Author: genevaleigh

I’m leaving Alaska, a place I love and have lived all my life. I have to get out and see America, or hike America, to be more accurate. No, I don’t have the freedom to quit my job for a year and hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) or the Appalachian. I intend to hike in a different state every month of 2019. Since I can’t take too much time away from my job (let’s be generous and call it a career), I will leverage long weekends and holidays, and lots of airline miles. I won’t be leaving Alaska permanently. I will leave every month to explore new parks and trails.

Alaska is home to some of the best hiking in the world, and some of the best hikes are right out my back door. So, why leave to hike? Honestly, I never thought I would. It wasn’t until last September when I visited Utah, that I even considered betraying my northern church. I was awestruck by Utah, and the Capitol Reef National Park. The red rocks, cliffs, blue sky, crystal clear streams, and the wildflowers; it was so different than Alaska, but held the same scale of grandeur. What else is waiting for me? What other vista has yet to humble and amaze me?

I will visit states I’ve been to many times, and others I will be visiting for the first time. The only rule I have for myself is that I can’t hike a trail I’ve already hiked. This year is about exploration and adventure. I’ll update this site every month to show you where I’ve been. This site is really just a personal journal of my adventure, but maybe it will inspire someone to get out and take a walk and breathe the fresh air and stare in awe at what I think of as outdoor cathedrals.

Did you know that America has 60 National Parks, and over 10,000 State Parks?! Ten thousand! They are gifts, and they belong to us. They were preserved for us by our grandparents and great grandparents, by our servicemen and women who protect us every day, by volunteers who help to preserve and maintain the park, and by thousands of park rangers and civil engineers. Maybe if more people visit a park, and take a walk in the wild, we can strengthen our connection to this earth, and take better care of it.

I am starting 2019 with great hope and intention. I am new to blogging and I’m sure I’ll look back at the end of this year and think about what an amateur I was when I first started. That’s OK, you have to start somewhere. I hope your new year brings you peace and strength, and is filled with new adventures.