It has been 3 weeks since I flew back to Minnesota. Previous thru hikers often talk about post-trail depression, but luckily it hasn’t hit me yet! To be honest, I was in quite a bit of pain the last 3 weeks of the hike so was eagerly anticipating my return home. Luckily, I was able to return to all of my part-time jobs (dog sitter/walker, nanny, and elder care provider), which I feel very fortunate about! Let me back up to the days following my return…..
Kristen and Phil’s Wedding
I was really glad I had their wedding date, September 18th, to have as a goal to get back for, otherwise I wouldn’t have been as motivated to finish when I did. I only had about a day and a half to pack up the van and head north towards Duluth! Going from living out of a backpack to my converted plumbing van felt like moving into a mansion. It was nice to have an event that gave me an excuse to put on a dress, heels, jewelry and makeup. I almost forgot what that felt like! It was nice to see a lot of my family that I hadn’t seen in a couple of years due to covid. It was a fun wedding!
We even had some extra time to hang out at the campground with some family members that stopped by to celebrate my mom’s birthday. The morning of the wedding we enjoyed going on the luge alpine coaster at Spirit Mountain and playing a round of mini golf.
Jay Cooke State Park and Brule River State Forest
I wanted to take some time to unwind before jumping back to work. I had a relaxing time at Jay Cooke State Park and the Brule River State Forest. It was nice to get back into cooking again, I’m trying not to overeat but it has been hard since returning! I’m really enjoying fruits and vegetables again 🙂 I went on a lot of day hikes, which was a nice change from carrying a heavy backpack. I also had the opportunity to canoe down the Brule River, it was fun but scary! There were several times I thought we were going to tip. 🛶
Podcast Interview
About a week and a half ago I was contacted by a gentleman named Steve Adams. He runs a weekly podcast titled Mighty Blue on The Appalachian Trail and he wanted to know if he could interview me! I was a little reluctant at first, those who know me know that I’m quite introverted and this is definitely something out of my comfort zone. A good friend of mine told me that her life motto is to “encourage and inspire others,” and this struck a cord with me. I got into backpacking about 6 years ago and have learned so much since then! I thought it couldn’t hurt to share what I know and how I got into this addictive hobby. You can listen by clicking on the link below. Thank you to those who have followed my journey, I apologize I had such a hard time keeping up with this blog! At this time, I’m not sure what future adventures are in store, but there will definitely be some hiking (or perhaps paddling) involved, I’m just not sure it will be a 2,200 mile trail over 6 months. Signing off….Feather Blue 🪶💙🥾🚶♀️🏞️🏕️🌲🐿️
https://mightyblueontheat.libsyn.com/episode-291-shannon-shaver-feather-blue
(I will post a few random pictures below that tie into the podcast)
A few pictures from the Camino:
The Superior Hiking Trail:
(**A huge thank you to my friend Lisa (Sumshine) who did this hike with me, she is a 2015 Appalachian Trail thru hiker, I learned so much from her on this hike!!!)
Army days:
Hiking Through with Feather Blue 