Like the last year, the first two training hikes Brian and I did were done at Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach. The stats for the first hike are 3 miles and 1000 feet of elevation gain, so it wasn’t worth it to drive three to four hours to hike for an hour.
We had beautiful weather, and our friend, Cliff Graf, joined us on our hike.
Crabtree Fall to Priest Shelter to Crabtree Falls to Crabtree Falls. 15 miles and 4000 feet of elevation gain.
After photographing a wedding in Williamsburg on Saturday evening, Brian and I headed to Charlottesville to spend the night so we could get an early-ish start on the longest of the ten training hikes.
We arrived at the Crabtree Falls trailhead around 8:30 and were surprised to find the parking lot almost empty. I had never hiked Crabtree Falls, and now that I have, I’d definitely do it again.
The first part of the hike was pretty steep. 1.7 miles to the top and about 1,000 feet of elevation gain. The path is well-maintained, rocky in spots, but gorgeous. It’s almost all shaded and there are several sections with steps and rails.
From the top of the Crabtree Falls train, we hiked part of the Appalachian Trail to Priest Shelter. Not a big fan of this one. It was steep, which we needed, but overgrown in parts and no view from the top. (Apparently there is one, but you need to go off trail about .25 miles to see it, and we didn’t realize this till we were on the way back to Crabtree Falls.)
We had a little adventure on our way down. Just a few hundred feet from the Priest Shelter, four grad students from UVA caught up to us. I was in the front of the pack and came within about a foot of a copperhead snake lying across the middle of the narrow, grass-lined trail. I stopped. We all backed up and weren’t quite sure what to do. I decided I didn’t want to be in front anymore, so Brian came to the front of the line.
He decided it would be a good idea to try to get the snake off the path by throwing rocks at it. All that did was get the snake mad. It didn’t budge. He pulled a seven-foot weed from the side of the trail and pushed and prodded it until it slithered off the trail. Problem was, we had NO idea how far off the trail it went. Brian threw the large weed in the direction the snake headed to see if it would reemerge. Nothing.
The six of us decided we should make a run for it. We stood close together. As one grad student remarked, “COVID is not the most eminent danger to us right now.” We counted three, took off running, and jumped over the section of the path where the snake made its exit. All ended well. We had a brief conversation with the UVA posse and continued down the trail.
Like most hikes around here, I needed to repeat a few sections to get the elevation I needed. We decided we did NOT want to go back up to Priest Shelter so we opted to rehike beautiful Crabtree Falls 2 1/2 more times. I’d make the same decision again.
Since the weather turned out beautiful, the trail was packed when we got back to the beginning of Crabtree Falls for rounds two and three.
When you rehike trails, people notice and often comment. I was able to give out about ten of my hiking business cards and had some wonderful conversations with folks on the trail.
Gaby, one of the UVA grad students, donated toward my Freedom Hike as did a sweet couple, Mary and Brian. Thank you! It’s encouraging and affirming to experience the generosity of so many strangers and unite with people you just met to fight human trafficking.
Thank you again to my business sponsors:
Here’s everyone who was part of Team Freedom this week. They either sponsored my hike at $1 per mile or donated in other ways. Thank you for being part of someone’s freedom story!
Shenandoah National Park: Cedar Run to Hawksbill to the AT to White Oak Canyon. This is one of the most gorgeous hikes I’ve done on the east coast. One reviewer I read said it was “the best of the SNP.” Trees, streams, swimming holes, a view, and waterfalls.
We hiked clockwise beginning with Cedar Run. The trail is surrounded by gorgeous trees and water the whole way up, up, up. The lush foliage and gurgling sound of the water almost made us forget the climb.
Once we got to the top of Cedar Run, we continued up, up, up to Hawksbill. The view from the summit is spectacular, especially on a beautiful, blue-sky day. There really is nothing like the Blue Ridge.
From Hawksbill we hiked along a portion of the Appalachian Trail where we saw three deer who didn’t mind sharing the trail with us and hardly moved when we walked by. The AT took us to the top of White Oak Canyon where the descent was fairly steep but provided the beauty of one waterfall after another. We stopped at the second fall for a snack–my favorite: dried mango.
About a mile from the end of the hike, I fell. It was lovely…and embarrassing. My pole got caught in a rocky section, and I did a slo-mo fall to my arm, then leg, and then my head hit a rock. Thankfully, I fell slowly and wasn’t on a steep downhill portion. I made it out with only a small bruise on my right thigh.
Honestly, I was discouraged and scared, and I cried. And not because I was hurting physically.
Have you ever felt like just when you start to build confidence and feel good about something, you get your feet knocked out from under you? That’s how I felt, not just because that’s what literally happened, but that fall made me start questioning my ability. I thought things like, “What are you doing? You’re too old to be out here? What makes you think you can hike?”
