There are a number of things that go through your head when you complete a thru-hike. My first thought was: I’m never hiking again.
That was back in August 2010.
I have not camped, hiked, or sat outside for an extended period of time since completing my Appalachian Trail thru-hike in August 2010.
That’s not to say I didn’t love my thru-hike. It was one of the most amazing adventures of my life. It combined everything I love about life- travel, challenge, nature, film (we made a documentary called Beauty Beneath the Dirt), and the opportunity to converse with people I would never otherwise meet. But hiking 20/miles per day for 5 months in a community that is limited to the few people that are hiking around you…. is extreme. And when I rejoined the “real world” I made a B-line to the city of Chicago and haven’t left.
Until now.
I started to get that itch, that all outdoor adventure enthusiasts have. That itch to emerse myself in wilderness, for no other reason but to take in the landscape around me. And I knew that whatever my next outdoor adventure was, it had to be good- not extreme like a thru-hike, but something really different from anything I’d ever done before.
So I called my good friend Sean, who similarly loves the outdoors and adventure and meeting people.
And we booked a trip with Western River Expeditions.
Can’t wait for August. So excited to re-join the world of outdoor adventure …
Kate – VA
Grand Canyon 4 Day Ranch and River
