15 Reasons I’m Excited to Hike the John Muir Trail

I’m roughly one week away from hiking the John Muir Trail as I sit down to write this blog post, and I’m filled with all kinds of excitement, nervousness, and anticipation for our big JMT thru hike.

This trip has been written in my destiny for so long now. It was set in stone the moment I first fell in love with the outdoors. The moment I finished my first backpacking trip on the Half Dome Trail at age 23.

I knew I’d come back. I knew I’d hike the whole thing. I was reborn in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and hiking the John Muir Trail seemed like the most intimate way to get to know one of my favorite places in the world... to pay respects to the place that gave me new life and set me on the path of becoming a backpacking coach to women around the world.

However, at 23, only one backpacking trip in I knew I still had a long way to go before I’d be able to thru-hike the entire John Muir Trail. I also still worked a 9-5 job as an engineer and taking off 3-weeks for hiking was really hard to pull off at the time. 

But I knew one day I would do it.

Then as 2020 rolled around, and Michael and I were considering our plans for the year (now our own bosses, and living our dream of traveling full time), I realized that 2020 was the year I’d hike the John Muir Trail. So we snagged John Muir Trail permits and started making plans.

So here I am, 7 years later, now age 30 with many, many backpacking trips under my belt, feeling so ready for this 3-week sabbatical into the mountains that shaped me into the woman I am today.

20 Reasons I’m Excited to Hike the John Muir Trail

So, before I officially hit the trail, I wanted to share with you my top reasons for being excited to hike the JMT. These are largely personal reasons, and I hope you enjoy getting to see a little bit more into my world, what drives me, and what I’m passionate about. 

You can also learn more about me on my “About Allison” page.

Many of these reasons below relate to each other, but I’ve broken them out for more clarity.

1. TO TAKE A BREAK FROM ALL THE NOISE

2020 has been crazy. It’s been filled with uncertainty, big changes, (needed) radical change, and tons and tons of voices. This has been a year of long pauses, awakening, challenges, growth and big changes. I’ve been here for it all, soaking it all in, and feeling all the feels. Overall it has been beautiful to watch (despite the challenges), and I think so many good things are going to come from this year... so much needed change.

But I also have had a hard time really listening to my own internal compass and voice this year. I’ve been feeling so reactive and sometimes emotional, that I’m really excited to have a few weeks of true pause from all the voices so that I can tap into my own.

I won’t have social media. I won’t be connected to the news. It’ll just be me, my thoughts, Michael, and the trail. I expect it’ll be just what I need.

2. TO TAKE A VACATION FROM MY BUSINESS

I started building my business, She Dreams of Alpine (SDA), in late 2017, and at first, I only had the blog (what you’re reading right now).

For the first year and a half I built my business in the fringe hours of my full-time job as an engineer. I’d spend my Monday and Wednesday evenings and weekends religiously at the coffee shop after my full time job ended and I’d work another 5-6 hours on She Dreams of Alpine. I’d clock in roughly an extra 30 hours a week on the side of my full-time job. I did this for roughly a year and a half.

What drove me? A dream.

A dream of location independence, time freedom, and sharing my love for the outdoors and backpacking with other women out there. I also wanted to create a space in the outdoors for the “misfits” out there. Those of us who didn’t necessarily grow up in the outdoors, but have this desire to be adventurous, strong, and live life on our own terms and without regrets.

I had a vision of taking this thing full time, and quitting my engineering job, and I had a laser focus on what I wanted, who I wanted to serve, and what I wanted to create. Everything else took a back seat.

Then in April 2019 Michael and I hit the road full time (after saving up for a year-off to travel), with SDA as my full-time job. A pinch-me moment for sure, but like with all big leaps of faith it came with its own slew of fears, doubts, and growing pains.

Around the same time, I also launched my brand-new backpacking coaching program, Become an Outdoor Backpacking Badass, because I wanted to help other women REALLY step into their own power outdoors and feel confident and self-sufficient on the trails... and in charge of their adventure futures. And I wanted to help them do it FAST so they could get busy living their dream. It was the best thing I’ve ever created. Still is.

I was a team of one. I was CEO, CFO, CMO, coach, customer service, social media manager, visionary... all the things.

Later in 2019, I hired my first assistant to help me with the load and to help me with my mission to empower women all over the world. Fast forward to today and that team is now 2, a small but mighty team of women who help me sit more in my zone of genius so I can show up and be a better coach for my students in the Backpacking Badass Program, and to make that program the best backpacking program out there!

And now, for the FIRST time in 3+ years, I’m taking a LEGIT vacation y’all.

And my team is going to keep the ship running, and I’m so IMMENSELY grateful for them. ANOTHER pinch-me moment.

The last 3 years have been beautiful, and I’m so grateful for the business that drive has allowed me to build, but now I’m ready for rest, and I hope to make this a regular part of my life. I think it’s so important for us to have seasons of growth and rest, and I want to be an example of that.

Mental rest gives me the energy to keep going. Rest helps me cultivate new ideas. Rest helps me be a better coach. Rest will help me serve my students and my audience better. I’m embracing it!

