It’s that time of year when we set intentions for the future. Will your resolutions be outdoorsy?
Alejandra Villanueva of the hiking community, Girls Who Hike Virginia, shares the story of her ambitious pursuit to hike Old Rag Mountain 36 times before the end of 2024.
Her remarkable journey beautifully intertwined her love of hiking with the transformative power of nature.
Alejandra’s adventures on Old Rag are a testament of resilience and profound self-discovery.
She offers insights into staying motivated amid unexpected challenges and harnessing the power of a hiking community in keeping her accountable.
As we look ahead to the new year, we discuss how to set meaningful outdoor goals for a year of adventure. Let’s Go!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jessica Bowser (00:01):
From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the
Chesapeake Bay, Virginia is amecca for outdoor travel and
adventure. Virginia outdooradventures Podcast is your local
guide for hiking, camping,kayaking, travel and so much
more. Get the information andthe inspiration to plan your own
adventure right here inVirginia, I'm your host. Jessica
(00:24):
Bowser, it's that time of yearwhen we set intentions for the
future. Will your resolutions beoutdoorsy? Alejandra Villanueva
of the hiking community girlswho hike Virginia, shares the
story of her ambitious pursuitto hike old rag mountain 36
times before the end of 2024 herremarkable journey beautifully
(00:47):
intertwined her love of hikingwith the transformative power of
nature. Alejandra's adventureson old rag are a testament of
resilience and profound selfdiscovery. She offers insights
into staying motivated amidunexpected challenges, and
harnessing the power of a hikingcommunity and keeping her
accountable. As we look ahead tothe New Year, we discuss how to
(01:10):
set meaningful outdoor goals fora year of adventure. Let's go
Virginia Outdoor Adventures issponsored by Virginia state
parks, whether you're after arelaxing picnic or a two week
vacation, leave life's dailypressures behind and reconnect
with nature and family at anearby State Park, you'll find
(01:32):
plenty of programs, events andactivities among 43 parks, plus
1000s of campsites, hundreds ofcabins, More than 500 miles of
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everyone at Virginia stateparks. Discover Your next state
(01:52):
park adventure by clicking onVirginia state parks in the show
notes of your listening app.
Alejandro, welcome to Virginiaoutdoor adventures.
Unknown (02:03):
Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be
here, Jessica. What
Jessica Bowser (02:07):
do you love about Virginia's outdoors?
Unknown (02:09):
So as a new hiker, one of the things I love the most is
how much there is to hike. Everysingle hike I go on, we talk
about, like our favorite hikesand trails, and I always leave
with like, a notepad on my phonefull of new hikes that I've
never heard of, that someonehighly recommends, and it seems
like the list just never ends.
So that's probably my favoritething. That's
Jessica Bowser (02:29):
true, the list really doesn't ever end. I had a
friend once tell me that she didall the hikes in Virginia and
there was nothing left to do,and she was bored. And I was
like, I'm sorry. I don'tunderstand, because there's so
many places to hike, I don'tknow how you could possibly run
out. Yeah,
Unknown (02:44):
I don't, especially there's a little of everything
you have to be willing to travelto. Like I did not. I've lived
in Virginia for 25 years now. Ididn't understand that I could
go seven hours and still be inVirginia. I didn't know that.
Yeah,
Jessica Bowser (02:58):
that's right, especially from Northern
Virginia, like some parts of thestate, are far drive, but it
just means that there's alwayssomething to explore. Yes, what
inspired you to begin hikingsince you're a newbie?
Unknown (03:09):
So this was at the end of, I think it was 2022, I had
spent the entire year trying tohike old ride because I had
hiked it before in my early 20s,and I remember just loving how
it felt. You know, coming out ofthe pandemic, I did not want to
go back to the gym, but I wantedmovement in my life. I was
trying to get back into, like, ahealthy group. I just remember,
like, hiking felt really good,and I had spent all year trying
(03:33):
to hike, and just throughout myfriend groups, was not able to
accomplish it, because theywanted to hike during, like, the
perfect weather and things likethat. And I think all I wanted
to do that year was just hike itonce. But the fact that I wasn't
able to somehow became like,this goal of, like, I want to
hike more. So I remember, I'mbig into New Year's, and I just
(03:55):
wrote down in my new year goalthat I was making hike more. And
I didn't know what that meant,at the time, I had no clue that
I would become an actual, like,avid hiker. I just knew that I
wanted to hike more, and I justwanted to move and be happy
doing movement, and that's whatgot me started into it. So
Jessica Bowser (04:13):
you just mentioned the first time that
you hiked old rag was longbefore you set this goal for
yourself. Do you remember whatthat experience was like? I
mean, it must have had an impacton you if you decided you wanted
to set this big goal foryourself. So
Unknown (04:26):
I first hiked it October of 2013 that was my
first time hiking it. I don'tremember all of it, but I
remember a few parts. The mostimpactful one was, I think this
is probably the moment I fell inlove with hiking. I just didn't
know it. We were going up thefirst two and a half miles,
which is just like the steepincline, and I was going on this
hike with a friend. It was herbirthday, which I did not know
(04:49):
this until I looked it up thatwe went for her birthday. It was
right after my first bigheartbreak. So I was like, you
know, in that grieving state,and it was my first time hiking.
And anything that challenging.
As we were going up and my legswere on fire, my calves were
hurting like I remember lookingat her and being like, oh my
god, this is so painful. I loveit. And I told her that for the
(05:11):
first time, my body was matchingthe way I felt on the inside,
because I was grieving. Andsomething about that, I'm not a
sports person. I've never playedsports. I've never been
athletic, so I had neverexperienced that before. It was
my first time, and I reallyenjoyed it. It was very like
cathartic for me. So I rememberthat. I also remember we made
(05:32):
protein pancakes, and that'swhat we had for food. I also
remember, now looking back onit, that I was not prepared at
all for the hike that I did. Iwore sneakers. I barely had,
like, a water a one little waterbottle with me. Like, now I look
back on it, I'm like, Oh, that'scute. I would never hike it like
that again. But that was thefirst time, and I only hiked it.
(05:54):
I actually looked through myInstagram and I only hiked it
three or four more times in thefollowing two or three years,
and then never hiked it againuntil two three years ago. I
Jessica Bowser (06:08):
can believe that, because I think I first
hiked old rag I don't know, morethan a decade ago at least, and
I was with a group of guyfriends, and my recollection was
that it took all of them to pullme and lift me up through the
rock scramble, because I'mpretty short, like I've got
short arms and legs, and as youknow, there's some challenging
(06:28):
parts in that rock scramble. AndI remember thinking, I don't
know if I would have made itthrough without these guys there
helping me. After that, I kindof had it in my head that I
couldn't hike it by myself, andthat I had to have people with
me who are going to help methrough now, I know now that
that's not necessarily true. Youknow, you do it and you have a
certain recollection of it, andthen it's not until you start to
(06:49):
push yourself on your own thatyou realize you can do it on
your own. Yes, and
Unknown (06:53):
you know, I think my memory blocked the scramble out,
because I have no memory of thescramble that first time. It was
probably very hard a gap thatyou do it towards the end of the
scramble. When I went back fewyears ago, I remember the first
time that I recall doing it, itwas a huge struggle for me. So
I'm like, How did I do it in my20s? Like, I have no clue how I
did it in my early 20s, so Ithink I just blocked it out. And
(07:16):
probably required a lot, a lotof help too, because looking
back with the picture, there wasa group of us, and we did have,
like, several guys with us. So,like, I'm sure they helped us
through it, because I don'tremember, I
Jessica Bowser (07:26):
believe it. And so what was the impetus for
setting a goal to hike old rag36 times? That's a big number
for one year.
Unknown (07:36):
Yes, all right, so there was two parts. A decision
came in two parts. The first onewas and I actually looked it up.
It was May of 2023, I was hikingold rag with a group. As we were
hiking it, we started talkingabout another fellow hiker who
has hiked it over 300 times. Nowshe, at the time, lived near it.
