ARIELLE SHIPE TACKLES THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

Have you ever had an experience in the outdoors that changed your life for the better?

Maybe you were having a bad day until you went on a hike and came home feeling recharged and free. Maybe you had an epic powder day that made you laugh like a little kid again. Maybe you fell in love with an activity like climbing or hiking and that newfound obsession kept you out of trouble or inspired you to take better care of your health. 

I think any of us who spend enough time in the outdoors came speak to its healing qualities. It’s where we go to feel alive… to feel free… to recharge… but something that’s easy to forget is how many people have never had access to these outdoor spaces and experiences we love so much due to many things like socioeconomic factors and lack of access to information. 

Can you imagine your life without it? I know I can’t. Even though I took it for granted as young person, growing up in the mountains shaped me into the women I am today and the idea of never having access to that growing up is hard for me to even wrap my head around. Hiking the PCT has been a personal goal of mine for almost 10 years now and while I am hiking for my own personal reasons and have made multiple sacrifices to bring this dream to life, I can’t help but acknowledge what a great privilege it is to be able to take this time… to have access to the information I need… the gear… and so as soon as this dream came to life I knew that there had to be a layer of giving back as well.

Whether you have any interest in hiking 2,650 miles in one summer or taking a 30 min walk in the outdoors nourishes your soul I think we can all agree that time in nature is healing. I invite you to join in sharing that gift with youth who wouldn’t have access to it without people like you and me banding together to share our resources.

My goal is to raise $26,500  (a representation of those 2,650 mile I plan to walk) for an amazing organization called SOS Outreach.

SOS’ sole purpose is to get kids who wouldn’t usually have the means/kids who need mentorship and direction out into the wilderness to climb, hike, camp, ski and discover the healing magic of nature. These programs not only teach kids confidence but also how to be stewards of the outdoor spaces we love so much. 

I think sometimes we think that if we don’t have much to give than it’s not worth giving at all but in the past I’ve raised over $4,000 where the average donation was $5-10. When we all come together as a community every dollar makes an impact. 

So I invite you, if you’ve ever had an amazing experience out in nature to give what you can. I pledge $265 dollars as a representation of those 2,650 miles I plan to walk next summer and I am so excited to hear the stories from the kids whose lives were changed from discovering the magic of nature that’s shaped my heart and soul so much.

ABOUT ME:

My name is Arielle Shipe (@arielleshipe on Instagram) and I am 29 years old. In my early 20s I planted a dream that I would thru-hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail (a 2,650-mile hiking trail from Mexico to Canada) before I turned 30… that time is now. In the summer of 2020 I will live out of a backpack as I take on the biggest adventure/challenge of my life to date. This hike will take me anywhere from 4-5 months to complete and I will hike an average of 20+ miles a day with some rest days scattered throughout summer. I’ve always been one to want to test what I am capable of and I am so excited to tap into the deep inner strength that comes from digging in when things get tough. I am so grateful for all the love and support I’ve received so far and if you would like to stay in the loop I will be documenting the whole trip via weekly vlogs on YouTube and Instagram updates. Every year for my birthday I raise money for causes I believe in and since this year was my “golden birthday” 29 on the 29th of Dec I wanted to make this year’s contribution the biggest one yet.