3. TO CHALLENGE MY BODY

Now just because I’m “resting” from my business, doesn’t mean I’m resting physically. I’m so stoked for the challenge involved with all the pieces of a long thru-hiking trip like this.

I fully expect that each day will bring out a full spectrum of human emotions. I expect that it will be challenging and I’m SO HERE FOR IT.

I truly believe that challenges are the number one way we grow. They help us build resilience and strength, and challenges in the mountains help us hone our mental grit.

I’m thrilled by the challenge of this adventure and am so looking forward to all the lessons I’ll learn from the trail.

4. TO GO ON MY FIRST LEGIT THRU-HIKE

Believe it or not, the John Muir Trail hike will be my first “legit” thru-hike.

As an engineer, I was an avid weekend warrior. This meant that most of my backpacking trips ranged from 2 to 4 days max most of the time.

I’ve hiked and backpacked and mountaineered miles and miles of trails all over the Western United States. I’ve been to the top of some of the tallest peaks in the Lower 48 states including, Mount Whitney, Mount Shasta, Mount Rainier, and a few other California 14ers. I’ve been dedicated to a life outdoors for well over 7 years now, and yet... this will be my very first thru hike.

I’m so excited to join the ranks of thru hikers, but also nervous that I’ll like it a lot and want to do more (it’s not exactly the most time-friendly hobby!)

---

GRAB MY [FREE] OUTDOOR BACKPACKER STARTER KIT:

I created the Ultimate Outdoor Backpacker Starter Kit for you (and it's FREE)! This starter kit is filled with 14 pages of my best hiking and backpacking tips to help you learn what it takes to become a safe, confident, and self-sufficient outdoor backpacker!

---

5. TO SPEND 3 INTERRUPTED WEEKS ADMIRING MY FAVORITE PLACE IN THE WORLD

As I mentioned in the introduction, I feel I was reborn in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. My very first backpacking trip was in Yosemite National Park, the Half Dome Trail, and that one trip changed the course of my life.

Whenever I’m traveling, I always find myself thinking of these mountains. Whenever Michael and I think about our future and where we want to live, I always feel like I’m being pulled back to California.

I feel a tremendous amount of gratitude for this place. It feels like such a blessing to be able to spend 3 weeks hiking and exploring one of my favorite corners of the world.

It feels like home.

6. TO TEST NEW GEAR

Shoot, I haven’t bought new backpacking gear in so long.

That’s the beautiful thing about backpacking if you buy good, quality gear it will last you a longggg time!

However, in order to get our pack weights down a bit for the JMT, Michael and I did invest in a few new items for our John Muir Trail hike, and I’m looking forward to testing them out.

One of the things we bought was a new tent! I never thought I'd buy a 3-person tent (just because 2 person tents are lighter, and usually all Michael and I need), but after a spending a weekend backpacking with a couple of friends of mine this summer, we got to scope out their new tent from Big Agnes, the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3 Tent, and we had instant tent envy.

Compared to our older 1.5 person Kelty Tent, it was SO spacious.

When I looked into it online I realized this 3-person Big Agnes tent weighed LESS than our 1.5 Kelty tent. So we took the plunge and upgraded. It's going to feel like we are backpacking with an ultralight castle!  I also think Michael and I are going to appreciate the extra space, especially after a few days of no showers on the trail.

In addition to the tent we are also testing out a new water filter, the Katadyn BeFree, which weighs much less than my Katadyn Hiker Pro (a favorite of mine, but a bit heavier).

Michael also got a new, lighter backpack, the Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor Backpack, and he’ll be testing out the Bearikade Weekender Bear Can (we rented one because we needed 2 bear cans for this trip).

I’ll have a whole post dedicated to gear later, but this is just a sneak peek.

7. TO READ BOOKS

I love reading, and I particularly love feeling like I have time to read.

Now maybe I’ll regret bringing my Kindle with me on the trail. Maybe I’ll end up being too tired each day to read. But maybe I’ll read a ton. I don’t know, but I’m coming prepared to read.

I’ve got a few books queued up like East of Eden by John Steinbeck and The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma.

I also have Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (one of my favorite books) and The Calling: 3 Fundamental Shifts to Stay True, Get Paid, and Do Good by Rha Goddess queued up on audible in case I want to listen to a book while I’m hiking.

I don’t think I’ll make it through all of these books, but a girl can dream!

8. TO TOSS MY TO-DO LIST

Y’all I’m the ultimate planner/organizer. I’ve got a to-do list for everything. My life and my business literally runs on to-do lists. I practically live on Trello.

But guess what’s on my to-do list for the next 3 weeks...

Literally nothing! Except for hike miles, eat, and sleep.

The rest is negotiable. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a real break like that.

9. TO SEE HOW MY BUSINESS CAN THRIVE EVEN WITHOUT ME

I think it’s quite fun to challenge the status quo.

When I told my family about my crazy idea to quit my engineering job in order to build my dream job by becoming a backpacking coach, they thought it was a very bad idea... but turns out it was my best idea.