I'd hiked it over 300 times over10 years. So as we were walking
(07:59):
and talking about this. I'm anumbers person, so in my head, I
was like, oh, you know, like, ifshe does, she hikes it like
three times a month. That's like36 a year. That's like 360 in 10
years. I can see how that'sdoable right away. I was like,
Oh, my God, 36 in a year. I'mturning 36 in 2024 and as I'm
(08:19):
like, hiking, and I think ofthis, I'm like, Oh, I have to do
it. I have to, like, the numbersalign perfectly. And this was in
May. So in that moment, I waslike, I can figure out how to do
it by next year, right? Like,how to challenge myself to do
it. So that was the moment whereI was like, came up with the
idea, and then we did the hikeand everything. And then I got
home and I went to the shower.
And when I was in the shower, Iwas like, just brainstorming,
(08:43):
like, the logistics of this,like, can I realistically do
this? And I was already, at thatpoint, hiking three times a
month, so I was like, Okay, nowI'm just hiking the same
mountain three times a month.
Like, no big deal. And Iremember the question that came
up for me was so old rag,especially now in my late 30s,
(09:05):
every time I've hiked itafterwards, I ride this high of
feeling like an absolute badass.
It's very empowering for me. Itchallenges me, not just
physically, but also mentally,even emotionally, at times and
afterwards, when I go back towork on Monday, I can deal with
the world in such a differentway now, like nothing feels as
hard as it did on Friday, right?
(09:28):
I said in the shower. I waslike, what if? What if I could
feel that high for a whole year?
What would that do for me? Whatwould that do for my mental
health, for my healing, for justmy development? And the moment
that question came up, I just, Iwas like, Oh, well, now I have
to do it. I have to answer thatquestion. What would this
challenge do for me? And Iremember, as I'm in the shower,
(09:48):
I shout out to my fiance, Aaron.
I was like, and he had to come.
And I was like, I'm gonna hikegold rack next year, I think 36
times. So I'm gonna need you tosupport me through this. Okay?
Hey,because it's gonna require a
lot. And you said this to himfrom the shower, from the
shower, I just knew, like,at the bowl, rolling right away,
and I knew the first thing youhad to do was let him know,
(10:10):
because this was gonna require alot of time and commitment. And
he knows me. He knows I'm crazylike that. I'll just do things
randomly. And he was like, okay,he just walked away, and that's
that's how it started. That's
Jessica Bowser (10:23):
so funny, you can even wait till you got out
of the shower to tell him yourplans.
Unknown (10:28):
I was very excited, yeah,
Jessica Bowser (10:30):
and I think it's really interesting what
motivated you or what convincedyou that this was a great idea.
Because I think for some folks,and I think this would be true
for me, I'd be wondering, whatelse am I missing out on if I'm
only hiking the same trail overand over again for the entire
year? Like, what about all thoseother trails that I wanted to
try? Or, what about new parks,or new wildlife management
(10:53):
areas, or, you know, new naturalarea preserves? Like, you know,
I would be thinking, Okay, nowI'm committed to this one thing
for a full year and I won't getto do any of his other things.
Did that thought go through yourhead at all?
Unknown (11:05):
Yes and no. Like, as you're saying it right now, I'm
like, I don't think I actually,like, sat down and thought about
it, but as you're saying it, I'mlike, Yeah, I can see that, but
I don't feel that way. So one ofthe reasons why I love bold
drive, like, I think at thispoint I have a relationship with
this mountain. I love it becauseas you drive up to it, you can
clearly see it, like you'repulling up, you're like, five
minutes away from it, and yousee it, and it's massive, and
(11:27):
you can see the boulders, andit's just magnificent there. And
then you drive up to it, and nowyou can't see it anymore, and
you just go into this trail, andas you start hiking it, if you
do this in the winter, you canactually start to see the summit
as you're climbing up, butduring those first two to three
miles, you can't really see whatyou're going to enjoy. At some
point, you just have to trustand keep going. And then you
(11:49):
start to see the fall Summit.
And the fall Summit is justbeautiful, gorgeous. And you're
like, oh my god, this is socool. And a lot of people, when
they get to the fall Summit,they think that's it. And
they're like, I think we madeit. And it's like, oh no, now
you're actually about to go intoa one mile scramble, and it's
Jessica Bowser (12:06):
really hard.
Yeah, there's a lot more leftafter that.
Unknown (12:09):
There's a lot more you're really about to get
started. And to me, there'ssomething about that that just
kind of matches what life islike, right? It's like, we put
in all this work for things, andwe tend to think, like, okay,
cool. I did all the work. I gothere. We saw it. Now it's like,
no, actually, a lot of times inlife, that's when the fun really
begins, and also when the workreally begins. And then you do
(12:31):
all the scramble, and itrequires for you to do things
with your body that you probablydon't do in other hikes, and for
you to face your fears, and, youknow, work with others, and all
these elements that, again, lifealso requires. And then when you
get to the summit, it is juststunning, but you do have to
climb those boulders in order tobe able to get the full 360
degree view, which not everybodydoes when they're at the summit.
(12:53):
And that's also kind of matchingto life. And we all make it, but
we all decide what we do withit. And then the way down, the
way down is longer than the wayup, and that also, I feel like
it matches with life a lot too.
This whole journey of old raghas been very healing for me,
and I've had a lot ofepiphanies. I've had a lot of
moments where I've been maybestruggling with something in
(13:16):
life, and I choose to go to oldrag to work through it as I hike
through it, I just knew that ifI spent the whole year on that
specific mountain, that I wouldnot regret it. There's other
wonderful hikes I've done. Youknow, McAfee knob is one of my
favorite ones, but none of theother hikes that I've done so
far do for me and my soul. Whatold rock does. So yeah, that's
(13:36):
why old York was had to be theone
Jessica Bowser (13:41):
that makes perfect sense to me, especially
as somebody who has hiked oldrag anybody who's been through
the rock scramble and to thefall summit and then beyond the
fall summit to the actual summitand down the fire road, probably
is nodding their head right nowgoing, Yeah, I could, I could
see that. And when you and Ihiked it together. A few weeks
(14:01):
ago, you were describing to meall the different ways in which
you have hiked old rag and Ithought that was so smart,
because you're not doing exactlythe same thing every time.
Sometimes you have differentpeople with you. Sometimes
you're completely by yourself.
Sometimes you were doing sunriseor sunset, and you had ways of
mixing it up so that it wasn'tthe same repetitive thing every
(14:22):
single time. Can you talk alittle bit about that?
Unknown (14:26):
So again, I had a lot of time to plan this, which is
good. When I started thinkingabout it. I was like, All right,
how do I spice this up? BecauseI did. I did hear that, both in
my head and externally fromother people, like, are you
gonna get bored of old guy? AndI was like, I don't think so,
but let's plan for it, just incase. So I knew that I wanted to
do sunrise, I knew that I wantedto do sunset, which, at the time
(14:47):
felt scary, because being in thewoods in the dark wasn't
something I was comfortable withback then. Now I'm very
comfortable, but back then Iwasn't. So I knew that, I knew
that. So I'm part of an organ.
Organization, you know, girlshike Virginia, so I knew that I
wanted to facilitate hikes forwomen who had never hiked it
before. That particular part ofthe goal came out of a
(15:09):
friendship that I have with afamily friend who's in her 60s,
and during 2023 she asked me tohelp her hike cold drag, and I
did so when I had thatexperience with her in 2023 and
I was planning my 2024challenge, I knew that I wanted
to have that feeling again ofhelping someone else conquer
that mountain. Because for somepeople, like my fiance, who grew
(15:31):
up in Vermont, old rug, is not abig deal. They just go do it in
their sneakers, shorts and likethey're good to go. For other
people like me, it is a bigdeal. It's like this big,
monumental thing that you arenot even sure if you can do. And
so I wanted to reach out tothose women in the girls like
Virginia community, and tellthem like, Hey, If this is your
(15:52):
goal, I want to do it with you.
So I knew that I was going to doseveral hikes with them. I also
knew that old rack could be donein different ways. So I learned
to do it from the back way. Ialso gave myself permission to
treat the fall summit as a as asummit, because it is, it's
still a very, you know,challenging hike just to get to
(16:13):
the fall Summit. So I allowedmyself to have that experience
count, and then doing it to theback way is probably one of my
favorite ways of hiking it now.
And I didn't even discover ituntil halfway through the year
that I could do it that way. Youcan actually hike it and
completely avoid the scramble,which I thought was really cool
too, because for some people,that may be the limiting factor,
(16:34):
like the scramble section, andit's like, oh well, you can
actually make it all the way tothe assignment without even
touching the scramble. You'regoing to deal with different
challenges, but you can getthere. So yeah, a lot of that. I
also knew that I wanted to hikeit in different formats, like,
also just to have fun, I did onefor Halloween. I love Halloween.
