Pete, Andy, Dave, Me, PJ - John Muir Trail, Kings Canyon-Sequoia. 2002. After hiking over 200 miles.I am watching PBS's National Parks Series... and it is such an inspiration to me. How thankful I am for the CCC, and Roosevelt, and all of those amazing individuals who have hand-forged the trails that I have so dearly come to love.
I am so deeply inspired to keep hiking, begin volunteering, and keep traveling within our wonderous landscapes.
I am going to join the Mountaineers, and hopefully next summer, set up a program for young girls. I'd like to be involved in a program which takes young girls out hiking and backpacking - teaching them that they too can survive and embrace the wilderness.
As my friends and I hiked the 230 mile John Muir Trail back in 2002, we came across several boys groups - Boy Scouts, Eagle Scouts... But no groups of young girls. It made me sad. We hiked all 230 miles and did not see any groups of younger girls.
And I know how frightened I used to be of hiking alone, or hiking without my expert trail-crew boyfriend...
But after the breakdown of that 6 year relationship, I was determined to keep hiking and backpacking - and I have done that.
I have fallen ever more in love with the mountains, the trees, the rivers, the skies.
How I admire John Muir, Ansel Adams... those who loved nature so deeply to fight for it nationally.
What a difference they made. And how much we can still make a difference in fighting for wilderness preservation.
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