White Woman Hiking
Ever since I started sharing the news that we'd decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, the vast majority of folks I told would ask if I read the book Wild. Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh Wild, the 2012 book and 2014 movie that increased the number of PCT hikers ten-fold. There's even a name for it - "The Wild Effect."
There are many articles online about how the book and movie increased the number of women signing up to hike the PCT. And after reviewing some of the limited demographics information, that seems like it could be true for white women ("Hey, if Reese Witherspoon can do [a portion of] this trek in ill-fitting hiking boots, so can I," yikes!). Ever since I first started thinking about hiking the trail I was so curious about other women who had the audacity to do such a thing, so I went on a hunt for demographic info.
When you visit the Pacific Crest Trail Association website, there is a Thru-Hiker FAQ page. One of the questions is about who hikes the trail, and they have links to visitor use statistics and the 2,600 mile list. The visitor use statistics show the number of permits issued each year but no demographic information. The 2,600 mile list includes hiker's names (and their trailnames) who emailed the PCTA to say they completed the trail. If you want to be part of the list (not everyone does this), you can just email to include your name or opt to receive a completion medal or certificate! No demographic information here either.
A PCT alum, Halfway, has been doing an annual demographics survey for the past few years (populated by those who decide to take it, not everyone who hikes the trail). Here's his PCT Class of 2016 Survey Results. The survey (completed by 381 respondents, while there were about 3,500 thru hiker permits issued in 2016) asks about all kinds of things, including start date, longest day on the trail, what country hikers are coming from, their base weight, the amount of $ they spent on gear and other information. There's no doubt that the majority of folks who hike the trail are white men. In Halfway's 2016 survey, 67% of respondents were men and 33% were women. In response to his race question, these were the results: 89% Caucasian, 3% Multi-Racial, 2% Asian/Pacific Islander, 2% Hispanic, 1% Native American/Alaska Native, 5% Declined to answer.
Halfway's 2015 survey was completed by 193 people (there were about 2,500 northbound thru-hiker permits issued in 2015 by the PCTA). Of his respondents, 85% identified as Caucasian. The next highest percentages: 5% declined to answer, 4% identified as mixed race. Halfway included the category "Ginger" in the race question - why this was included in the race question is offensive / baffling / bizarre .
I've always loved hearing and reading stories by women. In preparation for this hike, I found myself hungry for stories from women that aren't white and aren't Cheryl Strayed (I must share that I love her Dear Sugar podcast). In my insomnia-fueled-middle-of-the-night research sessions, I came across some blogs and stories from long distance thru hikers who are also women of color.
Some of my favorites:
Rawaha Haile hiked 2,600+ miles on the Appalachian Trail sharing books by African American authors along the way. She also led a Short Story of the Day twitter campaign in 2015 where she shared the short stories of writers of color every day of the year. Here's a link to an article she wrote a couple of months ago on Buzzfeed. " There is no divorcing the lack of diversity in the outdoors from a history of violence against the black body, systemic racism, and income inequality. A thing I found myself repeatedly explaining to hikers who asked about my books and my experience wasn’t that I feared them, but that there was no such thing as freedom from vulnerability for me anywhere in this land. That I might be tolerated in trail towns that didn’t expect to see a black hiker, but I’d rarely if ever feel at ease. "- Rawaha Haile.
Here's an interview from Alta Obscura with Rawaha Haile. An excerpt from Rawaha that stood out to me in this interview: "Most statistics report the trail is about 75 percent men. This year, there were so many women—I’d be shocked if it was under 33 percent. It was still a very, very masculine space. But I saw so many women. Some of them had hiking partners, but there were also so many solo hikers. I look forward to seeing the Appalachian Trail Conservancy stats for this year. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think Wild had anything to do with it. There were SO many women. And I didn’t feel the weight of walking as a woman to the same degree as walking as a black person, though both were there. "
Rue Mapp is the founder of Outdoor Afro, an organization founded in 2011 based in Oakland, CA that celebrates and inspires Black connections to nature. Rue's blog is a real treat! The reach of Outdoor Afro is incredible - there are meetups in major cities all over the country - here is a searchable map of Outdoor Afro meetup groups.
Amanda "Zuul" Jameson completed a Colorado trail thru-hike in 2015 and hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016. Her website, Brown Girl on the (P)CT, has a blog with stunning photos, gear lists and useful links. She includes articles particular to race, class and gender in her Useful Links section.
Jenna "Double Sprainbow" Yokoyama hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2012 and 2013. Here's an article from the Reno-Gazette Journal called "For people of color, hiking isn't always an escape." Jenna created a Hikers of Color Facebook group in 2016, and subsequently received a wide range of feedback from white and non-white hikers. My favorite quote from this article featuring Jenna: '“What gets remembered is a function of who is in the room doing the remembering,” Polk said, recalling a quote from Betty Reid Soskin, an African-American woman and renown, longtime National Park Service ranger at Rosie the Riveter/WWII Homefront National Historic Park." Here's a podcast interview with Jenna where she shares many stories: the origination of her trail name, her on-trail engagement and wedding, a racist experience that took place in a Trail town near the Manzanar internment camp where her Japanese grandparents were sent as well as her launch of the Hikers of Color Facebook group.
Other resources:
Here's a podcast from Codeswitch called "Being 'Outdoorsy' When You're Black or Brown."
Here's an honest and beautifully written article called "Women of Color in Outdoor Spaces" written by Minda Honey published just last month in Longreads.
Inclusivity is important to me in spaces both on and off the trail. My privilege as a white woman means that I don't have to consider my race and how it may play into my safety in small town along the trail. Peggy McIntosh wrote "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" in 1989 about "an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was 'meant' to remain oblivious." If you haven't read it yet, I'd encourage you to check it out. I also want to mention that being a white woman hiker isn't the only way I'm privileged. I can easily access a bathroom that fits my gender identity. I have access to the resources to leave my job / income and hike for six months. My body enables me to hike. I don't have to worry that my affection with my boyfriend will put us in danger on the trail or in trail towns. I won't have to think about my age, my religion, my name or my nationality while we hike, go on resupply runs, stay in hotels, or do laundry in trail towns.
I'm looking forward to the opportunity to build relationships with other hikers and for the chance to hear new stories, to think about other perspectives, and to notice different highlights within the same landscape.