And I had seen at the timesomewhere on like Instagram,
(16:56):
like the sheet ghost, where youlike, put on a sheet and put on
your sunglasses. So I had thisidea that for for Halloween, I
would want to do a hike with myfriends, and we would all carry
up our sheets and sunglasses sothat we could do, like a photo
shoot at the top. And we did sojust a few different ways of
like, spicing it up and makingit more exciting, just hiking
old drag every time,
Jessica Bowser (17:20):
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of your podcast listening appthat is super fun. And also,
when you and I were at thesummit together, you busted out
this hula hoop. I was like, Whatare you doing? But by the end, I
(19:33):
was absolutely sold on it. Canyou talk about what the hula
hoop is all about?
Unknown (19:39):
So the hula hoop. I've always loved hula hooping. It's
one of those things. So Iimmigrated here from Peru, and
it's one of those things that'sjust been with me my whole life.
I've always been naturally goodat it. I've always kept it with
me, like I've always owned ahula hoop. Now it's like a
workout hula hoop that'sweighted, so not like the
traditional ones, but I'vealways had it. I've always loved
(20:00):
it, and I've gone through myseasons of like, years of not
touching it, and then I doright? It all depends on, like,
where I am in life. And a fewyears ago, I did this group
coaching sessions where the girlwho leads it teaches about
pleasure stacking, and she talksabout, like, when you find
something that you enjoy doing,for example, walking, if you
(20:20):
love walking, how can youpleasure stack on top of that?
Perhaps you also love learning.
So you can make sure you set up,set up like your favorite
podcast the night before, so youcan listen to it. Perhaps you
love photography, so as you'regoing on your walk, you bring
your camera and you search forcool pictures to take. So I took
that, and for me, it's morevalue stacking than pleasure
stacking. That's just that justfeels better for me. And I took
(20:43):
that, and I've been working onthat for years. So when I
started hiking and lovinghiking, I started applying that
mindset to it, and I was like,All right, so if I'm going to
eat on my hike, I'm going to eatsomething that I love eating,
right? If I'm going to havesugar on my hikes, because it
helps with my energy, I'm gonnahave, like, my favorite
chocolate. I'm gonna have, like,I'm gonna make myself chocolate
(21:03):
covered strawberries, and like,really elevate the experience.
And then came the idea of, like,hula hooping. I was like, Well,
I love hula hooping, and I lovehiking. How cool would it be to
hula hoop on summits ofmountains? Why not? And why not
do it while the sun is rising orsetting and do it with your best
friends, and doing it listeningto your favorite song, and it's
(21:24):
just, it's this mindset thatjust allows you to continue just
building and building thehappiness pretty much. So that's
where that came from. The firsttime I did it, I was nervous
because I was like, people aregonna think I'm crazy. But then
I think the first time I did it,I was doing it, and someone came
out of like it was at the summitof old rag, and someone came
(21:45):
out, and it was like, Oh, myGod, I love hula hooping. Can I
borrow it? I was like, yes. Andso they borrowed it. And then
some of the girls that I waswith, they also started doing
it. And I was like, Oh, I'msharing the happiness that this
brings to me with other people.
So now I don't always bring it,but when I do bring it, I take
it out. People end up enjoyingdoing it, and it just spreads
(22:07):
the happiness. So that's wherethe hula hoop comes from.
Jessica Bowser (22:10):
Yeah, that day that you and I were up there, so
it was a holiday weekend, and itwas a fee free day in the park,
so we knew there was going to bea lot of people. And there were,
there were a lot of people atthe summit, and when you pulled
it out, I was really interestedin seeing what the reactions
were going to be. And themajority of the people are so
busy, you know, having their ownmoments, that they're not paying
(22:32):
attention to what you or anybodyelse is doing, right? But there
were people who came up and werelike, can I try that? Or one
woman said to you like shehadn't done it in years and
years, and just wanted to, like,try it again, and she was so
happy when you gave her thathula hoop. And whoever was with
her, I don't know if they werefamily or friends, but, you
know, they're taking pictures,and they're loving it too, and
(22:55):
everybody was so into it. Andyou're right, it was just like,
spreading the happiness. Yeah,because,
Unknown (23:00):
I mean, you're going to be at the summit, typically,
you're going to hang out there,you're going to be eating,
you're going to be takingpictures. So it's like, why not
bring it? I currently live in aspace where, like, I don't have
a lot of space in my house to behula hooping, so I have to take
it outside in order to use it.
Yeah,
Jessica Bowser (23:16):
that was a lot of fun. And then, of course, I
got to try it. I don't thinkI've hula hoop since, like,
elementary school gym class. Ican't remember another time that
I've done it. And I didn't thinkI would be able to, but I picked
it up and it worked. I was like,Holy crap, I'm doing this.
Unknown (23:33):
You are. It feels fun.
It's like, yeah, yeah. So it'sall the whole idea is, like,
movement, you know, it'swhatever feels good to you.
Because I've learned for myself,like, I can't do the gym. Maybe
one day the gym will be fun forme, but it's not today. So
that's why hiking, hula hooping,I recently got myself a little
trampoline. So I'm just like,I'm like, even in order to move,
because I know that I want tomove and it's good for me, it
(23:54):
needs to be thoroughlyenjoyable, otherwise it's not
going to work. No,
Jessica Bowser (23:59):
I totally hear you on that. I feel the same way
about the gym. I mean, I go tothe gym, but I'm not happy to be
there. It's more like somethingthat I'm powering through to get
it over with, because I knowthat it's good for me, and maybe
there's not another option forme that day, but anything that I
can do outside completelychanges the experience. Like
now, I even do my yoga outside,and, you know, in the mornings,
and that is totally differentthan doing it in my living room.
(24:22):
So, yeah, it's like, it changeseverything, and if it gets you
excited to do it, then themotivation will stick too. Yeah.
And another thing you did whilewe were there that I really
loved is you talked about takingoff your shoes so that you could
actually, like, feel the earthunder your feet and connecting
in that moment. And I neverthought to do that. Of all the
(24:44):
years that I've been hiking andspending time outside, like,
Sure, I'll take my shoes off ifI'm at the beach or, you know,
some other special place, but ata summit, like it never occurred
to me to do that. What made youthink to do something like that?
Unknown (24:58):
I went on a hike with a fellow. Ambassador for girls
like Virginia, and she actuallyhosts one of my favorite hike.
Her boyfriend is a geologist. Sothey host geology hikes across
Virginia. And I went on theirold rag geology hike, which was
amazing. But when we were at thesummit, I had already, for some
reason, I've already, I've beeninto grounding, which is, you
(25:20):
know the practice of having yourfeet touch the bare earth for a
while? And I asked her we wereat the summit. I was like, hey,
you know all this likescrambling that we just did with
our bare hands, does that alsodo the same thing as grounding?
And she said, No, it doesn't,because it has to be through
your feet. And I was like, Okay.
And she goes, but you can takeoff your shoes right now. And I
was like, I can't. I was like,Oh yeah, I can. We're gonna hang
(25:42):
out at the summit anyway. Sheexplained to me how, like, even
though you are on top of themountain, you're still grounding
because it's directly connectedto the earth. So I did it for
the first time, and I actuallyended up climbing boulders
barefoot, which was again, asI'm doing and I'm like, What am
I doing? Is this is crazy, butit actually became really,
really fun. Again. It elevatedthe experience. And now I do it
(26:04):
pretty much every time. Ihaven't done it the last few
times because we're in themiddle of winter and it's really
cold, but if the temperature isdecent, I'm taking off my shoes,
and then I spent like, you know,1520 minutes up there, sometimes
hula hooping, well, barefoot,I've gotten some of my friends
to start doing it, too, and whatends up happening is one, you're
grounding, and people can lookup the all the benefits for
(26:27):
that, but when you put back yourshoes, it almost feels like your
feet got like a massage orsomething, and they're not as
tired as they were before, andnow you're ready to go on the
way down. And I've actually alsodone it on the way down in old
rag towards the end, you pass afew little creeks, and we've
done that before in the summer,where we take off our shoes and
(26:47):
go into the creek. That alsofeels fantastic, because you're
right right before the car. Soagain, your feet, if you like
water there, is always going tobe cold. So it's just like,
fantastic. It feels phenomenal.
