Report from the Trail: Annika Ananias on the CDT

BY ANNIKA ANANIAS

The outdoors are where I feel at home. I can be myself because nature doesn't care about how I look or whether I can handle the challenges of everyday life. I can just be. Nothing compares to getting out of civilization and into the mountains, feeling the sun and wind on my skin, breaking a little sweat, creating new memories, having tired legs at the end of the day, and feeling a certain contentment. 

I discovered my love for hiking during a semester abroad in New Zealand, a turning point that changed my life. To fulfill my strong desire for hiking and the mountains I moved to the German Alps and have since traveled all around the world to experience the beautiful diversity of the great outdoors. On my thru-hikes of the Te Araroa in New Zealand and the Pacific Crest Trail, I found my calling in long-distance hiking. By now, I have covered 6,500 miles on trails around the world.

This year I'm hiking the CDT southbound from the Canadian to the Mexican border. I'm only two weeks in and the trail has already thrown everything at me: snow, wind, river crossings, mosquitos, ticks, sunburn, blowdown, a winter storm and a false charge by a moose. But Glacier National Park is also one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, with roaring waterfalls, meadows full of wildflowers, snow capped mountains, and green valleys with an abundance of wildlife.