PHOENIX (AZFamily) \u2014 A Grand Canyon river guide is attempting to become the first American woman to row solo from the California coast to Hawaii\u2014a roughly 2,400-mile journey across the Pacific.<\/p>\n
Kelsey Pfendler is also aiming to become the youngest person to complete the crossing and to finish in record time. She has been documenting the trip on social media<\/a>, sharing the highs and lows of life alone at sea.<\/p>\n Pfendler says she has long been drawn to difficult water-based challenges\u2014and has the experience to match.<\/p>\n She worked for eight years as a boatman in the Grand Canyon and has competed on the USA Women\u2019s Open raft race team. She has crossed the Pacific twice before, but never alone.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to do it alone and do it by myself and make it possible,\u201d Pfendler said.<\/p>\n Pfendler is working to beat a women\u2019s solo world record of just over 86 days. She says every day brings new obstacles.<\/p>\n \u201cLast night was pretty big,\u201d Pfendler said. \u201cThe waves got even bigger, and they were a little bit more confused. I spent most of the night rocking, rowing through it.\u201d<\/p>\n Weather remains one of the biggest factors, along with the physical grind. Pfendler says she has developed dozens of blisters from rowing but continues to mark milestones along the way.<\/p>\n Pfendler expects to spend weeks at a time on her boat with a strict routine designed to keep her moving and safe.<\/p>\n She is surviving largely on dried and dehydrated food cooked over a small flame. For water, she uses a reverse osmosis system to turn seawater into drinking water. She also relies on solar power to keep key equipment running and charged, including her water purifier.<\/p>\n Sleep comes in short bursts. Pfendler says she rows for a few hours, then naps for about an hour before repeating the cycle. When needed, she uses a makeshift cot.<\/p>\n \u201cI lay down and then there\u2019s this hole where your legs go underneath the deck,\u201d Pfendler said.<\/p>\n Pfendler\u2019s land liaison says the U.S. Coast Guard is aware of her journey. She also has multiple tracking devices on her and her boat at all times.<\/p>\n Pfendler\u2019s progress can be followed in real time through her social media updates.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here<\/a> with a brief description.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 KTVK\/KPHO. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n