Vulnerable. Candid. Honest. Heart. Passion. Drive. Direct. Real.
These are all words I would use to describe the people in the hiking community I have grown to admire, respect, and gain inspiration from. There are many on a more personal and private level, but here are a few that have deeply impacted me and continue to impact the hiking community- bringing and fostering beauty, inclusiveness, perspective, diversity, and depth through their public platforms.
Second Chance Hiker
Second Chance got his second chance at life out on the PCT in 2019. You may never meet a sweeter person.
The Blackalachian
The Blackalachian will not put up with anyone’s bullshit and will not let anything stand in the way of grabbing his life by the horns and riding it. He hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2017, donning the name “the Blackalachian” and went on to bike the Underground Railroad the following summer. He continues to dive into all things outdoorsy head first and shares it every step of the way- the bloopers and the successes.
Carrot Quinn
Carrot is a writer, long distance hiker (pct 2013, pct 2014, cdt 2015, and many others), and an advocate for social justice. Her book “Thru Hiking Will Break Your Heart” and detailed hiking blogs reminded me that my love of the trail and desire to hike the PCT twice was not an anomaly and I was not losing my mind.
In Carrot’s words:
“In 2014 I thru-hiked Pacific Crest Trail a second time. You can see all 116 of those blog posts here. Why did I hike the PCT a second time? I don’t know. Why does anything do anything? Why is there something instead of nothing?”
Twerk
Also known as Tommy Corey. Twerk section hiked the PCT in 2017 and completed a thru hike of the PCT in 2018. Along the way, he took incredible photographs of the hikers he met and continues to use his genius to create images that bring light to social justice and the outdoors. And. He’s fuckin’ funny.
What he has to say about himself:
• Outdoor Photographer/Backpacker 🌈
• Short dude who walks long distances.
• Everyone belongs outside 👊🏿👊🏽👊🏾👊🏼
Pattie Gonia
“lady in the streets but a freak on the peaks.
drag queen & intersectional environmentalist”
pattie/wyn- she/he/they
pattiegonia@gmail.com
https://www.outsideonline.com/2400749/pattie-gonia-drag-queen
Cheryl Strayed
Author of “Wild” and PCT Big Ass Section Hiker from way back in the 90s. If time travel were real and I found myself back in 5th grade needing to write about my hero, I would write about Chey Stray.
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