Written by: Katherine ‘Ringleader’ Imp

Last week, the Traveling Circus took their one and only break from the Appalachian Trail. Lightning went to Trail Days, and Monkey and I went to my law school graduation. People asked Monkey and I a whole variety of questions, but my favorite question to answer is always this: What is your favorite memory up to this point?

For those of you that have seen me in the last week, some of this will be repetitious, but if you haven’t . . . enjoy!

1. The Bus — Somewhere in Southern Virginia I saw a yellow school bus in the woods. I didn’t know how it got there. I didn’t know why it was there. All I knew is that my favorite movie, “Into the Wild,” had just become a reality. I dropped my pack, weaved in and out of weeds and piles of cow shit, and jumped in. It was clear that someone had lived there. The bus had a bed, a stove, a table — it was a home. Emily and Brandon soon joined me and after a look around we decided there was only one thing left to do: play. I pretended to host a dinner party, with Emily and Brandon as my guests. We laughed, and danced, and practiced our Southern accents. Who knew a run-down bus could be so entertaining.

2. The 13-mile sprint into Pearisburg — We planned to spend a weekend with an old friend of mine in Pearisburg. Unfortunately it took 3 marathon days and a half-marathon sprint to get there by Saturday morning before the post office closed. We’d spent the night before the 13-mile sprint at a hostel called Wood’s hole, and somewhere around mile 4 of ‘the sprint’ I realized I forgot my snack bag at the hostel. With Emily and Brandon nowhere in sight, I had no choice but to just keep going and hope that the Cliff bar at breakfast would get me through the hike. I zoomed through the trees, peering to my right or left every so often to catch a view. Finally I was nearing the end, only a few more miles of downhill to go, when I saw a thru-hiker standing by a road intersecting the trail. It was TP! A female thru-hiker we had hiked with for awhile in the Smokies! I barely had the energy to say hello, but we both gave the “What are you doing here??” look, chatted for a minute, and said farewell. I then ran down the rest of the mountain, stumbled over to the Rendezvous Motel, and collapsed on the grass — in awe of what my body had just accomplished.

3. The Pearisburg Post Office Parking Lot — After collecting our care packages from the Pearisburg post office, Emily, Brandon, and I sat down in the parking lot to organize ourselves. Out of nowhere a man comes over on his motorcycle and says, “Would you mind giving me a minute to pray for you?” Of course my first thought was that he was either a Jehovah’s Witness or wanted to convert me to whatever religion he was faithful to. Nevertheless I figured a prayer couldn’t hurt anyone so I said, “Sure.” He then proceeds to pray for our health, our safety on the trail, and our happiness throughout the journey. After he finished, he got back on his motorcycle and drove away . . .

4. Clingman’s Dome — Clingman’s Dome is one of the highest peaks on the AT, and the day we planned to hike over it was the day it snowed in the Smokies. We woke up to snow on the ground and in the trees. It was cold and wet . . . and beautiful. The hike was treacherous. Because there was so much snow on the ground, the tree branches were at the same level as our heads. I tried to duck and twist, but no matter where you turned you were bound to get snow in the face. When I got to a fork in the road, I couldn’t tell which way Brandon and Emily had gone so I took a left. I couldn’t see the white blazes or footprints because of all the snow. I just kept going up until the trees opened up and I saw the Smokies. I was freezing and lost and alone but I’ve never see anything so beautiful.

5. Dutch Haus B&B — According to our Thru-Hiker travel companions, there is a B&B in Montebello, VA that gives free lunch to hikers. For all we knew the lunch served was peanut butter & jelly, but it didn’t matter . . . it was free. We hiked 13 miles to the top of a mountain and it was here that we were to find a steep downhill path that would bring us to a parking lot at the bottom. From there the owners of the B&B would pick us up. When we got to this intersection it was 12:30, lunch ended at 1pm, and we had no cell reception to call and ask for a pick up. Feeling defeat, we began to pull out our tuna packets. Then, out of nowhere, a truck pulls around the corner of this mountain. Without thinking I jump in front of the truck and ask for a ride to the B&B. Apparently there is an old Appalachian family that lives on the other side of the mountain and twice a month he goes to check on them — this day being one of those times. We jump in the back of the truck, and when we get to the parking lot we see the owner of the B&B. “We heard you were comin’ from some of your fellow thru-hikers,” he said. We get out of the first truck, hop into the second truck, and before we could even say thank you we were being hustled into this beautiful wooden home to a table with fresh lemonade, hamburgers, macaroni & cheese, veggies, and vanilla pudding topped with fresh strawberries.

