Four years ago, Greg Sagan received alarming news: he had testicular cancer. Only 23 at the time, this diagnosis changed Sagan’s life in ways he never imagined. While undergoing surgeries and cancer treatments, Sagan could not even conceive of taking a short hiking trip. Thanks to early detection and a successful treatment plan, Sagan has been cancer-free for 3 years. This Steamboat Springs resident is healthy, happy and reveling in the fact that he just finished a 5-month, 2663-mile journey along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in an effort to raise funds and awareness for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising money to fund the most promising children’s cancer research.
I caught up with Greg and his strong spirit and infectious positivity shortly after he returned home from the trail. Here’s what he had to share after five months out in the wild.
On Why He Hiked the PCT
Growing up in a city in Western Massachusetts, I didn’t have the easiest access to the mountains, nor have many chances to explore the outdoors as kid. In college, I took a weekend backpacking trip to the White Mountains in New Hampshire and I was hooked. Going to the mountains was going “home” for me. Last November, I was chosen to be part of the Vasque Footwear Thru-Hike syndicate where I was a product ambassador for a couple different outdoor companies, one of them being right here in Colorado; Osprey Packs!
On Getting Diagnosed with Cancer
My perspective on life changed the day I found myself sitting in the doctor’s office. Two urologists who had to be 15+ years older than me approached while I was sitting in a room alone, with no idea what was wrong. Their body language left me apprehensive for what was about to be said and suddenly they dropped it: “Greg, I’m sorry to tell you this but after looking at your ultrasound we’ve found two cancerous tumors in one of your testicles.” Skeptical and in disbelief, I asked what this all meant. “Well, you have two cancerous tumors which need to be removed before it spreads,” they said. I found it hard to even process this and all I could respond with was CANCER?! Life’s dark tunnel quickly flashed in front of me and I still found myself sitting alone in a room with two doctors who just dropped the word “cancer” on a healthy 23-year-old post-grad who was in the midst of a new career. I didn’t have much to say since I knew that the week after I’d be in surgery and on the road to a healthier and cancer-free life.
On How It Changed His Perspective
Weeks passed and I returned to my job as a correctional officer at a local sheriff’s office. I had been cancer-free for less than a month and I disliked my job; this made it easy to leave the life I was living. Life is too short and we should live every day to the fullest. This was an eye-opening experience to say the least, one that changed my perspective on life and pushed me to pursue my passions, including an intense love for the mountains. The following summer, I packed my car and hit the road west to Steamboat, Colorado. It’s been just over two years since I moved to the Rockies and I’ve never looked back. I’m surrounded by the most genuine, passionate and happiest people who live in this town for the same reason I do and I assure you I’m living life to the fullest. In November, I’ll be 27 and yet to define who I really want to become. For all of us who are facing or have overcome cancer, we don’t know what’s next. All I know is that we’re going to make it to see it! ‘Till then, I’ll continue to L.I.V.E! Life is grand!!
On the Hardest Parts of the PCT
Personally, the hiking itself was never hard. But there were tough times, like when I was battling blisters and my feet got callused and felt like rocks. Or, hiking nearly 700 miles through the Mojave heat while dodging rattlesnakes, fighting high winds and carrying eight liters of water. In contrast, there were a couple nights in the High Sierra and Cascades where I found it hard to keep warm at night and woke up to frost on my bag and inside my tent vestibule! Brrr!
But, the toughest part was getting off the Pacific Crest Trail after I finished! I spent the most exhilarating five months in the wilderness with the happiest, most adventurous people from all around that I now call family.
On the Best Parts
The most iconic and memorable days for me had to have been the Sierra and the John Muir portion of the trail. After summiting 14,505-foot Mt. Whitney, we were welcomed with bluebird days, pristine alpine lakes (where we often swam during lunch breaks), high alpine passes and a beautiful Milky Way to fall asleep under every single night.
On What He Learned
Successfully completing a thru-hike allows you to do anything you desire. I have much more confidence and am more self-assured to say: “if there’s a will, there’s a way.”
As for the quality of life and the overall simplicity of life on the trail, it couldn’t possibly get any better. Living out of a backpack, you quickly realize that your basic needs are quite simple. There was a simplicity in knowing that I had everything I needed (despite not always having what I wanted) and this made my hike worthwhile and satisfying. I’ve already down-sized what I own since being home!
Another lesson from the trail came from the innumerable occasions where strangers showed kindness and generosity. From the guy who lived 20 minutes away from the trail in the hot Mojave and hosted six hikers while grilling fresh fish and serving cocktails, to the many trail angels who hosted 20+ hikers at once, allowing us to shower, do laundry, charge electronics and make phone calls to loved ones. The list of these amazing and big-hearted folks can absolutely go on, but I can assure you that it doesn’t go unnoticed. One thing that I often heard was “the trail provides” and that it did!
On His Purpose
The answer is easy and summed up by one of my favorite quotes from Edward Abbey:
“Do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am – a reluctant enthusiast… a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it’s still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, the lovely, mysterious, and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much; I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those desk-bound men and women with their hearts in a safe deposit box, and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this; You will outlive the bastards.”
On Fundraising for St. Baldrick’s
As a young cancer survivor and fortunate outdoor enthusiast with an amazing opportunity, I wanted do more than just hike the trail. I chose to raise money for St. Baldrick’s because I felt it would support a great cause that would help provide opportunities for young kids. Being the oldest of four, it was hard not to fundraise for St. Baldrick’s. Kids should be kids and not deal with the burden of such a deadly disease. Kids should be the ones living life to the fullest and not ever have to hear the word cancer. Families of children with cancer face many challenges, including uncertainty, restrictions and rigorous treatments. Cancer is often linked with age; children and young adults with cancer are most often a less visible demographic than adult cancer patients. When I was diagnosed, I quickly realized that age is an extricable factor of how we experience cancer and that life, is indeed, too short.
On What Comes Next
I’m back in Steamboat and have no intention of slowing down! Before the season’s snowfall, you can find me cross-country biking, front row dancing at one of our local music venues, and getting in some local hikes. By winter, I’ll be back working at a private residence club at the base of the resort and teaching toddlers how to shred champagne powder at the resort! I’m living my dream and someday look forward to pursuing a career in the outdoor industry.
Above all, I want to continue to grow personally and to find ways—on my own and with the community of Steamboat—to contribute to great causes that support a wholesome and fulfilling life.
