Team Wasko Hikes for Freedom 2022 Tahoe & West Virginia

June 28, 2020 FreedomHikeTeamWasko

Training Hike #4

On August 13, I’ll be hiking 23 miles in one day through the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho to raise money to fight human trafficking. Before the hike, I’m required to complete ten training hikes to prepare for the endurance hike. This blog chronicles my training and fundraising efforts.

The Freedom Hike I’m doing supports Rescue: Freedom International. Every $2000 raised will free a woman or child from sex slavery and provide them with a year of holistic, restorative care. Last year my daughter, Stef, and I raised $14,000. Seven futures were changed. This year my goal is $10,000. Please consider donating and becoming part of someone’s freedom story.

You can make donations through my donation link or Venmo me. No amount is too small. Whatever you give will be greatly appreciated. The button at the bottom of this post will take you to the donation page.

One thing I’m doing each week is recruiting ten people to sponsor me $1 per mile for that week’s hike. I’ll be posting in my Instagram stories and Facebook, too. AND, because all of Rescue Freedom’s administrative costs are covered by private donors, 100% of your donation goes right to the women and children being helped.

Now, about this week’s training hike:

Mary’s Rock in the Shenandoah National Park is a great hike with a great view. In order to meet the training criteria for hike #4, I needed to hike it twice.

Mary’s Rock is a 3.4 mile out and back hike with between 1130-1220 feet of elevation gain, depending on what you look at–my watch or All Trails. The path is clear and well-maintained, but it is rocky. The trail was pretty busy on Saturday, and we met many kind and friendly hikers.

The mountain laurels were blooming, and we had a clear, blue sky. This was one of the best training hikes I’ve done. I’m very thankful we had such amazing weather, especially after the torrential downpour last week.

After the hike, my husband, Brian, and I ate some delicious burgers in Richmond at Beauvine Burger Concept. If you’re looking for a great burger and delicious sweet potato fries, look no further. Great service. Great food. Great way to end a hike.

Huge thank you to Coleman Senecal Art for sponsoring training hike #4. She took all ten spots for the $1 per mile pledge this week! Please be sure to check out her art; it’s amazing. I have a few pieces she created for me before she officially started a business and they’re even better in person that the images on her Instagram!

Donate here

June 22, 2020June 22, 2020 FreedomHikeTeamWasko

Training Hike #3

On Juneteenth, my husband and I drove to Richmond to pick up our daughter, Taylor, at the airport. From there we got take-out from Croakers Spot to celebrate Juneteenth. That was some delicious food! Be sure to check them out if you’re ever in Richmond or Norfolk.

After eating dinner, we drove to Waynesboro to spend the night. Hike #3 was on Saturday at Hanging Rock near Lyndhurst.

I loved this hike. The weather wasn’t always great, but the trail was well-maintained and it was gorgeous. It was sunny, cloudy, foggy, and poured during our hike. Though we couldn’t see the view we were hoping, it was incredible to summit the mountain and be in a cloud. It was beautiful in a way I hadn’t expected.

We made a new canine friend on the way down the mountain. He followed us to the car and was especially fond of Taylor. We orginially named him Ralph but quickly changed it to Buddy.

After the hike we made our way to Charlottesville for some Mellow Mushroom pizza and a walk around the U.

HUGE thank you to the awesome folks who sponsored this week’s hike and who donated to Rescue Freedom! Freedom Team 20 is amazing!

Eric & Marie Hughes
Heather Hughes
Sarah Hughes
Garret Cagle
Matt Hughes
Sarah Cruz
Rachel Hughes
Ryan Hughes
Micaela Crawford
Chelsea Burge
Paulina Lorenc
the Alkires
Ashley Barton

Next week’s hike is six miles and 2500 feet of elevation gain. I’ll be looking for ten people to sponsor me $1 per mile next week, too! Thanks for your support, encouragement, and prayers.

Donate here

June 15, 2020June 15, 2020 FreedomHikeTeamWasko

Training Hike #2

I’m doing what I love to fight what I hate.

On August 13, I’ll hike 23 miles in one day to raise money to fight human trafficking. In preparation for that hike, I’ll be doing ten official training hikes, and I’ll blog about them here.

I’m recruiting people to join my Freedom Team 20. All you need to do is make a donation–no amount is too small.

I recruited people to sponsor me $1 per mile for my training hike this week. Don’t worry if you missed out. I’ll be asking for sponsors for the rest of my hikes, so you have eight more opportunities to join Freedom Team 20! Next week’s hike will be five miles. Will you consider sponsoring Training Hike #3 for $1 per mile? You can click the button below to donate.