And then you just walk to yourcar and your feet just feel
really good. Oh,
Jessica Bowser (27:03):
yeah. So you're having a spa experience too,
before you get in your car to gohome. Yes. So what challenges
have you faced in reaching yourgoal? I'm sure there has to be
several. The
Unknown (27:15):
first one that comes to mind is the summer. The Summer
kicked my butt. So I've learnedagain, I've only been avidly
hiking for the last two yearsnow, I've learned that I do not
like hiking in the summer.
Mosquitoes love me, and theticks and all the bugs, and it's
uncomfortable, and there's onlyso much you can do. Your water
doesn't stay as cold as you wantit to be. I need my water to be
(27:37):
ice cold all the time, so I hateit, and I did know that ahead of
time. I knew that summer wasgoing to be rough, so I planned
for it, and I planned on doing alot of sunrise hikes for summer.
But what I didn't understand wasthat I didn't currently have a
good process for sleeping thenight before sunrise, and
(27:58):
actually still don't have a goodprocess, because I did this
yesterday and only slept two anda half hours. As I started going
into summer and planning all thesunrise hikes, I was doing them,
and within, like, a few weeks, Iburnt myself out. I was
exhausted. I had some greatpictures, but like, I just
couldn't do it. So then I gotoverwhelmed with work, just a
(28:20):
bunch of different thingshappen, and I stopped hiking for
like, two months. So then I wasalready a little bit behind,
like the goal of hiking threetimes a month. I think I only
did that for the first twomonths, two three months of the
year, and then, boom, I fellbehind. There were fires that
happened in Shenandoah in March,so those affected my hiking.
Then the summer came andaffected my hiking. Honestly,
(28:42):
just dealing with the stressorsof life, I realized that when
life gets stressed, when workgets stressed, all that stuff
happens, hiking tends to be oneof the first things that I put
on the back shelf. You know,when you're having a hiking
challenge, it's like, reallyhard, because it's like, Oh
wait, no, but it was good.
Actually, the hiking challengemade me be more aware of the
(29:04):
fact that I was putting hikingin the back shelf, and pushed me
to take it out. But yeah, somanaging my scheduled hikes and
having to restructure itwhenever life would happen and
continuing trying to reach the36 that was that was the
challenging part. Was just notbeing able to hike for certain
periods of time, and thenrealizing how behind I was, and
(29:24):
then working on catching up,
Jessica Bowser (29:26):
I'm sure, especially, okay, so you live in
Northern Virginia, and so howlong is the drive for you to get
to old rags like, an hour and ahalf. Yeah,
Unknown (29:33):
it's an hour and 20 minutes, but I always want to
stop and get gas and do all thatstuff. So yeah, hour and a
Jessica Bowser (29:38):
half. Yeah. So I'm sure that just that alone
would be for a lot of people,enough to make them think I'm
not going to bother because I'mgoing to spend three hours in
the car today just to do thishike. So I guess you must have
to factor that in. When you'redeciding to do this. Are you
willing to spend that time goingback and forth as well? Yes,
Unknown (29:58):
the time also, and then the. Ticketing. So, you know,
old rag requires tickets. Ibelieve it's from like March to
November, that when they firststarted with the ticketing
process, I completely, and Istill fully support it, but it
became a struggle for me,because what I realized was,
let's say, I had plans withfriends on a Sunday, so I wasn't
going to hike old rag that day,and then the plans fell through
(30:21):
on that Friday. Well, guesswhat? The tickets are already
sold out, so I can't go hike it.
So that was another issue. Wasthere were days where I could
have gone to hike it that Iwasn't able to because I didn't
have the tickets. So that becamea thing. There were also times
where, like, I would buy ticketsand then not be able to hike it,
but then I learned you couldactually transfer your tickets
to a different date. So that wasgood, because I learned
(30:42):
something about their system.
Yeah, I did get a few ticketsdriving to old rag at the
beginning of the year, and Ialso did have a minor bump in
with a little deer that he didget up and walk away. But that
happened like the tickets andthe deer happened in the first
month of hiking old rag thisyear. And I was like, oh my god,
is this house gonna go? Butthankfully, it didn't. That was
(31:04):
all that I saw that was negativewhen I was driving there. Well,
Jessica Bowser (31:07):
luckily that wasn't enough to make you throw
up your hands and say, forgetit. I'm not doing I mean, did
any at any point? Did you everthink you might not reach your
goal? No,
Unknown (31:17):
because I know myself, and I know that I'm pretty
stubborn, and especially when ithas to do with something where
the world is aware. Like if Ihad done this challenge and no
one had known that I was doingit 100% I would have thrown the
towel probably 10 differenttimes. But I knew that about
myself, so when I was planningmy challenge, I went ahead, and
(31:40):
I was like, Alright, how am Igoing to create accountability
for myself? And let's notpretend we're not who we are,
because we are. So I knew formyself that when it comes to
accountability, I need somebodyelse to be aware of what's
happening. So for me, I madesure, like I was telling
everybody in my life that I wasdoing that also through our
group of girls like Virginia, wehave a Facebook group, and I
(32:01):
went ahead and I posted itthere. When I went on my first
hike of the year, which I did iton the first day of the year, I
posted it, and I was like,here's my first hike of the 36
and I, like, told our 30,000members that I was doing this
challenge. So that made it sothat I had that peer pressure,
and I knew that I was gonna haveto figure out how to do it. I
think around September, I wasreally stressing because I was
(32:24):
really behind on my hikes, but Iknew that I had to do it. I went
on a hike with a friend, adifferent hike, not not old
drag. And I remember her beinglike, oh, what number are you
at? And I was like, I'm reallybehind. I'm at this number. And
she goes like, oh, but that'sokay, you know, if you don't
need it, it's still really coolthat you've hiked it this many
times. And I looked at her, andI was like, no, like, I have to
(32:47):
do it. I have to do it. I willnot. I could not live with
myself. I've told the wholeworld I'm doing this, which to
me, you know, my whole world isthat, that group that I have. I
was like, I cannot. I cannotlive with that shame. It's just
No, I couldn't. It got to thepoint where I was like, All
right, how am I going to dothis? I actually ended up hiking
(33:08):
it one time twice because Ineeded to catch up. That's
Jessica Bowser (33:12):
so crazy. I can't. I still can't believe
that you did it twice in oneday. It
Unknown (33:17):
was not that bad. So as I started at first, old rag used
to be one of those hikes where Iwould do it, and I was going to
the couch the rest of the daylike I was not moving, and I was
so sore for
Jessica Bowser (33:27):
the next few days. I think that's most
people.
Unknown (33:29):
That was neat at first, and then the hike still
challenging for me. But then Irealized, I was like, Oh, I get
home and I'm fine now. I'm notsore at all whatsoever. So then
I was like, I think physically,I'm able to do it. I didn't go
into it blindly. I have hikedbefore. I think the most I've
hiked is 18 miles. So I've donethe mileage before. Now that was
just not, didn't have a scrambleor anything like that, but I
(33:52):
knew that I could do themileage. And then I found a
friend who was crazy enough toattempt it with me, and then we
went ahead and scheduled it out.
And it was really cool. It was areally cool experience. It's
really cool to be able to saythat I did that and actually,
like I was sore the next day andthe day after that. But it
actually did not end up beingthat much harder than doing it.
It was more mentally hard thananything else. Physically, I
(34:14):
think I was fine mentally. I wasquestioning my life decisions to
hold me unique
Jessica Bowser (34:23):
Virginia Outdoor Adventures is inspired by and
supported by listeners like you,which is why your messages and
feedback mean so much to me. Youcan text me directly by clicking
on Send me a text message inyour show notes, I answer
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(34:45):
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adventures.com thanks forlistening until next time.
Adventure on you.
