Joshua M. Powell grew up in Virginia and studied art and design at James Madison University, earning a BFA. After moving west, he began taking longer and longer trips into the backcountry before deciding to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada in 2014. He has worked in book design and production, receiving first place in the New York Book Show and the Gold Award in the PubWest Book Design Awards. Additionally, he has worked as a bookseller and a printing press operator. He currently lives in Spokane, Washington.