Donate here

There are many excellent organizations that fight sexual slavery. Here are a few reasons I chose Rescue: Freedom:

All administrative costs are covered by private donors.
100% of fundraising money goes to providing for the needs of the women and children who are rescued.
Rescue Freedom works with “local partners” who are committed to ending slavery in their communities.
$2,000 rescues a woman or child and provides a year of restorative, holistic care to them.
They focus on prevention in addition to rescue and restoration.

Training hike #2 required five miles, 1200 feet of elevation gain, and 100 minutes on my feet. Back to Mt. Trashmore I went…this time with Stef, Brian, and Laura. I was thankful for an unseasonably mild and cool Virginia Beach day. Good conversation and a sweet breeze made for a pretty easy hike.

I’d like to thank these Freedom Team 20 members for sponsoring Training Hike #2:

Heather Hughes
Kerri Wasko
Madison Wasko
Stef and Kody Kight
Taylor Wasko
Kelsey Jones
Savanna Goosens
Reed Rickards
Sara Anderson
Diamond Lepre (soon to be Jones!!!!!)
Sally Payne
Lindsay Walton

Thanks to these amazing people, we raised $75 on Saturday!

In addition to the people who sponsored Hike #2, I want to thank all my Freedom Team 20 members for their generous donations, encouragement, and support.

Ann and Frank Mohap
Helen and Rich Wasko
Becky and Tommy Johnson
Jennifer and Edward Dunbar
Chris and Celeste Futrell
Eric and Marie Hughes
WriteAtHome.com
Melanie Wasko Photography
the Greenbrier Country Club 6:30 AM aerobics class
Cheryl Marie
John and Corrie
Ruth Manlove
Diana Dersch
Flurry Yanez
Emma Hare
Jim and Leslie Alkire
Sandy and Martha Napier
Anna Deck
Rebekah Hewitt
Rubylee Gardner
Noelle Hill
Corey Jones
the Leedom Family
Renee Fairchild
the Ruhl Family
Mike and Jennifer Napier and family
Ashley Barton
Rebekah Judd
Kala and David Herman (Walker, too!)
Bethany and Jeremy Wright (Theodore, too!)
the Smith Family
Barbara Taylor and family
the Seligman Family
Wilonda Spratley
the Harris Family
the Rogers Family
Vaneetha and Joel Risner
Katie Princess and her sweet roomies
the Roberti Family
Keith and Lora Kight
Stacey Askew
the Frederick Family
Merri Bryant
Katherine Steiger
Kevin and Carole Regan
Annie Johns
AND anonymous donations totaling: $575!

We have raised $6587 so far and are at 66% of our goal! THANK YOU!

My Freedom Hike 20 goal is to raise $10,000 which will free FIVE women from human trafficking and provide them with a year of holistic care. I can’t do it alone, but together we can.

Donate here

Click HERE to learn more about Rescue Freedom, and click HERE to read about last year’s training and Freedom Hike.

June 6, 2020 FreedomHikeTeamWasko

Freedom Hike 2020, Training Hike #1

Training hike #1 needed to be three miles and 1,000 feet elevation gain. When you live in Virginia Beach, that elevation is easier said than done. Last year, I “hiked” the Jordan Bridge and walked nearly eight miles and still came up short on elevation.

This year, I chose to hike Mt. Trashmore for hike #1. For those of you unfamiliar with this unusual Virginia Beach park, the “mountain” is indeed made of trash, and it’s the steepest thing we’ve got in Hampton Roads.

I met a few friends at the park at 7:30 on Thursday morning, and we did some social distancing training together.

To get the 1,000 feet I needed, I had to hike up the steepest side, down the opposite side, and then back up to the top TWELVE and a half times. My friend, Sally, insists I misled her when I told her twelve; she says it was 24. But I don’t think she was paying attention whenI explained what counted as “one.” =)

I’ll be hiking Mt. Trashmore again this week for hike #2–five miles and 1, 200 feet. Anyone want to join me?

Starting this week, I’m going to ask ten people to sponsor me $1 per mile during training hikes. I’ll be posting on my blog, Instagram and Facebook stories. (Stef did this last year. I’m borrowing her brilliance.)

If you’d like to donate $5 to sponsor this week’s five mile hike, click the link below or Venmo me. If you donate on my fundraising page, let me know who you are and that you’re sponsoring training hike #2.

Let’s work together to end slavery.

Thanks Cliff, Debbie, and Cathy. Rain or shine, we always whine!

Please donate

June 3, 2020June 3, 2020 FreedomHikeTeamWasko

Freedom Hike 2020 Training Kicks Off This Week!

You’re probably wondering why I chose a picture of my daughters for the first Freedom Hike 2020 blog post. Why not a picture of mountains or me actually hiking?

