BRYCE HOSTETLER
INTERIOR
Katrina Horner ’15, born and raised in La Junta, Colo., was working as a nurse at Miriam Hospital in Providence, R.I., when she was presented with a daunting and exhilarating opportunity. A longer version of this article first appeared in six installments, “Travel the Trail with Katrina,” in the La Junta Tribune-Democrat between Dec. 14, 2018, and Jan. 25, 2019.
KATRINA HORNER
APRIL 27, 2018
I thought about how big a commitment this would be – I’d have to leave a job I loved, a summer with good friends, my cat and most of all my fiancé, Brett Wedel ’14. I discussed this with and received a wide range of reactions from many I loved. Some were nervous about the unknown, while others supported me in taking this journey of a lifetime. In the end, how could I say no to an opportunity that might never present itself again? I gave my two weeks’ notice and started on the overwhelming amount of planning that goes into a trip of this length.
Bryce and I stood just south of Campo, Calif., touching the fence at the border with Mexico, staring into the endless desert ahead of us and eagerly anticipating the five-month trek that was about to unfold. After a few minutes, we looked at each other and laughed as we realized neither of us knew which direction to go. We quickly found a trail marker and we were on our way. Guthooks, a thru-hiker’s trail map phone app, quickly became a tool we relied on. We charged our phones with Anker battery packs so we could use GPS coordinates to find our location even when our phones didn’t have service. Guthooks also identified water stops and campsites. The Water Report was another important tool through this section, frequently updated by us, fellow hikers and volunteer “trail angels” who left gallons of water for us on long dry stretches. Trail angels are essential in the desert – there are stretches of up to 40 miles with no water.
AROUND THE GREEN | SUMMER 2019 13
