Whatever It Takes!

I can’t believe it has been two weeks since I completed an adventure of a lifetime, along with the best hiking buddies, Becky Chasteen and Cheryl Moreno. I am still on an emotional high.

It was 3:23 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17. I was about to take my first steps with 14 other ladies on a trek across the Zion Traverse that would last two days and cover 45 miles. Yep, you read that right – 45 miles. We trained for 20 weeks to prepare for this adventure with the Project Athena Foundation, climbing more stairs than I cared to count and logging more miles than I could imagine.

We all came with a focus to support six women who survived cancer. We were on a journey together to help them go from survivor to adventure athlete. Why? Because we can do hard things.

Day One – 25 Miles

Before taking those first steps, we were given a pink bracelet by Robyn Benincasa. She’s the founder of the Project Athena Foundation and a world-class adventure athlete. She’s the strongest, most athletic motivational person I have ever met. The bracelet she gave us was inscribed with the words, “Whatever It Takes!” in memory of Sarah Jones, an Athena who battled cancer. As I put on the bracelet, I thought about Sarah and how amazing she must have been to go on these adventures. I contemplated if I had “Whatever It Takes!” to conquer Zion.

We started off with what had to be a 20-minute pace. I had not trained that fast and wondered if I could keep up the quick pace, but I was determined to do “Whatever It Takes.” We kept up that pace for several hours, hiking through the dark, hiking along narrow ledges that if we slipped, we would fall in the water. I could hear the rushing water, but I couldn’t see to tell if it was a river or stream. Eventually, all I could see was a line of headlamps dotting the trail in front of me. About three hours into the hike, we began to climb and climb, stepping over large rocks and taking numerous switchbacks. I’m not the best climber but focused on one step at a time. We completed the long, hard climb right before sunrise and entered Hop Valley.

As we hiked along Hop Valley, I couldn’t believe the beauty of the majestic red, orange and white cliffs that surrounded us. We crisscrossed over the streams that ran through the valley, hopping over them so our shoes wouldn’t get wet. I wrapped duct tape around the toe box of my hiking shoes to ensure my socks wouldn’t get soaked. The duct tape lasted halfway through morning, but it kept my feet dry through the worst of the jumps.

During the day, each of us seemed to battle something different. Blisters, cramps, tired legs, sore knees. But the beauty of this group was that each person kept encouraging the hiker either ahead or behind her to keep going. And then there were our trail angels – Stacy, Blaine, Puddin’ and of course Robyn – who are all ultra-athletes dedicating their time to help us all become adventure athletes. They carried our packs, took pictures for us, provided first aid, helped us maneuver the trail and/or found wood to put down in the stream for us to walk on.

At the completion of day one we logged 25 miles. I was feeling good, but Robyn was concerned about my knee. I have never had knee trouble but with a few hours to go on the first day, my right knee started to hurt. I could only bend it slightly and had to move a little sideways to get down the trail. However, by the time we finished dinner that evening I wasn’t feeling any pain. All I knew was that I was looking forward to soaking my feet and getting at least four hours of sleep. We stayed in these tiny home type lodges and in case there wasn’t a bathtub, I packed a kiddie pool in my luggage so Becky, Cheryl and I could soak our feet. We pulled out that pool, filled it with water and Epsom salt, and sat it in the middle of the tiny lodge to soak our feet. My feet loved me.

Day Two – Digging Deep

On day two, we were again on the trail around 3 a.m. The sky was brilliantly lit by the moon and stars. About two hours into the hike, we took a quick break. I didn’t get back on the trail as fast as the other hikers and dropped several hundred feet behind them. I knew I wasn’t the last one on the trail because the rule is that trail angel Blaine, also known as the Reaper, brings up the rear. I couldn’t see any headlamps around me, but I knew I was safe. I took time to look up and relished in the intense moonlight that God provided that early morning. The moon, stars and clouds appeared almost as if they were 3-D.

The first big descent on the second day took us to Potato Valley. The pain in my knee came back way too early into the second morning and slowed me down. When the group took another break, I decided to keep hiking. Robyn said we were going to start climbing again. I hiked ahead slowly and even though it was still dark, I knew I couldn’t get lost because there was only one path at this point on the trail. I began climbing and before I knew it the group caught up with me. Together, we kept climbing and climbing. The motivation for getting to the top was seeing the sunrise on the plateau. I was pacing the group, ever so slowly. I kept telling myself not to rest because I didn’t want anyone to miss the sunrise.

The view from the plateau is indescribable. We kept stopping to take photographs. We couldn’t take enough selfies. Every few feet provided a new glimpse of God’s beautiful creation. I was simply in awe of the peace I felt on the plateau.

Too Many Switchbacks

After we crossed the plateau – you guessed it – we had another descent. This time it would take at least three hours with about a 60-degree angle before we would reach the end of the trail at Zion Lodge. We took switchback after switchback along a ledge of the trail. I kept thinking, “Lean into the cliff. Lean into the cliff.” I kept praying for God to carry me to ease my pain. Then Robyn gave me her poles to use so I could take more weight off my knee. Then someone carried my pack. I had no idea who had my pack but when I need water someone appeared with my pack. When I needed electrolytes, someone would appear with my water bottle.

Following that steep descent, I was able to get some relief on my knee as the trail was somewhat flat. That is until we came to what is called Walter’s Wiggles, a series of 21 steep switchbacks. I could barely maneuver those switchbacks, so I added my own switchbacks within Walter’s Wiggles. After Walter’s Wiggles, I had to continue downhill to get to the lodge. I could see the group in the distance and was so frustrated with myself that I had fallen so far behind. By this time, Robyn had me tow her to take more weight off my knee. Towing is just what it sounds like. She pulled on the fanny pack I was wearing while I pulled her. I couldn’t believe it; this provided relief to my knee.

I finally made it to the bottom, and we only had one mile to go to complete 45ish miles across the Zion Traverse. As we got to the lodge, we all stopped for the Athenas so they could finish first. I cried as I watched these six amazing ladies who won the battle against cancer conquer Zion. I was so inspired by their strength and determination to do hard things. While I went on this adventure to help them go from survivor to adventure athlete, they taught me to never give up.

And together, we made it 45 miles in two days across the Zion Traverse, off the beaten path of Zion National Park, with an elevation gain of 11,000 feet. I am so thankful to the Project Athena Foundation for providing one of the hardest adventures I have ever tackled. I am thankful for all the training hikes with my #VintageHikingGals, Cheryl and Becky. I am beyond blessed for the lifelong friends I made from across the country who share a dream of helping others go from survivor to adventure athlete.

You all proved that by doing “Whatever It Takes!” we can do hard things.