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Time To Take A Walk–My Hiker Intro
Hi everyone, I’m Shannon. I grew up in the south, where I made my way through life, getting married and raising children as many do. My time was filled up with chasing children, showing dogs and trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. One day as I drove home from the doctor’s office, I got a call that would change my life forever:
“We need you to come back. We found something.”
After several years of medical issues and procedures upended my life, I came to a crossroads. There were a lot of scary moments and what-ifs during that time. Medical scares have a way of doing that to you–shocking you into realizing your own mortality. I struggled with depression and anxiety and felt pretty alone in it all. Then my father passed away. As if that weren’t traumatic enough, he died without doing a lot of things he wanted to do in this life, a fact that further moved me to action.
Priorities
I made the decision to start prioritizing life and adventure. I began bodybuilding, got my Personal Trainer certification and went vegan. Like many others I’d seen a certain movie about a young woman hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and wheels began to turn. I’d done my first overnight on the Appalachian Trail some years before, but I’d not gone back. The “green tunnel” wasn’t calling me like the west was calling me. But covid happened and my plans–along with everyone else’s–were derailed. During that time, I began to do more research and thought I’d better start with something a bit shorter for my first thru hike. I bought a ticket to Scotland and settled on back to back hikes of the West Highland Way and Great Glen Way in the Scottish Highlands. Roughly 200 miles through some of the most stunning scenery on the planet.
Those hikes changed everything.
An Exercise In Trust
Backpacking alone in a foreign country–planning and executing everything on my own–was an exercise in trust. I had to trust that I’d made a good itinerary and that I would be safe. I learned so much about myself, my limits and the peace that thru hiking can bring. The simplicity of it all was refreshing, the freedom addicting. There were rough days and even a minor breakdown, but in the end the experience was a transformative one. I learned about resilience and the process of growth through discomfort. Before those hikes were even over, I began planning the next ones.
PCT Dreamin’
I’ve since hiked several trails in the UK, but that original idea was still nagging at me. The lure of a backpacking trip that was longer than anything I’d yet done was powerful. When you start watching all the vlogs posted each year, following people from all walks of life as they attempt to do something really amazing, it grabs you. It pulls you in and you want to be part of it, too. At least I did. I’d experienced something I longed to experience again. I mean, doesn’t everyone dream of disappearing into the wild for months to live in a tent and eat ramen?
On the day I completed my last backpacking trip of 2024, I registered for PCT Permit Day for the 2025 season. When Permit Day came, I was nervous and excited. Along with thousands of others, I filled out the application and waited. A few weeks later, I received an email:
It’s time to take a walk.
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Comments 7
Wishing you well on your adventures. Can you tell me more about the trip to the Outer Hebrides? We hiked the West Highland Way in 2014.
Thank you so much! I think 2025 is going to be a mega adventurous year! The Outer Hebrides was such a unique experience! It is quite the journey to get to the trailhead and you have your choice of ferry or tiny plane to arrive at the beginning of the trail. It is the only airport in the world where you will land on a tidal beach! There are some photos of my journey and more detailed info on my Instagram (link under my profile button) if you’d like a visual representation of what it’s like there. I hope that helps!
Good luck to you on your 2025 PCT hike! Your story resonated with me. I’ll be starting in late March after retiring early. Seize the day!
Thank you so much! Oh yay! Congrats on your retirement and good luck with your hike! Woo hoo!!!
Wonderful intro Shannon! Look forward to your blogs 🙂
Good luck on the next adventure. Looking forward to your posts!
Thanks so much!