From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the
Chesapeake Bay, Virginia is amecca for outdoor travel and
adventure. Virginia outdooradventures Podcast is your local
guide for hiking, camping,kayaking, travel and so much
more. Get the information andthe inspiration to plan your own
adventure right here inVirginia, I'm your host. Jessica
(00:24):
Bowser, it's that time of yearwhen we set intentions for the
future. Will your resolutions beoutdoorsy? Alejandra Villanueva
of the hiking community girlswho hike Virginia, shares the
story of her ambitious pursuitto hike old rag mountain 36
times before the end of 2024 herremarkable journey beautifully
(00:47):
intertwined her love of hikingwith the transformative power of
nature. Alejandra's adventureson old rag are a testament of
resilience and profound selfdiscovery. She offers insights
into staying motivated amidunexpected challenges, and
harnessing the power of a hikingcommunity and keeping her
accountable. As we look ahead tothe New Year, we discuss how to
(01:10):
set meaningful outdoor goals fora year of adventure. Let's go
Virginia Outdoor Adventures issponsored by Virginia state
parks, whether you're after arelaxing picnic or a two week
vacation, leave life's dailypressures behind and reconnect
with nature and family at anearby State Park, you'll find
(01:32):
plenty of programs, events andactivities among 43 parks, plus
1000s of campsites, hundreds ofcabins, More than 500 miles of
trails and convenient access toVirginia's major waterways, from
Cumberland Gap to the AtlanticOcean. There's something for
everyone at Virginia stateparks. Discover Your next state
(01:52):
park adventure by clicking onVirginia state parks in the show
notes of your listening app.
Alejandro, welcome to Virginiaoutdoor adventures.
Unknown (02:03):
Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be
here, Jessica. What
Jessica Bowser (02:07):
do you love about Virginia's outdoors?
Unknown (02:09):
So as a new hiker, one of the things I love the most is
how much there is to hike. Everysingle hike I go on, we talk
about, like our favorite hikesand trails, and I always leave
with like, a notepad on my phonefull of new hikes that I've
never heard of, that someonehighly recommends, and it seems
like the list just never ends.
So that's probably my favoritething. That's
Jessica Bowser (02:29):
true, the list really doesn't ever end. I had a
friend once tell me that she didall the hikes in Virginia and
there was nothing left to do,and she was bored. And I was
like, I'm sorry. I don'tunderstand, because there's so
many places to hike, I don'tknow how you could possibly run
out. Yeah,
Unknown (02:44):
I don't, especially there's a little of everything
you have to be willing to travelto. Like I did not. I've lived
in Virginia for 25 years now. Ididn't understand that I could
go seven hours and still be inVirginia. I didn't know that.
Yeah,
Jessica Bowser (02:58):
that's right, especially from Northern
Virginia, like some parts of thestate, are far drive, but it
just means that there's alwayssomething to explore. Yes, what
inspired you to begin hikingsince you're a newbie?
Unknown (03:09):
So this was at the end of, I think it was 2022, I had
spent the entire year trying tohike old ride because I had
hiked it before in my early 20s,and I remember just loving how
it felt. You know, coming out ofthe pandemic, I did not want to
go back to the gym, but I wantedmovement in my life. I was
trying to get back into, like, ahealthy group. I just remember,
like, hiking felt really good,and I had spent all year trying
(03:33):
to hike, and just throughout myfriend groups, was not able to
accomplish it, because theywanted to hike during, like, the
perfect weather and things likethat. And I think all I wanted
to do that year was just hike itonce. But the fact that I wasn't
able to somehow became like,this goal of, like, I want to
hike more. So I remember, I'mbig into New Year's, and I just
(03:55):
wrote down in my new year goalthat I was making hike more. And
I didn't know what that meant,at the time, I had no clue that
I would become an actual, like,avid hiker. I just knew that I
wanted to hike more, and I justwanted to move and be happy
doing movement, and that's whatgot me started into it. So
Jessica Bowser (04:13):
you just mentioned the first time that
you hiked old rag was longbefore you set this goal for
yourself. Do you remember whatthat experience was like? I
mean, it must have had an impacton you if you decided you wanted
to set this big goal foryourself. So
Unknown (04:26):
I first hiked it October of 2013 that was my
first time hiking it. I don'tremember all of it, but I
remember a few parts. The mostimpactful one was, I think this
is probably the moment I fell inlove with hiking. I just didn't
know it. We were going up thefirst two and a half miles,
which is just like the steepincline, and I was going on this
hike with a friend. It was herbirthday, which I did not know
(04:49):
this until I looked it up thatwe went for her birthday. It was
right after my first bigheartbreak. So I was like, you
know, in that grieving state,and it was my first time hiking.
And anything that challenging.
As we were going up and my legswere on fire, my calves were
hurting like I remember lookingat her and being like, oh my
god, this is so painful. I loveit. And I told her that for the
(05:11):
first time, my body was matchingthe way I felt on the inside,
because I was grieving. Andsomething about that, I'm not a
sports person. I've never playedsports. I've never been
athletic, so I had neverexperienced that before. It was
my first time, and I reallyenjoyed it. It was very like
cathartic for me. So I rememberthat. I also remember we made
(05:32):
protein pancakes, and that'swhat we had for food. I also
remember, now looking back onit, that I was not prepared at
all for the hike that I did. Iwore sneakers. I barely had,
like, a water a one little waterbottle with me. Like, now I look
back on it, I'm like, Oh, that'scute. I would never hike it like
that again. But that was thefirst time, and I only hiked it.
(05:54):
I actually looked through myInstagram and I only hiked it
three or four more times in thefollowing two or three years,
and then never hiked it againuntil two three years ago. I
Jessica Bowser (06:08):
can believe that, because I think I first
hiked old rag I don't know, morethan a decade ago at least, and
I was with a group of guyfriends, and my recollection was
that it took all of them to pullme and lift me up through the
rock scramble, because I'mpretty short, like I've got
short arms and legs, and as youknow, there's some challenging
(06:28):
parts in that rock scramble. AndI remember thinking, I don't
know if I would have made itthrough without these guys there
helping me. After that, I kindof had it in my head that I
couldn't hike it by myself, andthat I had to have people with
me who are going to help methrough now, I know now that
that's not necessarily true. Youknow, you do it and you have a
certain recollection of it, andthen it's not until you start to
(06:49):
push yourself on your own thatyou realize you can do it on
your own. Yes, and
Unknown (06:53):
you know, I think my memory blocked the scramble out,
because I have no memory of thescramble that first time. It was
probably very hard a gap thatyou do it towards the end of the
scramble. When I went back fewyears ago, I remember the first
time that I recall doing it, itwas a huge struggle for me. So
I'm like, How did I do it in my20s? Like, I have no clue how I
did it in my early 20s, so Ithink I just blocked it out. And
(07:16):
probably required a lot, a lotof help too, because looking
back with the picture, there wasa group of us, and we did have,
like, several guys with us. So,like, I'm sure they helped us
through it, because I don'tremember, I
Jessica Bowser (07:26):
believe it. And so what was the impetus for
setting a goal to hike old rag36 times? That's a big number
for one year.
Unknown (07:36):
Yes, all right, so there was two parts. A decision
came in two parts. The first onewas and I actually looked it up.
It was May of 2023, I was hikingold rag with a group. As we were
hiking it, we started talkingabout another fellow hiker who
has hiked it over 300 times. Nowshe, at the time, lived near it.
I'd hiked it over 300 times over10 years. So as we were walking
(07:59):
and talking about this. I'm anumbers person, so in my head, I
was like, oh, you know, like, ifshe does, she hikes it like
three times a month. That's like36 a year. That's like 360 in 10
years. I can see how that'sdoable right away. I was like,
Oh, my God, 36 in a year. I'mturning 36 in 2024 and as I'm
(08:19):
like, hiking, and I think ofthis, I'm like, Oh, I have to do
it. I have to, like, the numbersalign perfectly. And this was in
May. So in that moment, I waslike, I can figure out how to do
it by next year, right? Like,how to challenge myself to do
it. So that was the moment whereI was like, came up with the
idea, and then we did the hikeand everything. And then I got
home and I went to the shower.
And when I was in the shower, Iwas like, just brainstorming,
(08:43):
like, the logistics of this,like, can I realistically do
this? And I was already, at thatpoint, hiking three times a
month, so I was like, Okay, nowI'm just hiking the same
mountain three times a month.
Like, no big deal. And Iremember the question that came
up for me was so old rag,especially now in my late 30s,
(09:05):
every time I've hiked itafterwards, I ride this high of
feeling like an absolute badass.
It's very empowering for me. Itchallenges me, not just
physically, but also mentally,even emotionally, at times and
afterwards, when I go back towork on Monday, I can deal with
the world in such a differentway now, like nothing feels as
hard as it did on Friday, right?
