“Since this was a solo experience, I thought I should share it with somebody,” began Dr. Rená Koesler, a Longwood University therapeutic recreation and outdoor recreation professor, at her Monday, Feb. 4 Blackwell Talk titled “Woman in the Wild: An Account of a Solo Experience with John Muir.”
This week’s Blackwell Talk, part of a weekly research seminar series hosted by the College of Graduate & Professional Studies, was about Koesler’s 12-day, 124-mile-long hike on the John Muir Trail in Yosemite National Park.
Before Koesler spoke about her own experience, she shared some information about the man the trail was named after. She said Muir was a writer, naturalist/advocate for wilderness, an adventurer and a spiritual person who often included spiritual undertones in his writings. Koesler said Muir also left behind quite a legacy, as he publicly fought against a dam being built in the Tuolumne River within the Hetch Hetchy Valley. While President Woodrow Wilson authorized the building of the dam, a dam has not been built in a national park since. While Koesler previously hiked the second half of the John Muir Trail with a friend, she had never “done a solo experience for an extended period of time.” It was the end of the 2011-2012 academic year and she was ready for a new challenge. In November 2011, Koesler began planning her solo hike on the first half of the John Muir Trail. She received her wilderness permit in February 2012, as she was required to have it 163 days in advance. Before Koesler embarked on her hike, the main questions others asked her were 1) “Won’t you be scared?” 2) “Will you be lonely?” and 3) “Is it safe?” Ultimately, Koseler felt prepared and was motivated to go on the hike regardless of the possible pitfalls and dangers associated with it.
Koesler packed the appropriate equipment to address dangers that could come her way. She had a GPS messenger system that could send a pre-written message to people on her contact list and call 911 if a situation was severe. Thankfully, Koesler said, she never had to call 911.
On July 12, 2012, Koesler began her hike on the John Muir Trail. On average, she hiked 10 miles a day. There were some days when she would hike 13.5 miles, and days she referred to as “laundry days” when she hiked seven miles.
Koesler finished her hike on July 24, 2012, but before she completed her goal, she had quite an adventure ahead of her.
As for the necessary supplies Koesler brought on the trip, all of her food was stuffed into a bear canister to keep the black bears away. She never saw a bear, but she did hear a park ranger shoot a bear with white paintballs.
Koesler ate oatmeal for breakfast, energy and protein bars for lunch (as well as the occasional tortilla filled with peanut butter, honey and sausage link, a combination she swore by) and freeze dried meals for dinner.
Koesler did not need to pack water, as there is “water abundant in the Yosemite.” She did not treat her water except for in two circumstances when it seemed suspicious because she enjoys “the taste of real mountain water.”
As for shelter, Koesler stayed in a tent that weighed two pounds, two ounces. She camped away from other people, which she referred to as an “unspoken norm” among campers.
Each morning, Koesler woke up at 5:30 a.m., ate breakfast and was on the trail by 6:30 a.m. “I like being up at that time in the morning because you see such amazing things,” she said. “It’s so quiet and still.”
Halfway through Koesler’s presentation, she played a picture slideshow featuring images of mountains, flowers and not-so-beautiful sights such as her nine out of 10 toes bandaged due to the many blisters that formed on her feet.
Koesler met many interesting people and felt she learned a great deal about “authenticity of others” on her trip. “People cannot be somebody that they are not when they are in the outdoors,” she said. She also said that the “genuine goodness” of others “shines” in nature. Despite bum knees and blisters, she said, people still said, “I’m loving this! I’m having a great time” and meant it sincerely.
The attention restoration theory was the concept Koesler felt best represented her experience. As the theory dictates, she desired a change in environment, mystery and fascination, and immersion in a physical environment. “Anybody could have a place somewhere and anybody can have a mystery and fascination, and everybody has a need for a change in environment, and a need to tap into your wild side, whatever it may be ... so [I] think this theory definitely resonates,” she said.
Overall, Koesler said her experience has helped her become more aware of the everyday occurrences and interactions around her, describing herself as “attentive.”
When asked when her next solo adventure would be, Koesler said she was not sure. “I think you have to be in the right place and the right frame of mind to do a solo experience.”
Koesler tells attendants of her hiking adventures.
