Fears. We ALL have them. I know I have my fair share.
Not packing enough food for a backpacking trip. Running out of water on a dry stretch of trail. Lightning storms at a high elevation. Hiking over loose rock and scree. Encountering wildlife by myself like snakes, bears and cougars. Going hiking by myself in an area I’ve never been before. Sleeping at an incredibly quiet tentsite with no one else around. Water crossings…every single one of them.
Have you ever had one of those really annoying fears that kept coming back up over and over again and wouldn’t leave you alone until you decided to face it head on?
Each summer, I get several opportunities to face a lot of my fears while I’m out on trail. This year, I got to face one of my fears that has been bothering me for the last 6 years.
The Goat Rocks Wilderness, located in Washington State is home to the infamous Knifes Edge and Old Snowy, two popular features that help make this area arguably the most favorite section of the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington to most PCT thru-hikers.
There’s a section of the trail in this area where a hiker has to choose. They either stay low on the Pacific Crest Trail Stock Route and hike across a large, rocky mountainside with a possible snowfield or go high and take the Old Snowy alternate, which is a 900 foot climb up to Old Snowy Mountain and involves some hand-climbing scrambling in order to get to the top.
Over the last 6 years, I’ve hiked through this area of the PCT twice: once in 2018 along my northbound thru-hike and the other time in 2022 for my southbound section hike. Both times when I got to the junction, I talked myself out of taking the Old Snowy alternate and stayed on the PCT Stock Route.
This summer would mark my third time hiking through the Goat Rocks area along the PCT. I decided to go back to this area with one of my students from The Confident Solo Female Backpacker System.
Together, we headed out into the Goat Rocks area for 3 days and 2 nights in search of epic tentsites and incredible views of all the nearby volcanoes like Mount Adams, Mount St Helens and Mount Rainier.
Also on the agenda for this trip was to finally face my big fear and NOT talk myself out of taking the Old Snowy alternate and hike up to Old Snowy Mountain.
Would I finally do it? They say third time’s a charm so let’s see….
Enrollment is Now Open!
Ladies, want to learn how to build up your confidence to go backpacking on your own, plan epic trips or feel comfortable taking a leadership role with planning your next backpacking trip with a group of friends and meet other women hikers and backpackers?
My goal is to help inspire more women to want to get out on trail so I created the program I wish I had when I first started backpacking.
The Confident Solo Female Backpacker System is a comprehensive, self-paced, online backpacking program for women that’s designed to help you go from feeling scared and intimidated about backpacking to feeling comfortable planning your backcountry adventures so that you feel confident getting out on trail.
Enrollment is currently open now through December 15th for any woman who is ready to learn how to get out for her first or next solo backpacking trip.
Interested in becoming part of this awesome program? CLICK HERE to schedule a free one-on-one Zoom call with me where you’ll talk to me live about your backpacking goals, ask questions about the program and if you’re a good fit, you’ll get the chance to enroll into the program on our call.