I chose this picture to remind myself that there are moms in the world who don’t get to watch their little girls grow up and flourish. But they should. And there are little girls who will never get to realize their potential and worth. And they should, too.

My daughters have lived lives where their effort and hard work produced results. They got to go to school, focus on their academics, and grow in the gifts and skills they loved. They played soccer and basketball, learned the violin and ballet, and competed in Irish dance. They had sleep overs, built forts, went to summer camp, and traveled. They had favorite colors, songs and meals, celebrated birthdays with hayrides, scavenger hunts, and pool parties. They painted their rooms and then repainted them when they got sick of the color. They were messy and didn’t like cleaning the kitchen or waking up early. They fought with each other and learned how to ask for and extend forgiveness.

A little over a year ago I decided to do a freedom hike to fight human trafficking because I’m a mom who got to watch her little girls grow up and flourish, and I want more moms to get to do that, too.

Not much has changed since last year–I’m a year older, and I’ll be hiking in Idaho instead of Washington, but I still want to do what I love to fight what I hate, and I’d like to invite you to join me.

My goal this year is to raise $10,000 which will free and provide a year of restorative care for five women and children. Care that addresses the whole person: physical, spiritual, psychological, vocational, emotional, and legal.

Ten weeks of training starts now. I’ll be hiking 23 miles through the Sawtooth Mountains on August 13, 2020. I’d appreciate your prayers, good thoughts, encouragement, and also your money. =)

(You can read more about last year’s hike HERE.)

Donate Here

August 7, 2019November 11, 2019 FreedomHikeTeamWasko

The FREEDOM Hike

The alarms blared simultaneously at 1:45 AM. Coffee was immediately brewed and drunk. Feet were bandaged, backpacks zipped, layers donned, and breakfast eaten. It’s 2:30 AM and the last two groups of the first Washington Freedom Hike met in the parking lot of the Linderhof Inn for final instructions and prayer. We piled in our vehicles and headed for the trailhead.

I’m not sure how many of you are up and out of the house at 4 AM, but it’s D.A.R.K. For the first hour and a half our headlamps were the only light on the trail. But then…the light. Starting the hike in the dark seemed right. The women who will be rescued and restored are living in the dark, and just like we hiked into the light, they’ll soon walk into light, hope, and safety through Rescue Freedom.

Before Friday, the only person I knew on my hiking team was my daughter. I now have six new friends. I guess that what happens when you share a 14-hour adventure and a worthy cause. Strangers become friends.

Colchuck Lake, Aasgard Pass (3/4 mile and a 2200 foot elevation gain), Dragontail Peak. Goats, rocks, wind, and views.

More Aasgard Pass. The Enchantments. The descent. The waterfalls. The snow. The finish. The team.

We did what we love, and we are still fighting what we hate. Please consider making a donation to Rescue Freedom. Our donation page will be open through the end of this week. We are just short of raising enough money to FREE SEVEN women and give them each a year of restorative care. That means a year of good nutrition, safe housing, legal services, vocational training, counseling, education, case management, and recovery programs.

DONATE HERE

Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey through prayer, encouragement, and contributions. We appreciate you. You are part of someone’s freedom story!

July 26, 2019 FreedomHikeTeamWasko

Hike #9 for Mel & Stef

Training Hike #9 for Rescue Freedom Freedom Hike is done. Stef, Brian, and I started our hike at 6:15 AM at the White Oak Canyon parking area on Skyline Drive and did the Old Rag Mountain Loop. We were eager to start early, both because of the length of the hike and the heat advisory for all of Virginia. I think we escaped most of the heat by heading to the mountains.

The hike began with a steep downhill portion for about four miles, followed by some serious elevation gain, and a fun and long rock scramble which began around mile 10. (The pictures here are from the summit and the rock scramble.) We hiked uphill for the last five miles making the total hike just under 18 miles and 4500 feet of elevation gain.

Along the way we saw two bears, one snake, and met some nice park rangers and other hikers. Have you noticed that 99.9% of hikers are really nice?

It’s hard to believe that we only have one training hike left. One week from Friday, on August 2, we will be hiking 24 miles through the Enchantments in the Cascade Mountains.

WHY? To raise awareness AND money to fight human trafficking.

THANK YOU to all of you who have donated, followed our journey, encouraged, and prayed for us. Your contributions will bring safety, hope, freedom, and a future to women and children who are right now hopeless, oppressed, and abused. Thank you.

It’s not too late to donate. No amount is too small. Please join us and be part of someone’s freedom story.

DONATE HERE

Doing what we love to fight what we hate.

July 16, 2019July 16, 2019 FreedomHikeTeamWasko

Hike #8 for Mel

Hike #8 (14 miles and 3800 feet elevation gain) proved to be challenging for many reasons. First, I have shingles, a mild case, but still shingles. Second, finding a trail proved to be difficult.