(09:28):
I said in the shower. I waslike, what if? What if I could
feel that high for a whole year?
What would that do for me? Whatwould that do for my mental
health, for my healing, for justmy development? And the moment
that question came up, I just, Iwas like, Oh, well, now I have
to do it. I have to answer thatquestion. What would this
challenge do for me? And Iremember, as I'm in the shower,
(09:48):
I shout out to my fiance, Aaron.
I was like, and he had to come.
And I was like, I'm gonna hikegold rack next year, I think 36
times. So I'm gonna need you tosupport me through this. Okay?
Hey,because it's gonna require a
lot. And you said this to himfrom the shower, from the
shower, I just knew, like,at the bowl, rolling right away,
and I knew the first thing youhad to do was let him know,
(10:10):
because this was gonna require alot of time and commitment. And
he knows me. He knows I'm crazylike that. I'll just do things
randomly. And he was like, okay,he just walked away, and that's
that's how it started. That's
Jessica Bowser (10:23):
so funny, you can even wait till you got out
of the shower to tell him yourplans.
Unknown (10:28):
I was very excited, yeah,
Jessica Bowser (10:30):
and I think it's really interesting what
motivated you or what convincedyou that this was a great idea.
Because I think for some folks,and I think this would be true
for me, I'd be wondering, whatelse am I missing out on if I'm
only hiking the same trail overand over again for the entire
year? Like, what about all thoseother trails that I wanted to
try? Or, what about new parks,or new wildlife management
(10:53):
areas, or, you know, new naturalarea preserves? Like, you know,
I would be thinking, Okay, nowI'm committed to this one thing
for a full year and I won't getto do any of his other things.
Did that thought go through yourhead at all?
Unknown (11:05):
Yes and no. Like, as you're saying it right now, I'm
like, I don't think I actually,like, sat down and thought about
it, but as you're saying it, I'mlike, Yeah, I can see that, but
I don't feel that way. So one ofthe reasons why I love bold
drive, like, I think at thispoint I have a relationship with
this mountain. I love it becauseas you drive up to it, you can
clearly see it, like you'repulling up, you're like, five
minutes away from it, and yousee it, and it's massive, and
(11:27):
you can see the boulders, andit's just magnificent there. And
then you drive up to it, and nowyou can't see it anymore, and
you just go into this trail, andas you start hiking it, if you
do this in the winter, you canactually start to see the summit
as you're climbing up, butduring those first two to three
miles, you can't really see whatyou're going to enjoy. At some
point, you just have to trustand keep going. And then you
(11:49):
start to see the fall Summit.
And the fall Summit is justbeautiful, gorgeous. And you're
like, oh my god, this is socool. And a lot of people, when
they get to the fall Summit,they think that's it. And
they're like, I think we madeit. And it's like, oh no, now
you're actually about to go intoa one mile scramble, and it's
Jessica Bowser (12:06):
really hard.
Yeah, there's a lot more leftafter that.
Unknown (12:09):
There's a lot more you're really about to get
started. And to me, there'ssomething about that that just
kind of matches what life islike, right? It's like, we put
in all this work for things, andwe tend to think, like, okay,
cool. I did all the work. I gothere. We saw it. Now it's like,
no, actually, a lot of times inlife, that's when the fun really
begins, and also when the workreally begins. And then you do
(12:31):
all the scramble, and itrequires for you to do things
with your body that you probablydon't do in other hikes, and for
you to face your fears, and, youknow, work with others, and all
these elements that, again, lifealso requires. And then when you
get to the summit, it is juststunning, but you do have to
climb those boulders in order tobe able to get the full 360
degree view, which not everybodydoes when they're at the summit.
(12:53):
And that's also kind of matchingto life. And we all make it, but
we all decide what we do withit. And then the way down, the
way down is longer than the wayup, and that also, I feel like
it matches with life a lot too.
This whole journey of old raghas been very healing for me,
and I've had a lot ofepiphanies. I've had a lot of
moments where I've been maybestruggling with something in
(13:16):
life, and I choose to go to oldrag to work through it as I hike
through it, I just knew that ifI spent the whole year on that
specific mountain, that I wouldnot regret it. There's other
wonderful hikes I've done. Youknow, McAfee knob is one of my
favorite ones, but none of theother hikes that I've done so
far do for me and my soul. Whatold rock does. So yeah, that's
(13:36):
why old York was had to be theone
Jessica Bowser (13:41):
that makes perfect sense to me, especially
as somebody who has hiked oldrag anybody who's been through
the rock scramble and to thefall summit and then beyond the
fall summit to the actual summitand down the fire road, probably
is nodding their head right nowgoing, Yeah, I could, I could
see that. And when you and Ihiked it together. A few weeks
(14:01):
ago, you were describing to meall the different ways in which
you have hiked old rag and Ithought that was so smart,
because you're not doing exactlythe same thing every time.
Sometimes you have differentpeople with you. Sometimes
you're completely by yourself.
Sometimes you were doing sunriseor sunset, and you had ways of
mixing it up so that it wasn'tthe same repetitive thing every
(14:22):
single time. Can you talk alittle bit about that?
Unknown (14:26):
So again, I had a lot of time to plan this, which is
good. When I started thinkingabout it. I was like, All right,
how do I spice this up? BecauseI did. I did hear that, both in
my head and externally fromother people, like, are you
gonna get bored of old guy? AndI was like, I don't think so,
but let's plan for it, just incase. So I knew that I wanted to
do sunrise, I knew that I wantedto do sunset, which, at the time
(14:47):
felt scary, because being in thewoods in the dark wasn't
something I was comfortable withback then. Now I'm very
comfortable, but back then Iwasn't. So I knew that, I knew
that. So I'm part of an organ.
Organization, you know, girlshike Virginia, so I knew that I
wanted to facilitate hikes forwomen who had never hiked it
before. That particular part ofthe goal came out of a
(15:09):
friendship that I have with afamily friend who's in her 60s,
and during 2023 she asked me tohelp her hike cold drag, and I
did so when I had thatexperience with her in 2023 and
I was planning my 2024challenge, I knew that I wanted
to have that feeling again ofhelping someone else conquer
that mountain. Because for somepeople, like my fiance, who grew
(15:31):
up in Vermont, old rug, is not abig deal. They just go do it in
their sneakers, shorts and likethey're good to go. For other
people like me, it is a bigdeal. It's like this big,
monumental thing that you arenot even sure if you can do. And
so I wanted to reach out tothose women in the girls like
Virginia community, and tellthem like, Hey, If this is your
(15:52):
goal, I want to do it with you.
So I knew that I was going to doseveral hikes with them. I also
knew that old rack could be donein different ways. So I learned
to do it from the back way. Ialso gave myself permission to
treat the fall summit as a as asummit, because it is, it's
still a very, you know,challenging hike just to get to
(16:13):
the fall Summit. So I allowedmyself to have that experience
count, and then doing it to theback way is probably one of my
favorite ways of hiking it now.
And I didn't even discover ituntil halfway through the year
that I could do it that way. Youcan actually hike it and
completely avoid the scramble,which I thought was really cool
too, because for some people,that may be the limiting factor,
(16:34):
like the scramble section, andit's like, oh well, you can
actually make it all the way tothe assignment without even
touching the scramble. You'regoing to deal with different
challenges, but you can getthere. So yeah, a lot of that. I
also knew that I wanted to hikeit in different formats, like,
also just to have fun, I did onefor Halloween. I love Halloween.
And I had seen at the timesomewhere on like Instagram,
(16:56):
like the sheet ghost, where youlike, put on a sheet and put on
your sunglasses. So I had thisidea that for for Halloween, I
would want to do a hike with myfriends, and we would all carry
up our sheets and sunglasses sothat we could do, like a photo
shoot at the top. And we did sojust a few different ways of
like, spicing it up and makingit more exciting, just hiking
old drag every time,
Jessica Bowser (17:20):
adventure seekers will find endless
opportunities in Grayson County,where many of Virginia's iconic
trails and landmarks excitehikers, cyclists, paddlers and
happy campers alike. Imaginethis. You're hiking on one of
the most scenic sections of theentire Appalachian Trail through
the George Washington andJefferson National Forests,
(17:41):
summiting mount Rogers or whitetop mountain, the two highest
peaks in Virginia, or strollingthrough the valley of elk
garden, where the now extinctEastern elk once roamed. Or
maybe your perfect day is on thewater. Grayson County is home to
the New River, one of the oldestand most scenic rivers in the
world. Enjoy a leisurely classone float with the family or
(18:02):
adrenaline packed class threerapids. Navigate the waters
using the New River floatcalculator to plan your trip.