I quietly wept as I walked the rest of the way down the trail. And I realized that giving up isn’t an option. My little fall (and self-pity) is nothing compared to the pain and suffering of millions of women and children who are caught in human trafficking. They need help. They need hope. They need a future. SO, I’ll be back out on the trail again this weekend. 14 miles and 3800 feet of elevation gain. For FREEDOM.
HUGE Thank You to Hike #7 sponsors and other generous donors
I’m six hikes into a ten hike training program that will prepare me for a 23-mile, one-day endurance hike on August 13 in the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho. I’ll hike with a team of Freedom Hikers raising money to support Rescue: Freedom International in their fight against human trafficking. There are a lot of great organizations in the fight to end sexual exploitation and modern day slavery. Here are a few reasons I love Rescue: Freedom International:
Training Hike #6 was beautiful. I needed to hike nine miles with a 3200 feet elevation gain. Brian and I hiked Raven Rocks just outside of Bluemont. It’s nicknamed The Rollercoaster because it’s up and down the whole way even though it’s an out and back hike. We needed to hike it twice to get the mileage and elevation we needed, but it was such a great hike, it was no trouble to do it twice.
Most of the trail is shaded. There are quite a few rocks and a couple of very small rock scramble-type crossings, but nothing too difficult. The view is gorgeous! There are four spots at the top to enjoy the valley below. Raven Rocks is in both Virginia and West Virginia, so we hiked in two states on one day.
On our first trip up the mountain, we met two men who were training to hike to the base camp in Nepal. One of them went to UVA–GO HOOS! We had fun conversation about Virginia sports, hiking, and our kids. I gave both men one of my fundraising business cards, and today they donated $50 to Rescue Freedom!
Shout out to Brian for doing all these training hikes with me, for driving, and being OK with my obsessive, 3-ish need to make every hike a competition.
HUGE thanks to everyone who sponsored this week’s hike and made other donations:
How about you? Would you like to join the fight to end modern day slavery? You can use the button below to donate.
Brian and I got to meet and hike with Brianna, another Team Idaho Freedom Hiker, this week. We met outside of Sperryville to hike the Fridley Gap Trail. This week’s training required we hike 8 miles and get 2700 feet of elevation gain.
We ended up hiking 9.7 miles, but that’s what happens when you use east coast mountains to train for a west coast hike. =)
Fridley Gap was nice. Pretty trees, creeks, and rocks. The trail was easy to follow but overgrown in spots. The only disappointment was that there was no view. It was the perfect trail to meet our training goals, but I don’t think I’d choose it just to hike.
I loved getting to know Brianna. We’re the only two east coast hikers on the Idaho Freedom Hike. We discovered we have many mutual friends, and we share convictions about social justice issues, too. We want to see human trafficking end. We are committed to speak up on behalf of our Black brothers and sisters who have endured systemic racism and prejudice. We also love to read and hike. And, we both love chocolate.
Training hike #6 will be this Saturday, July 11. I need to hike 9 miles and get 3200 feet of elevation gain. I’ll be hiking Raven Rocks–twice.
I’m 69% of the way to my goal of $10,000. If I reach my goal, five women or children will be rescued and provided with a year of holistic, restorative care. Five people will be given hope, health, help, and a future. Five generations will be set on a new path.
Thanks to this week’s Freedom Team for sponsoring hike #5:
You can help by donating. No amount is too small. You can participate in the weekly training hike $1 per mile pledges or donate using the button below.
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!
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.
There are many excellent organizations that fight sexual slavery. Here are a few reasons I chose Rescue: Freedom:
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:
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.
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.
Click HERE to learn more about Rescue Freedom, and click HERE to read about last year’s training and Freedom Hike.
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.
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.)
A few weeks ago I reached out to the Facebook Freedom Hikers community to see if anyone was up for an early morning hike somewhere near Ontario, CA on June 16. I had one taker, Jak.
My husband, Brian, and I met Jak at 7 AM for a hard, six-mile, 2400 foot elevation gain hike. Brian and Jak are both “7’s,” and if you’re familiar with the Enneagram, you know what that means. Lots of laughs and lots of fun to accompany the difficult uphill trek.
The hike started with several steep inclines which were shrouded by clouds until we were right upon them. Slowly they appeared as we began our ascent.
As we ascended the clouds cleared and the view appeared. Jak created a creative tripod from three trekking poles and a Lara Bar so we could take our group picture.
We are doing what we love to fight what we hate. What do we hate? We hate slavery. We hate that women and children are oppressed, kidnapped, and mistreated. We hate injustice. We hate that people are treated as property and used for others’ gain. So we are hiking to raise awareness and to raise money. Please consider donating to our Freedom Hike 2019 and play a role in someone’s freedom story.
Team Wasko Hikes for Freedom 2022 Tahoe & West Virginia 