After serving as Crew Chief to Lucas Horan and Jenn Gaskell as they did their circumnavigation of the Bay Area Ridge Trail in 2019, I knew I wanted to go back and do it myself. I envisioned doing it with Lucas (and ideally Jenn too if her work schedule would allow for her to come over from Scotland for the adventure), but when Lucas disappeared on December 24th of 2020 and Jenn couldn't come over to due to COVID, I realized I was going to have to do the adventure alone.
Lucas and I got engaged in the fall of 2020 and were planning to get married sometime in 2021. His disappearance was absolutely heart-breaking and I miss him terribly every single day. I knew, however, that he would have wanted me to continue to have adventures, even without him by my side. I had decided to rent out my house for several months in the spring of 2021 since being there was extremely challenging for me with all the memories of him. I had two more weeks before my renters were out and I needed something to do, so I decided last minute to go for a trip around the Bay in his honor. His mom and I worked with the Bay Area Ridge Trail to fundraise to connect a section of not-yet-open trail that was in need of a bridge in his honor. We raised over $25,000 to connect the trail and put up the bridge which will be dedicated to Lucas with a memorial plaque. For more information on this project, visit: https://lucashoran.com/connecting-trails-for-lucas
Because I decided to do this circumnavigation just a few days before, I didn't have any dedicated crew. The first half I did completely solo, carrying my own food and water and refueling at gas stations, Alice's Restaurant and Lucas' favorite aid station: 7-11. The second half I had friends that came out at various points to bring treats and goodies and positive vibes.
For sleeping, I had no plan and took it day by day.
The first night I slept for 30 minutes on a park bench in Los Gatos, which I arrived to and left from by foot.
The second night I stayed in a hotel in San Jose, which I arrived to by Uber from a Walmart where I was looking for a pair of shorts to cover my super sunburned thighs. the next morning I took an Uber back to the same Walmart and continued by foot from there.
The third night my amazing friend Nate Stanis (ultra-runner extraordinaire) set up a tent for the two of us near Lake Chabot, which I arrived to and left from by foot.
The fourth night I stayed in a hotel in El Cerrito. I got to the hotel using my car which my amazing friends Jo Ohm and Brady Burgess brought to the trailhead that night. I then drove my car back to the trailhead the next morning and left it there.
The fifth night my amazing friend Dana Gaylon gave me a ride to my car (which was parked at the trailhead near El Cerrito since I left it there after staying in the hotel the night before) and I slept in my car that night at the trailhead. I then drove it back to the trailhead where I was the night before, left it there and then carried on.
The sixth night I stayed in a hotel in Marin that my amazing friend David Krohn booked for me while we were chatting on the phone as I sat in a cute Italian restaurant in Fairfax he had called and booked me a table at. As I ate my pasta and charged my headlamp, he not only booked me a hotel for the night, but also orchestrated a taxi to come pick me up and take me there. The next morning I took a Lyft back to the trailhead.
The seventh night I arrived at the Golden Gate Bridge after the pedestrian side had already closed, so I opted to take an Uber back to my car, sleep in my car for a few hours, and then start again in the morning.