching me on the pact.report instagram!

In 1996 when cyberhobo (aka Dylan Kuhn) and I (MAN MADE aka Peter Miles Bergman) decided to call our thru-hike on the PCT at Oregon we made a pact to finish the remaining 900 miles across when we were twice as old in 2019! At the time being 46 seemed preposterous and 2019 seemed like a sci-fi date!

We thought the main challenge would be the passage of time; but, we’ve stayed in touch, stayed in shape , and stayed focused. We’re hitting the trail on August 17 and plan to hit Canada on my 47th birthday October 18th!

PaCT Teaser 2007

In 1996 when cyberhobo (aka Dylan Kuhn) and I (MAN MADE aka Peter Miles Bergman) decided to call our thru-hike on the PCT at Oregon after 1700 miles we made a pact to finish the remaining 900 miles across when we were twice as old in 2019! At the time being 46 seemed preposterous and 2019 seemed like a sci-fi date!