Hello, hikers and outdoor nerds of all kinds! Welcome back to Callie Hikes. I know it has been a hot minute since my last post, but I promise I have some exciting things planned that I can’t wait to share. Now that the craziness of May time end of semester shenanigans is almost over, I can direct my brainpower toward the things that I actually enjoy doing. Like writing on this Substack! So to kick off the summer, I figured I would give a little life update as well as a sneak peek into the trips that have been swirling around in my head the last few weeks.
First off, I graduated from community college! My general transfer associate’s degree is something I have been slaving away at for the past year and a half or so. I have finally submitted my last paper, walked across the stage, moved my tassel from right to left, and am officially halfway through my degree program. In the fall, I plan on attending Saint Louis University where I will study psychology and write more papers until my fingers fall off. Then, hopefully, I can move on and finally be free from school.
This was a special moment for me though. I haven’t really talked about it much here because it is not hiking-related, but my path through college has been very nontraditional. For a long time, I held so much shame for being behind in life compared to the people I graduated high school with. A lot of them have gone on to have families, master’s degrees, and successful careers so far, which is awesome! But it can sometimes sting when all I see in my past is one mental health crisis after the other. Instead of joining a sorority, I admitted myself into treatment centers and psychiatric hospitals. My course of study? Eating disorder recovery with a minor in depression coping skills.
However, the more I get older, the more I realize that life is not as linear as adults made it out to be when I was a kid. Who cares if I am 25 and don’t have an undergraduate degree yet? Literally no one. Whether I like it or not, this is how my life has turned out so far. Instead of falling into the trap of comparing myself to my peers all of the time, I have finally gotten to a place where I feel proud of how far I have come and what I still get to do.
Since I don’t officially transfer to Saint Louis University until the fall, I get to take the summer off from classes. This means I will have more time to hit the trail and do some overnight trips. My last post covered my trail running plans and those races are still on the table. However, doing the Ozark Trail has seemed more and more tempting, so I think this summer will be the perfect time to go for it! I have completed a few of the sections over the years and have always wanted to set out for a thru-hike of the 230ish linked part of the trail for a long time.
A thru-hike would be awesome, but after looking over my work schedule and other obligations I have sprinkled throughout June and July, it looks like I will have to get a little creative with my planning. As for right now, I am thinking about splitting the trail into two trips. Because I have limited time off, I will have to try and squeeze in the mileage for each trip into a shorter than optimal time frame. In other words, I am thinking of hiking five days for each chunk of the two trips. This looks like averaging 25 miles or so each day, which is definitely doable. However, I really haven’t had the time to adequately prepare for that amount of mileage back to back like that, so I might be a little in over my head with this.
Ideally, I want to go as light as I possibly can so I can move faster. I have also entertained the concept of running portions of the trail as well to speed things up some. This makes packing the right gear even more crucial. In anticipation for this, I managed to find a 20-liter Ultimate Direction fastpack on Facebook Marketplace for a ridiculously cheap price that I intended on trying to make work for this type of adventure. However, in the midst of graduation madness, I had my birthday. I think my partner was a little concerned with my gear situation and actually ended up gifting me a Gossamer Gear Fast Kumo 36! This was a totally unexpected surprise and one that I am so grateful for.
The Fast Kumo literally just came out a few months ago and I have been drooling over its design ever since. It has the typical Gossamer Gear backpack style that we all know and love except with a smaller build and in running vest form. I wanted it badly, but couldn’t justify the purchase at the time, so I shelved the impulsive splurge for another day. But now I have it and this trip should be a little more comfortable because of it. Well, as comfortable as I can be hiking during another hot and sweaty Missouri summer.
That is a wrap for today’s post! Thank you for reading and be on the lookout for more within the coming weeks.
See you out on the trail!
I Graduated! Now what?
Congratulations! You're certainly right to do (or not do) college when and how it's best for you. My ex-wife and I kind of pushed our son into college too soon. He flamed out, and quit before they kicked him out. A few years later he decided he was ready to try again. Now he has a master's degree and is an adjunct professor at the college he dropped out of.