A man standing next to a stone marker at the Southern Terminus of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, with a dirt trail extending into the distance and a clear blue sky above.

Fundraising for
the Trevor Project

This year, Mathew is taking on one of the most demanding journeys in North America: a thru-hike of the Continental Divide Trail — 3,100 miles from the Canadian border to Mexico through five states and the spine of the Rocky Mountains.

Along the way, he is raising $15,500 for The Trevor Project — the leading organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ young people.

Every $5 donated represents one mile of the journey. The goal: to fund all 3,100 miles and turn the entire trail into impact.

Logo for The Trevor Project with the slogan 'Saving Young LGBTQ Lives' in white text on a black background.
Text reading 'Mathew Johnson' in white against a black background
The hike itself is fully self-funded — every dollar raised goes directly to The Trevor Project.

Miles Funded: 452 / 3,100

Amount Raised: $2,261 / $15,500

A man with a backpack smiling in front of a tree with a wooden sign that reads "Oregon / California" in a forested area with green trees and foliage.
Close-up of a tree trunk with a sticker that reads 'Continental Divide Trail, National Scenic Trail' attached to it. The background shows more trees and some green leaves.
The Cause

Why the Trevor Project?

LGBTQ+ young people are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide as their peers — not because of who they are, but because of the rejection, isolation, and hostility they face. The Trevor Project exists to change that reality: a 24/7 crisis lifeline by phone, text, and chat, educational resources for communities, and advocacy that has reached millions of young people since 1998.

For Mathew, this is personal. The Trevor Project represents something he believes in fundamentally: that every person deserves to be heard, affirmed, and supported through the hardest moments of their life. The CDT thru-hike is his way of putting real commitment behind that belief — 3,100 miles of it.

Map of the route from the United States to Mexico, passing through cities and landmarks like South Pass City, Lake City, Grand Lake, and Lordsburg, with elevations and park names along the way.
The journEy

The CDT Trail
from Canada to Mexico

The Continental Divide Trail is the final leg of hiking’s Triple Crown — alongside the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, which Mathew completed in a previous thru-hike. The CDT traces the spine of the Rocky Mountains from Glacier National Park in Montana through Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, and New Mexico, crossing some of the most remote and spectacular landscapes on the continent.

It’s also the most challenging of the three. Unlike the PCT and AT, large sections of the CDT are unmarked, water sources are scarce, and the route itself is open to interpretation — requiring constant navigation decisions through alpine passes, desert basins, and high-altitude ridgelines where weather changes without warning. The average thru-hike takes five to seven months of continuous walking, covering 20–25 miles per day.

Mathew will be documenting every stage of the journey on Instagram — the miles, the mountains, the setbacks, and the fundraising milestones. Follow along, share the mission, and help turn every mile into impact for LGBTQ+ young people who need it most.

3,100 Miles

5 Months

$15,500 Goal

People preparing for river rafting with inflatable boats and paddles on a sandy riverbank surrounded by trees and mountains under a partly cloudy sky.
join mathew on his mission

This is more than a hike —
it’s a challenge we’re completing together.

Every contribution directly moves the mission forward:

$25 = 5 miles

$100 = 20 miles

$500 = funds an entire day of impact

100% of donations go directly to The Trevor Project.
The goal is simple: fund all 3,100 miles.


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FOLLOW the journey on INSTAGRAM

Follow the thru-hike in real time for daily trail dispatches, fundraising updates, and the kind of landscapes that remind you what commitment looks like when you carry it on your back for 3,100 miles.


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mathew.johnson@elliman.com