Plan A was to hike Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi. Unfortunately there were thunderstorms on the two days we were able to hike.

Plan B was to hike the Daniel Boone Scout Trail to Calloway Peak which is a little over an hour from my parents’ house where we were visiting. We left at 6 AM so we could start our hike by 7 or 7:30 AM. This trail looked beautiful and we were really excited about it. The DBST was half the distance and elevation I needed for this week’s hike. Brian and I thought it might be a good idea to do a shorter trail twice just in case my shingles got worse. The All Trails trail head was closed, but an alternate start was given and it was just a mile away. Unfortunately, this trail head added five miles to the hike, but NO elevation gain which meant we’d need to hike about 19 miles to get the elevation I needed.

The view we would have seen if we had hiked the Daniel Boone Scout Trail. I took this from an overlook on the side of the road.

On to Plan C. The Overmountain Victory Trail didn’t have many reviews in All Trails, and the most recent ones were just OK. It had the distance and elevation I needed if I hiked it twice. As we began the hike, so did the rain. The overgrown trail was wet, muddy, and was basically walking uphill through cow pastures. About 1.35 miles into the hike we came to a fenced-in cow pasture with at least 15 cows and a bull in it. The only trail was right through the pasture. Time to turn around.

At this point I told Brian to drop me off at a Y and I would get my hike done on a stair stepper and treadmill. I really didn’t want to train for six hours inside, so instead I found a shorter trail we could hike three times.

Plan D, Buffalo Mountain, was just 4.5 miles from my parents. So, four hours after leaving for our “early morning” hike, we arrived at the trail and began. Buffalo Mountain was a beautiful with great views and pretty trails.

I have to admit I was getting pretty frustrated trying to find a trail. The first part of the day felt pointless. But as I was walking down from the cow pasture trail it occurred to me that the lives of the women I’m hiking to free are pointless everyday. Not because they can’t find a trail to hike, but because they are used, abused, and subjected to the cruel desires of their captors. Human trafficking, sexual slavery, organ harvesting are real things that happen to real people. Sisters, daughters, mothers, friends. REAL people made in the image of God. Please join Stef and me as we raise money to bring hope, health, and freedom to them.

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:40

DONATE HERE

July 16, 2019July 16, 2019 FreedomHikeTeamWasko

Hike #7 for Mel & Stef

Cedar Run to Hawksbill to the AT to White Oak Canyon was supposed to be 12.4 miles and 3400 feet of elevation gain. BUT, we turned it into a 16-mile, 3700 foot hike. How you ask?

Mistake #1. We met a guy who had hiked this trail a lot, and after a nice conversation he pointed us in the direction we were supposed to go. Unfortunately, we didn’t explain clearly that we were adding another section to the normal route so that we could reach the distance and elevation goals for this hike. About a half a mile later we realized we were not going the right way and had to backtrack to pick up the right trail.

Mistake #2 came when we stayed on the Appalachian Trail too long. Learning from our last mistake, we made sure to check our map at the intersection. It looked like we were right on track…until we started to hike uphill. Knowing this was supposed to be the downhill section clued us in that something was wrong. So…once again we had to backtrack to get to the right trail.

This hike is beautiful. The waterfalls in the White Oak Canyon section are amazing. Just be sure to check your map.

We also want to give you an update on our fundraising. We are only $805 away from our $12,000 goal! Reaching our goal will mean that SIX people will be freed from slavery and given holistic, restorative care for a year. Please help us free six people!

DONTATE HERE

WriteAtHome is one of our business sponsors, and Brian also has done all but one of the training hikes with us.

July 9, 2019July 9, 2019 FreedomHikeTeamWasko

Hike #6 for Mel & Stef (Brian & Kody, too)

Hike #6 was supposed to be Mount Tallac, but thanks to late spring snow in Tahoe, it wasn’t safe for us to hike…too much snow, too little trail visibility. After consulting All Trails and our friend Ryan, we decided to hike Peavine Peak in Reno, NV.

YIKES! This was a hard hike. Up, up, up for four miles followed by about one level mile, and then steep, rocky downhills for four miles. The terrain was sandy in parts and rocky in others. Three out of four of us might have fallen on the way down. We summitted the 8400 foot peak after a 3000 foot elevation gain, and it was cold and windy up there. The freedom butterfly on my banner almost took flight.

Brian and Kody were less than thrilled with the wind, elevation gain, and temperature, but they’re good sports and more importantly they believe in the mission of Rescue Freedom.

Our Freedom Hike is a few weeks ago, and we still need help to reach out goal. Please consider donating and help us free SIX people from the horror of human trafficking. 100% of your tax-deductible donation goes directly to the victims.

DONATE HERE