The app factors flow rate, waterlevels, weather conditions,
vessel type and more tocalculate flow times from point
A to point B. Prefer two wheels.
You won't want to miss the graceand gravel traverse a 72 mile
mixed surface gravel bike routethat connects the Virginia
(18:26):
Creeper trail and new rivertrail over well maintained and
remote roads featuring a varietyof challenging climbs in the
foothills of Virginia's highestpeaks. This overlooked gem of
Virginia presents some of thebest gravel cycling in the
state, mostly unwritten andundiscovered after a day of
adventure, there's nothing likegathering around a campfire
(18:48):
under a sky filled with stars.
Grayson County offers plenty ofspots to pitch a tent like the
New River campground or cozy upin a rusted cabin at the buck
wild reserve. Discover whyVirginia is for outdoor lovers.
Start your Grayson Countyadventure at the historic 1908
courthouse and visitor center,or access the visitors guide
(19:12):
online by clicking on visitGrayson County in the show notes
of your podcast listening appthat is super fun. And also,
when you and I were at thesummit together, you busted out
this hula hoop. I was like, Whatare you doing? But by the end, I
(19:33):
was absolutely sold on it. Canyou talk about what the hula
hoop is all about?
Unknown (19:39):
So the hula hoop. I've always loved hula hooping. It's
one of those things. So Iimmigrated here from Peru, and
it's one of those things that'sjust been with me my whole life.
I've always been naturally goodat it. I've always kept it with
me, like I've always owned ahula hoop. Now it's like a
workout hula hoop that'sweighted, so not like the
traditional ones, but I'vealways had it. I've always loved
(20:00):
it, and I've gone through myseasons of like, years of not
touching it, and then I doright? It all depends on, like,
where I am in life. And a fewyears ago, I did this group
coaching sessions where the girlwho leads it teaches about
pleasure stacking, and she talksabout, like, when you find
something that you enjoy doing,for example, walking, if you
(20:20):
love walking, how can youpleasure stack on top of that?
Perhaps you also love learning.
So you can make sure you set up,set up like your favorite
podcast the night before, so youcan listen to it. Perhaps you
love photography, so as you'regoing on your walk, you bring
your camera and you search forcool pictures to take. So I took
that, and for me, it's morevalue stacking than pleasure
stacking. That's just that justfeels better for me. And I took
(20:43):
that, and I've been working onthat for years. So when I
started hiking and lovinghiking, I started applying that
mindset to it, and I was like,All right, so if I'm going to
eat on my hike, I'm going to eatsomething that I love eating,
right? If I'm going to havesugar on my hikes, because it
helps with my energy, I'm gonnahave, like, my favorite
chocolate. I'm gonna have, like,I'm gonna make myself chocolate
(21:03):
covered strawberries, and like,really elevate the experience.
And then came the idea of, like,hula hooping. I was like, Well,
I love hula hooping, and I lovehiking. How cool would it be to
hula hoop on summits ofmountains? Why not? And why not
do it while the sun is rising orsetting and do it with your best
friends, and doing it listeningto your favorite song, and it's
(21:24):
just, it's this mindset thatjust allows you to continue just
building and building thehappiness pretty much. So that's
where that came from. The firsttime I did it, I was nervous
because I was like, people aregonna think I'm crazy. But then
I think the first time I did it,I was doing it, and someone came
out of like it was at the summitof old rag, and someone came
(21:45):
out, and it was like, Oh, myGod, I love hula hooping. Can I
borrow it? I was like, yes. Andso they borrowed it. And then
some of the girls that I waswith, they also started doing
it. And I was like, Oh, I'msharing the happiness that this
brings to me with other people.
So now I don't always bring it,but when I do bring it, I take
it out. People end up enjoyingdoing it, and it just spreads
(22:07):
the happiness. So that's wherethe hula hoop comes from.
Jessica Bowser (22:10):
Yeah, that day that you and I were up there, so
it was a holiday weekend, and itwas a fee free day in the park,
so we knew there was going to bea lot of people. And there were,
there were a lot of people atthe summit, and when you pulled
it out, I was really interestedin seeing what the reactions
were going to be. And themajority of the people are so
busy, you know, having their ownmoments, that they're not paying
(22:32):
attention to what you or anybodyelse is doing, right? But there
were people who came up and werelike, can I try that? Or one
woman said to you like shehadn't done it in years and
years, and just wanted to, like,try it again, and she was so
happy when you gave her thathula hoop. And whoever was with
her, I don't know if they werefamily or friends, but, you
know, they're taking pictures,and they're loving it too, and
(22:55):
everybody was so into it. Andyou're right, it was just like,
spreading the happiness. Yeah,because,
Unknown (23:00):
I mean, you're going to be at the summit, typically,
you're going to hang out there,you're going to be eating,
you're going to be takingpictures. So it's like, why not
bring it? I currently live in aspace where, like, I don't have
a lot of space in my house to behula hooping, so I have to take
it outside in order to use it.
Yeah,
Jessica Bowser (23:16):
that was a lot of fun. And then, of course, I
got to try it. I don't thinkI've hula hoop since, like,
elementary school gym class. Ican't remember another time that
I've done it. And I didn't thinkI would be able to, but I picked
it up and it worked. I was like,Holy crap, I'm doing this.
Unknown (23:33):
You are. It feels fun.
It's like, yeah, yeah. So it'sall the whole idea is, like,
movement, you know, it'swhatever feels good to you.
Because I've learned for myself,like, I can't do the gym. Maybe
one day the gym will be fun forme, but it's not today. So
that's why hiking, hula hooping,I recently got myself a little
trampoline. So I'm just like,I'm like, even in order to move,
because I know that I want tomove and it's good for me, it
(23:54):
needs to be thoroughlyenjoyable, otherwise it's not
going to work. No,
Jessica Bowser (23:59):
I totally hear you on that. I feel the same way
about the gym. I mean, I go tothe gym, but I'm not happy to be
there. It's more like somethingthat I'm powering through to get
it over with, because I knowthat it's good for me, and maybe
there's not another option forme that day, but anything that I
can do outside completelychanges the experience. Like
now, I even do my yoga outside,and, you know, in the mornings,
and that is totally differentthan doing it in my living room.
(24:22):
So, yeah, it's like, it changeseverything, and if it gets you
excited to do it, then themotivation will stick too. Yeah.
And another thing you did whilewe were there that I really
loved is you talked about takingoff your shoes so that you could
actually, like, feel the earthunder your feet and connecting
in that moment. And I neverthought to do that. Of all the
(24:44):
years that I've been hiking andspending time outside, like,
Sure, I'll take my shoes off ifI'm at the beach or, you know,
some other special place, but ata summit, like it never occurred
to me to do that. What made youthink to do something like that?
Unknown (24:58):
I went on a hike with a fellow. Ambassador for girls
like Virginia, and she actuallyhosts one of my favorite hike.
Her boyfriend is a geologist. Sothey host geology hikes across
Virginia. And I went on theirold rag geology hike, which was
amazing. But when we were at thesummit, I had already, for some
reason, I've already, I've beeninto grounding, which is, you
(25:20):
know the practice of having yourfeet touch the bare earth for a
while? And I asked her we wereat the summit. I was like, hey,
you know all this likescrambling that we just did with
our bare hands, does that alsodo the same thing as grounding?
And she said, No, it doesn't,because it has to be through
your feet. And I was like, Okay.
