A fool can dance on an edge of a cliff and not fall off because she's held together by her own bliss...
Who you calling a fool?
When I grow up, I want to be a professional tree climber... wait a second, scratch that, I don't ever want to grow up. Grownups say silly things like, "I wish I could have..."
Who are you and what is this whole backpacking thing about?
Great question and thank you for asking! My name is Ashley but I like to go by Bloody Mary on the trail. People often mistake me as brave, but I'm happy to set the record straight, it's simply a healthy mix of childlike naïveté and insanity.
As for the outdoor adventure stuff, well, it all started when I was living in the beautiful country of Colombia and family sent word that Mom's health took a turn for the worse. She was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Grade IV (terminal brain cancer), and left us at the young age of 55. She lived her life to the fullest and inspired me to chase after my dreams, as crazy as they may be. So, I quit my job, donated all my belongings and hit the trail.
With zero hiking experience, I set out on July 12th, 2014 to hike the Pacific Crest Trail solo and southbound and made it to Mexico five glorious months later. After the PCT, I spent 4 months in Southeast Asia touring on a motorcycle, where I realized I wasn't ready to stop. I finished the Pacific Northwest Trail solo and unsupported in August 2015, the Te Araroa trail of New Zealand February 2016, Vermont's Long Trail in June, a solo Iceland traverse in 2016, and the Hayduke Trail in November.
On June 10th, 2017 I converted to two wheels and started my bicycle adventure in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. I'm only planning this trip 5,000 miles at a time, but if all goes well, I might end up in Argentina before you know it!
I can't wait for the thousands of miles of adventure to come… and am even more excited to share my silly little stories with you.
