Footprints For Change

Tag: SHT thru hike

  • Additional Pack Weight

    Additional Pack Weight

    In 2016, planning for the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), my biggest pack weight dilemma was carrying my neurological recharge system. Fast forward to 2020, as I prepare for my Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) thru-hike, I’m facing yet another weight dilemma.

    The reality of hiking in Northern Minnesota (in the US, for that matter) as a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). The additional “pack weight,” so to speak. In addition to traditional gear, I have to consider the weight of my skin.

    As a Black woman solo hiking in Northern Minnesota, I can’t take for granted that Minnesotans will live up to the state motto: Minnesota Nice!

    I’m not relying on it. I grappled with another weight-related decision. Do I alert local law enforcement of my presence on the trail or don’t? Sadly, we live in a time when an advance alert has to be issued. 

    Here is an excerpt of the email I shared with the sheriff chief of all four counties along the SHT:

    “A section of the SHT is located in the county you’ve been sworn to protect. As a law-abiding visitor, I expect the same level of protection and respect that is afforded to your residents. I understand that there is a great deal of racial tension in the US. I am aware that as a Black solo hiker, I might face adversity and possible prejudice on the trail. However, I do not anticipate threats or violence, and I’d ask that, if needed, you’d intervene promptly. I have attached a photo of myself in hiking gear and ask that if I am seen on the trail that you DO NOT shoot me. Aside from backpacking gear, I will be carrying the following items: bear spray, a pocket knife, and hiking poles. None of these items are “weapons.”

    I’m sharing this because it’s the reality of being a Black hiker. 

    PS Yes, I will post a gear list, trail information, and other “traditional” hiking-related things soon.

    PSS. As of June 1, the SHTA recommends that hikers practice social distancing on the trail by limiting group sizes to 10 or less and that you stay home if you’re sick.

  • Nature Doesn’t Discriminate

    Nature Doesn’t Discriminate

    In 2016, I set out to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail. After 600 miles, I ended my hike due to complications with my implanted neuromodulation system. Upon return from life on the trails, I had surgery to replace the broken parts of my system. 

     

    Being inactive during the recovery period, mixed with feelings of failure for not completing the 2,660-mile trek, left me depressed. With that depression came a period of sadness, overeating, and excessive weight gain. 

     

    Eight months after my return from the trail, I’d gain nearly 40 pounds (equating to all the pounds I lost while hiking, putting me back at the same start weight).

    In talking to a friend, I expressed discontent about not finishing the PCT and the lack of support from my peers. Many of them aren’t outdoorsy and couldn’t empathize or fully understand. My friend, a cisgender white woman, shared some information about a summit hosted by a collective known as PGM ONE (People of the Global Majority in the Outdoors, Nature, and Environment).

     

     I was gifted a scholarship to attend and was amazed to connect with so many Black, Indigenous, and People of Color of the Global Majority who, like myself, believe in the power of nature and environmental justice. 

     

    I shared my PCT journey at the summit and was taught that the narrative was paramount. Meaning, I could share the story as a defeat because I did not complete the trail or as a triumph because I solo hiked 600 miles. 

     

    I also learned about adventure therapy and nature as a form of healing. I applied for and recently graduated from Prescott College with a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in Adventure Therapy & Adventure Education.

     

    For the record, graduating during a pandemic amid civil unrest, as police brutality upon Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) is becoming visible to the world, is disheartening. I’ve seen brutality against Black folks my entire life. But one thing I’m sure of is. Nature has never discriminated, nor is she hateful. 

     

    On Saturday, July 4, 2020, I will begin a 300+ mile thru-hike of the Superior Hiking Trail. For a few reasons:

    • It brings me joy
    • It’s why I went to Prescott College
    • It’s a peaceful form of protest
    •  Because Black Lives Matter, 
    • and to raise awareness about PGM One.

     

    I also want to shed light and understanding of the healing power of Nature.

    *Due to the rapidly evolving outbreak of COVID–19 and safety restrictions, know that unforeseeable events might detour my journey. 

     

    Subscribe and stay tuned for updates. Know that as a responsible hiker and a protector of Mother Earth, I will adhere to all Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA) regulations and recommendations. As of June 1, hikers are asked to limit group size to 10 or fewer. As a solo hiker, this isn’t a problem. 

     

    The SHTA also recommends that you stay safe, sane, and sanitized—and do what you can to prevent the spread of the virus, and always adhere to Leave No Trace principles. And a Crystal Gail word of advice: practice common sense.