Written by: Katherine “Ringleader” Imp

In 2002 I met a woman that changed my life.

She wasn’t particularly attractive. Her teeth were crooked, her hair was a mess, and for the 2 weeks I knew her, she never once changed her clothes. She didn’t have much of an academic education, nor did she plan to seek one out. She was a wanderer, one of those ‘hippie folk’ who defy societal norms not out of hate but rather out of a strong love for life.

The second I met her I was hooked. I wanted to know everything about her. I was inspired, I was intrigued — I wanted her to be my mentor forever.

For 2 weeks Claire shared her story with me. She told me about her time as a white water rafting guide. She told me about Outward Bound and her time as a wilderness instructor. She told me about her dreams. She was 23.

I’ve come a long way since meeting Claire. I grew up. I threw myself into a hole of debt bigger than the Grand Canyon. I got a full-time job. But I never forgot her adventurous spirit. And I never forgot the most important thing she taught me: one voice can make a difference.

……….

Many people have asked me what it’s like to be a woman on the Appalachian Trail, and while I cannot speak for everyone, I can share my story from the perspective of an urban lawyer fresh out of law school.

So here is my take:

There are VERY FEW women on the Appalachian Trail. Emily and I have been told over and over again that there are plenty of women that hike the AT; however, the fact still stands that we’ve been out here for over 2 months and have seen hundreds of men but only a handful of women.

For someone like me, who is used to spending her time with loud, independent, female lawyers (hello Champaign crew!) . . . the lack of women on the trail is infuriating. Where are all the women? Are there stereotypes about the Appalachian Trail that prevent women from coming out here? Or is the gender imbalance due to the fact that the story of the Appalachian Trail is generally told from the white male perspective?

There is one book by Beverly ‘Maine Rose’ Hugo that provides practical advice to female thru-hikers. [http://www.aldha.org/hugo.htm]

From the white female perspective, I think the following stereotypes can be debunked:

1. The trail is not safe for women.

False. The real world is far more dangerous for women than the Appalachian Trail. In the real world, women have to protect their drinks at the bar, watch their back when walking home at night, and continually defend themselves from men that show disrespect. If anything, the women are more safe on the trail than the men because when there are so few, many of the male thru-hikers become protective. Should I ever want a big brother, I’ve probably got about 30 that would come to my rescue.

2. A thru-hike requires you to get ‘dirty’, and most women hate that.

False on so many levels. First off, I know a lot of men that would prefer to eat rotten eggs than ever set foot in the woods. Second, the Appalachian Trail is not the Himalayas — you hit town every few days and most people stop for a bed and shower (both men and women). Third, just because you’re in the woods, doesn’t mean you have to throw your looks and personal hygiene out the window. Our wardrobes may be smaller, but that doesn’t mean you can’t wear fun clothes (from Prana!) and brush your teeth.

3. Women’s bodies aren’t made to endure a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

Ridiculous. Men play football, women have babies. Only one of those activities is broadcasted on television, but both clearly indicate the human body’s ability to endure hardship. On the AT, men tend to lose their upper body strength and finish the trail looking scrawny and malnourished. The women just look fit and fabulous.

Know your body’s weaknesses before coming out here; I’ve had shin stress fractures in the past, so I ice and stretch them as much as I can. I also take an extra calcium pill (outside of my daily vitamin), but even that is really more for ‘peace of mind’ than anything else.

4. The AT is a frat house where women are made to feel like outsiders.

Rarely. There have been a few occasions where Emily and I have felt like outsiders, but I’m going to chalk it up to ‘group mentality’ rather than disrespectful men. If you have 10 men sitting at a table, it’s doubtful that any of them will open up and tell you their story. That wouldn’t happen in real life, so I don’t expect it to happen out here. But most nights you are only with a few thru-hikers and those are the nights that I cherish. People open up, tell you their story, and remind you how amazing the Appalachian Trail community can be.

……….

I met Claire through an organization called Landmark Volunteers. She was my Team Leader for a trail maintenance trip I did in Acadia National Park. In 2007 I was hired by Landmark to lead the very trip that had changed my life 5 years prior. I was ‘Claire’, and I saw the full circle take effect.

No matter how crazy my professional life has been or will become, I’ll never forget those words from Claire. One voice can make a difference. People have a variety of reasons for following our blog, and I respect that. But for those women out there that want to hike the Appalachian Trail, but whose fears have prevented them from doing so, I hope my story finds its way to you…