53Hrs 35Min 21Sec….
Is EXACTLY how long it took me to successfully cross Death Valley, this past week, solo, and off road-from furthest point north, to Badwater Basin- the lowest point in North America!
To put how much a successful completion of this project means to me in words in a post is simply too difficult.
This adventure has been a focus of mine since last year, when I was unable to complete it….due to adverse weather conditions and, in retrospect, I probably wasn’t yet recovered from six months of chemo.
I spent the last six months completely focused on my training, my gear, and several scouting trips to Death Valley- a place and wilderness I respect so much.
My buddy Kent Keeler and I showed up the week before and scouted several areas where we were certain I’d have to alter course from previous projects in the area.
I was as ready as I could be- and yet all the usual challenges were there- extreme heat (123F at finish), winds, super difficult terrain and tricky nighttime navigation. I literally drank 75 liters over the course of the 53 hours, and was strategically resolved to be patient when I needed a break. And the terrain here is never forgiving or predictable- a mix of everything from deep sand to endless boulders to wet salt. This place is a brutal as it is beautiful.
I’ve spent my entire adventure career, crossing the worlds largest deserts and the coldest reaches of the planet- but this place is different.
Everything had to go exactly as planned for this to work out, the stars had to line up…and I’m so grateful they did!
To be in the desert alone, in between my resupplies…just being present, was a gift. No music, no podcasts….just being hyper aware, that I get to be in this amazing place again, doing what I love to do
Lots more stories to come
One more year her brother goes
