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The Olympic Mountains
In my last post, I mentioned my trepidation of what I would find in the Olympic mountains. I’m now writing with hindsight and can tell you that some of that trepidation was well placed. Yet I have succeeded and I’m writing this 10 days later after making it out the other side. After leaving the…
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To Each Their Own.
As I reach the milestone of having backpacked over 21,000 miles, I reflect how each trail I’ve done has had its own beauty and its own difficulties. The first time I did the Appalachian Trail I was in 40 days of rain in the state of Virginia alone. The second time I did it in…
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Nipping it in the bud
I’m sitting in my tent in a state park campground on the western side of the ferry which I had to take to complete the Pacific Northwest Trail. Crows are landing on my tent. Squirrels are trying to get into my food and I feel my inner “little girl” feeling inadequate and wanting to cry.…
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What is normal
The older I get and the more people I meet around the country, the more I recognize most all have had significant difficulties in life and for the most part all fall outside of some societal fantasy of happy and normal. This has me wondering what normal is anyway. As always, the first place I…
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Benefits of Letting go of Worry
I mentioned in my last blog how I succeeded in not worrying during my holy shit days of hiking through miles with thousands of blowdowns. I felt a twinge of panic that evening when my phone refused to charge but I have learned when I start feeling that way to step back and give it…
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My second holy shit day on the PNT
This really is two back to back days, so I will combine both days into this one blog. The second day was physically much harder, but the first day had more elements of a holy shit day. When I finally arrived at water at the end of what for me was a long day, I…
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Looking Good
When I tell my age to people I meet on trail, the most common response I get is “you look good.” I used to feel pride when people said that to me, thinking “Yeah I don’t look as old as I am.” Then, one day I got to wondering what that was really about. Are…
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Comparisons
In my last blog I talked about my holy shit day. What I did not mention is there are many hikers who would’ve done what I did without a lick of fear. On the other hand, there are many people who would not have ventured on that route at all. The reason I didn’t mention…
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My Holy Shit Day
People often wonder what makes up holy shit day for me. Rarely, it’s one huge event such as being chased by a grizzly bear. (Check out my post called My First Holy Shit Day on the PNT.) Most often, holy shit days involve a series of events which evoke fear in me. When I set…
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Living as Mary Badass
I have not yet been on the road for three full days and already I’ve encountered a number of glitches. But I’m proud to report I’ve been able to approach those things from a Mary Badass place rather than becoming stressed. I’ve leaned into each difficulty as it arises, seeing it as a challenge I…
The Mary Badass
A Ruminating Blog About Personal Healing, Adventure and Day to Day Life
The Mary Badass 