When the pandemic hit, I heard lots of people telling me this would be really bad for my business, and yet, I’ve had my best year yet.

Another thing people will want to tell you is that if you’re not constantly tending to your business then it’ll come crashing down around you. But I don’t believe that. I think that my team is going to do an amazing job holding down the fort while I’m gone. I think my students are going to be well taken care of (and they are SO amazing at supporting each other).

There’s so much power in what you purposefully choose to believe.

I believe that I can have a thriving business AND a thriving personal life. I think that I can build wealth as a woman AND be a good person who is passionate about change and uses her business to lift up her community.

I’m so tired of either/or mentalities. I’m fluid and I’m multi-dimensional, and I choose to believe I can do anything I put my mind to. That thought has served me well over the last few years. I’m building a business that can serve women and help them achieve their outdoor adventure dreams, AND will serve the outdoor community and causes we love, AND will provide financial freedom to both myself and my team. Purpose-driven business. That dream lights me up!

10. TO LET GOT OF CONTROL

I don’t want to be a one-woman show. It’s so exhausting.

I want to have a strong and mighty team of women to help me build She Dreams of Alpine into something better than I could ever have imagined. A team of diverse opinions and experiences and insight.

I’ve been slowly learning how to shed my control-freak ways and lean into the strengths of the women on my team. And guess what... sometimes they do the job WAY better than I did.

This year we also took the Anti-Racist Small Business Pledge at She Dreams of Alpine. Meaning, we are committed to:

1. Name white supremacy and the impact of racism on both our personal and professional lives

2. Engage in anti-racist education for me and my team

3. Commit to open conflict and allow discomfort, and learn how to have culturally responsive communications in our communities.

4. Invest a portion of our monthly company budget to the Black community.

5. Express our sincere, long-term commitment to becoming an anti-racist organization.

I mention that here because part of that is having other voices and opinions represented in my team at She Dreams of Alpine and in our Backpacking Badass Community. We are working on this!

Being gone for 3 weeks is going to be a big dose of letting go of control, and letting my team step into their strengths. I’m stoked.

11. TO FULFILL A LONG-TIME DREAM

Hiking the JMT has been a dream of mine ever since I first hiked the Half Dome trail way back in 2013. However, at the time, it felt like a far-off distant dream because I didn’t get enough vacation time to really dedicate to hiking the whole trail at once.

But now I’ve finally arrived at the moment where I get to see this dream thru, and it feels incredible.

12. TO PUT MY OWN CREATIVE SPIN ON JMT RESOURCES FOR MY READERS AND MY STUDENTS

You know I love spoiling y’all with the best, most comprehensive trail guides out there. I get emails all the time about how helpful our resources have been in planning backpacking trips and hiking trips, and I plan to do the same with John Muir Trail resources.

Once we get back, my team and I will be putting together a ton of amazing John Muir Trail resources for you, so this can be your one-stop-shop for any and all things JMT planning.

The first step is getting permits, and we have a whole post already dedicated to getting JMT Permits.

13. TO BUILD A NEW MEDITATION HABIT

I’ve been wanting to build a mediation/gratitude habit for a while now, but I always seem to break it after a few days.

I won’t have much of an excuse here on the JMT, so I plan to start ever morning with about 5-10 minutes of meditation and reflecting on gratitude. Then we’ll make breakfast, and start hiking for the day!

14. TO HAVE SPACE AND TIME TO THINK ABOUT THE NEXT CHAPTER OF SHE DREAMS OF ALPINE

I want Become and Outdoor Backpacking Badass to be the best damn backpacking program out there with the most amazing community of positive, badass women. I already think it is, but I know this will always be a work in progress and I’m honestly excited about that.

I want to create a business that can provide dream jobs for other women who want to have location independence, time flexibility, and still make good money doing so. I want to create the kind of job I WISH had existed when I was first looking to break away from my corporate life so I could live a life more revolved around the outdoors.

I want to be a player of change in helping to bring more diversity and equality to the outdoors. This work goes beyond getting more women on the trail. I see it as equally important to also make sure I’m making this space inclusive for women of color to feel empowered in the outdoors.

I want to empower women to think bigger for themselves, to stop living on the sidelines, and to step boldly into their dreams.

I have big, BIG plans.

From experience I know that some of my best ideas and energy come from spending time on the trail, and I’m so excited to have this space to think and to let new ideas form in my subconscious.

15. TO BE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT’S POSSIBLE

And lastly, I always want to be an example of what’s possible. This drives me.

If there’s one person out there who can hear my story and think, “If she did it, then so can I,” and then goes on to make big moves for their life then it makes all of the work that I do worth it.

You don’t have to grow up in the outdoors to fulfill big outdoor dreams. You don’t have to feel fearless in order to be a backpacking badass. You’ve just gotta believe it’s possible for you, and get started. If my little ole Texas butt can do it, so can you, my friend.

Don’t waste any more time doubting yourself. Let’s GO.

See You in Three Weeks,

Allison- She Dreams of Alpine

---