Tales from the Trails

"I think you might actually make it," a friend / fellow trail buddy stated with hesitant surprise. This was the same friend who for weeks repeated with cautious concern, "I'm really worried for you guys." Who could blame her? For weeks, Team #InItForShasta huffed and puffed up countless trails. Heck, not a single member of our team had even slept in a tent -- far less climbed a 14k ft mountain.

Yet, in spite of life and the soreness of our muscles, we were climbing down Mt. Diablo in our 9th week of hike training. I nodded back, "Yes, we might."

April 12th marked the half-way point in our journey towards Climb Against the Odds. If the weather gods prevail, we'll be descending from the summit of Mt. Shasta two months from today. Looking at the numbers, I too am in disbelief we've made it this far. This community has helped me individually raise almost $8000. With Miguel and Fabian, OUR COMMUNITY, has helped us raise nearly $16,000. Further, this community at LinkedIn and beyond has provided us a wealth of hike advice and companionship along the 67 miles of trails conquered.

To celebrate the halfway mark, I'm sharing some questions I've received from folks following the journey! Thanks for your continued support! ??

How many miles are you hiking up Mt. Shasta?

We don't know yet! Our trail to the summit will be wholly determined on what kind of weather conditions we get. Right now, our best guess is that we're going up Avalanche Gulch from Bunny Flat. We'll know better by the end of May which route to take.

One thing we know for sure is that there will be snow.

How do you choose which hikes to go on?

As part of the Climb, BCPP provides us with a training guide from Shasta Guides, which provides elevation targets each week. After that, it's up to us individually to find the right trails that meet those goals. For me, I combine bucket list travel destinations and AllTrails' search results. Everyone's different, but I search for hikes with a variety of scenery, good signage, and high elevation gains.

Are you training by yourself?

No! As Charles Schultz most aptly said, “In life, it’s not where you go, it’s who you travel with.” Over the last few weeks, our training team has grown to 8 trail buddies, who have been helping us at the gym (12-3-30 work-outs) and on the mountain.

As a surprise to no one, new friends add new dimensions to long hikes. The funniest thing to happen was when one friend (an avid adventure hiker) discovered a hidden hazard on Mt. Diablo, when his leg sunk in knee-deep into a fresh thick mud. Fortunately, his shoes survived. His socks did not.

What has been your favorite hike?

Pinnacles National Park had been on my wish list for a while, and it did not disappoint. If anyone has seen the movie Cars, it's what I imagine Radiator Springs to look like. The trail boasts rocky cliffs for bouldering and caves for some light spelunking. My partner had the great pleasure of videoing me crying and wading barefoot through knee-deep cave water with a 20-pound pack on my back and a head-lamp attached to my baseball cap. Suffice it to say, that video will not be posted here.

What are you listening to when you're on the trail?

Mostly nothing. Half kidding. We're starting a group playlist here.

What are you most proud of from this experience so far?

Selfishly, one of my goals for Climb was to get out of the "pre-diabetic" zone. 1 in 3 Americans have prediabetes and are at risk to develop Type 2 diabetes -- due in part to lifestyle choices (i.e., sitting too long at work, dietary choices). Last week, my A1C levels officially tested outside the zone! If I've learned anything from Climb, it's that cardio and balanced eating can do wonders.

What do the next two months have in store?

We still have 7 weeks away before we hit our peak elevation gain goal of 7000. The next two months will take us to bigger summits including those in Tahoe, Yosemite and the Cascades. If you have any trail recommendations or want to join / donate, DM me!

Lessons Learned:

• Trekking poles are a great form of strength training, especially for biceps, triceps, and core.
• Snacking every couple hours can reduce fatigue and add energy to your hikes. Index on a variety high-protein, high-sugar, and high-salt snacks depending on your needs of the moment. I'll be bringing a carafe of coffee on my hike.
• The California super-bloom is real, and so is the thirst for Instagrammable photos. Please don't step on the flowers.

To support my fundraising goal of $10,000 for Breast Cancer Prevention, you can donate here. If you're a LinkedIn employee, go to my go/Gives campaign at go/ShastaStrong.