And she goes, but you can takeoff your shoes right now. And I
was like, I can't. I was like,Oh yeah, I can. We're gonna hang
(25:42):
out at the summit anyway. Sheexplained to me how, like, even
though you are on top of themountain, you're still grounding
because it's directly connectedto the earth. So I did it for
the first time, and I actuallyended up climbing boulders
barefoot, which was again, asI'm doing and I'm like, What am
I doing? Is this is crazy, butit actually became really,
really fun. Again. It elevatedthe experience. And now I do it
(26:04):
pretty much every time. Ihaven't done it the last few
times because we're in themiddle of winter and it's really
cold, but if the temperature isdecent, I'm taking off my shoes,
and then I spent like, you know,1520 minutes up there, sometimes
hula hooping, well, barefoot,I've gotten some of my friends
to start doing it, too, and whatends up happening is one, you're
grounding, and people can lookup the all the benefits for
(26:27):
that, but when you put back yourshoes, it almost feels like your
feet got like a massage orsomething, and they're not as
tired as they were before, andnow you're ready to go on the
way down. And I've actually alsodone it on the way down in old
rag towards the end, you pass afew little creeks, and we've
done that before in the summer,where we take off our shoes and
(26:47):
go into the creek. That alsofeels fantastic, because you're
right right before the car. Soagain, your feet, if you like
water there, is always going tobe cold. So it's just like,
fantastic. It feels phenomenal.
And then you just walk to yourcar and your feet just feel
really good. Oh,
Jessica Bowser (27:03):
yeah. So you're having a spa experience too,
before you get in your car to gohome. Yes. So what challenges
have you faced in reaching yourgoal? I'm sure there has to be
several. The
Unknown (27:15):
first one that comes to mind is the summer. The Summer
kicked my butt. So I've learnedagain, I've only been avidly
hiking for the last two yearsnow, I've learned that I do not
like hiking in the summer.
Mosquitoes love me, and theticks and all the bugs, and it's
uncomfortable, and there's onlyso much you can do. Your water
doesn't stay as cold as you wantit to be. I need my water to be
(27:37):
ice cold all the time, so I hateit, and I did know that ahead of
time. I knew that summer wasgoing to be rough, so I planned
for it, and I planned on doing alot of sunrise hikes for summer.
But what I didn't understand wasthat I didn't currently have a
good process for sleeping thenight before sunrise, and
(27:58):
actually still don't have a goodprocess, because I did this
yesterday and only slept two anda half hours. As I started going
into summer and planning all thesunrise hikes, I was doing them,
and within, like, a few weeks, Iburnt myself out. I was
exhausted. I had some greatpictures, but like, I just
couldn't do it. So then I gotoverwhelmed with work, just a
(28:20):
bunch of different thingshappen, and I stopped hiking for
like, two months. So then I wasalready a little bit behind,
like the goal of hiking threetimes a month. I think I only
did that for the first twomonths, two three months of the
year, and then, boom, I fellbehind. There were fires that
happened in Shenandoah in March,so those affected my hiking.
Then the summer came andaffected my hiking. Honestly,
(28:42):
just dealing with the stressorsof life, I realized that when
life gets stressed, when workgets stressed, all that stuff
happens, hiking tends to be oneof the first things that I put
on the back shelf. You know,when you're having a hiking
challenge, it's like, reallyhard, because it's like, Oh
wait, no, but it was good.
Actually, the hiking challengemade me be more aware of the
(29:04):
fact that I was putting hikingin the back shelf, and pushed me
to take it out. But yeah, somanaging my scheduled hikes and
having to restructure itwhenever life would happen and
continuing trying to reach the36 that was that was the
challenging part. Was just notbeing able to hike for certain
periods of time, and thenrealizing how behind I was, and
(29:24):
then working on catching up,
Jessica Bowser (29:26):
I'm sure, especially, okay, so you live in
Northern Virginia, and so howlong is the drive for you to get
to old rags like, an hour and ahalf. Yeah,
Unknown (29:33):
it's an hour and 20 minutes, but I always want to
stop and get gas and do all thatstuff. So yeah, hour and a
Jessica Bowser (29:38):
half. Yeah. So I'm sure that just that alone
would be for a lot of people,enough to make them think I'm
not going to bother because I'mgoing to spend three hours in
the car today just to do thishike. So I guess you must have
to factor that in. When you'redeciding to do this. Are you
willing to spend that time goingback and forth as well? Yes,
Unknown (29:58):
the time also, and then the. Ticketing. So, you know,
old rag requires tickets. Ibelieve it's from like March to
November, that when they firststarted with the ticketing
process, I completely, and Istill fully support it, but it
became a struggle for me,because what I realized was,
let's say, I had plans withfriends on a Sunday, so I wasn't
going to hike old rag that day,and then the plans fell through
(30:21):
on that Friday. Well, guesswhat? The tickets are already
sold out, so I can't go hike it.
So that was another issue. Wasthere were days where I could
have gone to hike it that Iwasn't able to because I didn't
have the tickets. So that becamea thing. There were also times
where, like, I would buy ticketsand then not be able to hike it,
but then I learned you couldactually transfer your tickets
to a different date. So that wasgood, because I learned
(30:42):
something about their system.
Yeah, I did get a few ticketsdriving to old rag at the
beginning of the year, and Ialso did have a minor bump in
with a little deer that he didget up and walk away. But that
happened like the tickets andthe deer happened in the first
month of hiking old rag thisyear. And I was like, oh my god,
is this house gonna go? Butthankfully, it didn't. That was
(31:04):
all that I saw that was negativewhen I was driving there. Well,
Jessica Bowser (31:07):
luckily that wasn't enough to make you throw
up your hands and say, forgetit. I'm not doing I mean, did
any at any point? Did you everthink you might not reach your
goal? No,
Unknown (31:17):
because I know myself, and I know that I'm pretty
stubborn, and especially when ithas to do with something where
the world is aware. Like if Ihad done this challenge and no
one had known that I was doingit 100% I would have thrown the
towel probably 10 differenttimes. But I knew that about
myself, so when I was planningmy challenge, I went ahead, and
(31:40):
I was like, Alright, how am Igoing to create accountability
for myself? And let's notpretend we're not who we are,
because we are. So I knew formyself that when it comes to
accountability, I need somebodyelse to be aware of what's
happening. So for me, I madesure, like I was telling
everybody in my life that I wasdoing that also through our
group of girls like Virginia, wehave a Facebook group, and I
(32:01):
went ahead and I posted itthere. When I went on my first
hike of the year, which I did iton the first day of the year, I
posted it, and I was like,here's my first hike of the 36
and I, like, told our 30,000members that I was doing this
challenge. So that made it sothat I had that peer pressure,
and I knew that I was gonna haveto figure out how to do it. I
think around September, I wasreally stressing because I was
(32:24):
really behind on my hikes, but Iknew that I had to do it. I went
on a hike with a friend, adifferent hike, not not old
drag. And I remember her beinglike, oh, what number are you
at? And I was like, I'm reallybehind. I'm at this number. And
she goes like, oh, but that'sokay, you know, if you don't
need it, it's still really coolthat you've hiked it this many
times. And I looked at her, andI was like, no, like, I have to
(32:47):
do it. I have to do it. I willnot. I could not live with
myself. I've told the wholeworld I'm doing this, which to
me, you know, my whole world isthat, that group that I have. I
was like, I cannot. I cannotlive with that shame. It's just
No, I couldn't. It got to thepoint where I was like, All
right, how am I going to dothis? I actually ended up hiking
(33:08):
it one time twice because Ineeded to catch up. That's
Jessica Bowser (33:12):
so crazy. I can't. I still can't believe
that you did it twice in oneday. It
Unknown (33:17):
was not that bad. So as I started at first, old rag used
to be one of those hikes where Iwould do it, and I was going to
the couch the rest of the daylike I was not moving, and I was
so sore for
Jessica Bowser (33:27):
the next few days. I think that's most
people.
Unknown (33:29):
That was neat at first, and then the hike still
challenging for me. But then Irealized, I was like, Oh, I get
home and I'm fine now. I'm notsore at all whatsoever. So then
I was like, I think physically,I'm able to do it. I didn't go
into it blindly. I have hikedbefore. I think the most I've
hiked is 18 miles. So I've donethe mileage before. Now that was
just not, didn't have a scrambleor anything like that, but I
(33:52):
knew that I could do themileage. And then I found a
friend who was crazy enough toattempt it with me, and then we
went ahead and scheduled it out.
And it was really cool. It was areally cool experience. It's
really cool to be able to saythat I did that and actually,
like I was sore the next day andthe day after that. But it
actually did not end up beingthat much harder than doing it.
It was more mentally hard thananything else. Physically, I
(34:14):
think I was fine mentally. I wasquestioning my life decisions to
hold me unique
Jessica Bowser (34:23):
Virginia Outdoor Adventures is inspired by and
supported by listeners like you,which is why your messages and
feedback mean so much to me. Youcan text me directly by clicking
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(34:45):
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