In this episode, I sit down with my client Jeanna, a traveling nurse who lives out of her van between assignments, to talk about the trip that changed everything: her solo thru-hike of the entire John Muir Trail. Here's the wild part. This wasn't just her first solo thru-hike. It was her first solo backpacking trip, period.
We get into the real, unfiltered story: the spreadsheet she painstakingly built to plan every campsite, the journal she cut in half to save weight, the night terror she had at what she's now convinced might have been a haunted campsite, and the moment on trail where she seriously considered quitting, plus the mental tools she used to talk herself back into it.
We also talk about what it's really like to be alone out there (spoiler: you're never quite as alone as you think), and what it felt like to finally stand at the finish line after 200+ miles solo.
What you'll learn in this episode:
- Why Jeanna decided her first-ever solo backpacking trip would be the entire JMT, no smaller trips first
- How she planned her permits, resupplies, and a 30-day permit for a 21-day itinerary (and why the extra buffer mattered)
- Her night terror story and the "haunted campsite" she still thinks about
- The mental tools, including the 50-50 and "what if I just…" technique, she used the moment she wanted to quit
- What it actually felt like to cross the finish line, and why she ended up sobbing alone for 20 minutes
- Why solo doesn't mean lonely, and how trail community carried her through
If you've ever wondered whether you're "ready" to do something like this, then you're going to love this episode with Jeanna.
How to Connect with Jeanna:
- Instagram at @jeannasch
- Or connect with her directly inside the Backpacking Badass community
Where to learn more about Allison:
🎁 FREE GIFT: Grab the Outdoor Backpacker Starter Kit for FREE here to get started on your journey with backpacking. (shedreamsofalpine.com/adventure)
🥾 BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist): This is our signature program where women who are done waiting finally get the skills, the plan, the coaching, and the community to make backpacking real. You'll learn everything you need to get out there safely and confidently — and you'll do it surrounded by 2,000+ women who are right there in the trenches with you, cheering you on every step of the way. If you've been circling this goal for a while, this is the place to finally land.
Learn more and join our waitlists for these programs here:
