Do you ever just feel it with your body, mind, and soul that a project or chapter is complete? A strong feeling came over me upon leaving Michigan that the #HITtheTrails journey had accomplished what it set out to do.
We had met up with each of the regional HIMSS chapters that we had coordinated with, hiked some incredible spots around the country with more than 60 incredible women, recorded the vast majority of our Season 6 episodes, and had tested our spirits in the best possible way. It was time to go home.
At this point, it was just my dog, Juno and me, hauling a 17-foot camper and all our gear. It took a full day to get from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan through Wisconsin to the southwest corner of Minnesota. We drove through the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, around the perimeter of Minneapolis, landing just an hour shy of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
From there, it took another full day to drive to the west side of South Dakota to the Black Hills National Forest. I gotta say, the majority of the state was flat. We drove through more heavy rain storms, but toward the end, we took a short detour to check out Badlands National Park and made a point to stop by both Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse rock sculptures in the Black Hills National Forest. Since it was just me and my dog and I’m not a huge selfie taker, my dog got lots of commemorative photos along this part of the trip. We stayed in a Horse Camp close to the border of Wyoming and the in the morning, set off to traverse through the next western state.
I was glad to get an early start to enjoy the way the sun settles so softly on its wide stretches of land and sky. But I didn’t stop for much in Wyoming, mostly because there was not much to stop and see. After about eight hours on the road, I found reprieve in Coalville, Utah, a small town just northeast of Salt Lake City.
After three days of non-stop driving, I decided to take a rest day. I have friends in Utah whom I wanted to visit with, so that’s what I did. Both Juno and I were grateful for the downtime, getting a chance to beat the heatwave by spending the day picnicking by river up the mountain closest to Springville and eating at the Farmer’s Market once the sun had done most of its damage for the day.
Because there was a strong heatwave occurring in the west, I woke up early the following morning so I could make it to Los Angeles. I drove through 105 degree heat in Utah, the tip of Arizona, through southern Nevada and into California. When I finally arrived in Glendale to return the Happier Camper, I felt the literal and metaphorical weight being lifted from my shoulders. I spent the afternoon unpacking and reorganizing all the gear, and then settled in at a nearby Airbnb to enjoy the last official night of the trip with a friend, Rana, who had joined the beginning of the adventure in Joshua Tree.
It was a little poetic to be able to review with her all that had happened in the past two months—the highs and lows, the parts that made us stretch to meet the requirements of the occasion, how our thoughts had shifted with new information, and what situations had inspired us the most. I shared the big idea I have for what to do with the podcast next.
However - before getting ahead of myself, it’s important to finish this chapter in excellence. We still have one more hike to complete the Sunday morning before HIMSS. As we watch with held breath as the Delta variant makes rears its head for a third (?) wave of Covid19, I’m so grateful to have taken the plunge to create unique, safe ways for women to gather in the outdoors and inspire each other despite these wildly uncertain times. What a ride it has been!
South Dakota
Where we stayed: Jackson KOA
Where we hiked: The Door Trail
Indigenous Acknowledgment - Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate | Dakota
Utah
Where we stayed: Echo Island RV Resort, Coalville, UT, & in the camper in front of a friend’s house in Springville, Utah.
Where we hiked: Wardsworth Trail
Indigenous Acknowledgment - Ute Indian Tribe | Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
Friends We Made
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Zina Bennion - Mom’s Stuff Salve | Instagram
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Brian Anderson - Jade Bronco | Twitter
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Rana Sallakian - LinkedIn
Thank you
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