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This week on Thru-Hiker Thursday, we're featuring Whiskey. Her answers were too good to fit into an Instagram post, so we are debuting the Wend blog to feature her.
Without further ado, MEET WHISKEY!
Trails hiked and when:
2009 - JMT - SOBO
2016 - PCT/L2H LASH - SOBO
2017 - Trans-Catalina Trail
2017 - Oregon Coast Trail - SOBO
2019 - AZT - NOBO
2020 - TRT (until trail was closed for fires) - Counterclockwise
What led you to thru-hiking and how has it impacted your life since?
Thru-hiking completely changed my life in the best possible way! I was always drawn to the solitude of the mountains and wild places... but thru-hiking helped me challenge myself physically and mentally- it helped me step away from societal norms and step into my own truth. Being on trail, deep into a thru-hike is the happiest and the most at peace I've ever been (before having my Juni). I thought I'd do the PCT and be one and done- but I was totally addicted and rearranged my life, so that I could spend more time thru-hiking.
Favorite trail magic experience:
This one is hard! I've had so many epic trail magic experiences... I'm gonna go with the barf tent! I had just started the PCT, like three days in just started and had to hitch into Mazama unplanned after a gnarly storm. After hitching into town from Harts Pass... I got into town and realized after being dropped off, I had managed to lose my tent at some point during the hitch! Brilliant! Lol. Later that night I was assessing what to do and ended up chatting with a local over a beer- I shared with him my tent woes and he ended up loaning me one of his old lightweight mountaineering tents but he warned me that about twenty years ago some dude had barfed in it from altitude sickness when they were summitting some mountain, so they now affectionately referred to it as the barf tent. I didn't care... I was just so stoked and grateful I had a tent to continue my hike with. That was my first real encounter with trail magic... The kindness of strangers is real!
Luxury item(s):
Packing out fresh fruit & veggies... sometimes a can of wine (I might even get a little wild and bring some whiskey)! Ooh! And I usually carry some essential oils.
Favorite food on trail:
Triscuits, cheese, and dried apricots- little charcuterie on trail. Or leftovers packed out- pizza, burger, burritos.
How has having a daughter changed how you experience the outdoors?
Having Juni has definitely shifted outdoor experiences... our pace has slowed, our gear is heavier, and a four mile hike in is a big day for us right now- we spend most of the day looking at rocks, pine cones and flowers instead of stomping out miles and its definitely a welcome slowdown... And seeing her awe and amazement at absolutely everything is just pure magic! Taking her to some of my favorite backcountry spots feels extra special- and seeing her enjoy our time outside and thrive in big ways is pretty much the best thing in the whole world! Some of her biggest milestones have been while on trail... like her very first laugh was in a tent! And even my solo time on trail now feels more meaningful... I try to get up at 4:30 AM to sneak in a trail run before she's awake and those two hours of quiet and solitude on the trail, re-connecting with myself and nature just feel like such a special time and not so much like a training chore. The one thing that really hasn't changed, is that the best days are still the days spent outside, hiking a trail.
Anything else you would like to share?
Thru-hiking is pretty much the best thing in the whole world! I've met my favorite people on trail and felt like my truest self when on trail! I can't wait to take Juniper (my 16 month old) on her first thru, when she's a bit bigger.
