There is nothing easy about crossing deserts, climbing mountains and traversing forests, but it beats fighting a war, Peter Derksen says.
The Interlake man, 60, is a retired Winnipeg police officer and a veteran of the Ukraine war. He spent one year on the front lines in the early days of Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Now he has completed a nearly six-month and over 4,000 kilometre hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, travelling on foot from the U.S.-Mexico border to Canada as part of a personal fundraising campaign for the ongoing war effort.
“I never doubted I would finish, even though it was a momentous task and incredibly difficult,” Derksen said Oct. 5, just over one month after completing the hike.
“Nothing I put up with in my suffering equates to what the soldiers are suffering in Ukraine.”
Known for its scenic views and challenging ascents, the Pacific Crest Trail begins near Campo, Calif., and ends at Manning Provincial Park in B.C. Hikers who complete the trek must cross 26 national forests, three U.S. states and an array of difficult terrain.
Derksen, a retired Winnipeg Police Service officer, enlisted in the Ukrainian army and helped teach combat and war fighting techniques to soldiers on the front line between September 2022 and September 2023. (Submitted by Peter Derksen)
The threat of inclement weather, injuries, illness and death is ever-present, Derksen said. He witnessed multiple helicopter rescues of other hikers while on the trail.
Derksen braved the heat of Southern California, faced down an American black bear and her cubs in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and summitted Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous U.S., on his 60th birthday.
He began in early April and ended in late September, when he reached the trail’s northern terminus. Derksen averaged the equivalent of a marathon each day, carrying up to 50 pounds of camping gear, food and water with him at all times, he said.
While the trail officially spans about 4,265 kilometres, Derksen estimated he walked over 5,000 kilometres, owing to fire closures, rerouting and periodic diversions to nearby communities to restock supplies.
Chris Rylee, communications director for the Pacific Crest Trail Association, described Derksen’s decision to complete the entire trail in a single, continuous hike as an “audacious proposal” and something “very few attempt, even fewer complete.”
Derksen descends from Forester Pass at Sequoia National Park in California in June after reaching the summit, at just over 4,000 metres. (Submitted by Peter Derksen)
“To do the long-distance trail in a single effort, racking up thousands of miles on foot, that requires incredible individual effort and determination,” Rylee said.
“It requires pushing one’s body and mind to unknown limits.”
The association uses a permit system to track the number of hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail each year. Generally speaking, about 5,000 people apply for permits annually and around 1,000 to 2,000 self-report as having completed the trail, Rylee said.
However, only a tiny handful of those are true thru-hikers like Derksen — meaning they finish the trail without skipping sections, seeking out shortcuts or taking breaks along the way, he said.
Derksen said he understands why so few people are successful.
He described the hike as gruelling and “incredibly painful.”
Swelling and calluses caused his feet to grow nearly three shoe sizes. He is still recovering from stress fractures and numbness in his toes.
Peter Derksen stands on top of the northern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail in Manning Provincial Park in B.C. in September. The line of demarcation in the trees marks the U.S.-Canada border. (Submitted by Peter Derksen)
“I have what hikers call Christmas toe, which is the feeling will come back in your toes by Christmas,” Derksen said.
Asked why he endured, Derksen said the answer was simple.
“To keep the world aware that Ukrainians are continuing to struggle for their own ability to live peacefully and free,” he said.
“Any time I started to even remotely think, ‘Well, this is really hard,’ I just had to understand who I was hiking for, and then my pain and my suffering was trivial.”
He raised over $7,000 for two charities, including the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, Derksen said.
Peter Derksen, centre, poses with Ukrainian and Canadian flags signed by soldiers from his brigade in summer 2023. (Submitted by Peter Derksen)
“The impact that Peter has done, I think, goes way beyond just fundraising. It’s also keeping Ukraine relevant,” said Valeriy Kostyuk, the foundation’s executive director.
“Peter’s story shows passion and shows generosity and shows that we all can be doing our bit in order to bring relief to Ukraine.”
The foundation has contributed more than $100 million in aid to Ukraine since the invasion began. All of that money has been generated through donations like Derksen’s, Kostyuk said.
Derksen specialized in security, weapons handling and tactical procedures with the Winnipeg Police Service. He also previously served about three years with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles reserve unit.
He travelled to Ukraine in September 2022 and remained in the embattled country until September the following year. He initially joined the International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine — a volunteer force composed of foreign fighters — but later enlisted as an official member of the Ukrainian army, he said.
His brigade operated near the front lines, often suffering multiple casualties each day, he said.
Ukrainian soldiers who fought alongside Derksen are aware of his fundraising effort and have reached out to offer thanks, he said.