If you know me well, or even a little, you know I have a passion for the outdoors and hiking. It is more than just a hobby; it might even be a little bit of an addiction. While I have always felt a need to be outside, it wasn’t until well into adulthood—nearly midlife—that I began to understand the true power of the earth. I discovered the healing power of nature and the independence and beauty that could fill my soul, creating an incredibly spiritual journey for this lifetime.
At 51 years old, being an “Oma” to my six grandchildren has far surpassed any professional role I have ever held, and possibly even motherhood itself. The only truer statement would be my love for hiking and exploring on foot as much of the world as my body will take me.
There are times when I think, Wow, I’ve been everywhere, and then I realize I haven’t really been anywhere at all. My journey has taken me to some incredible places—from backpacking with the bears in Alaska, to wandering around “down under” in Australia, to traversing the French and Swiss Alps while completing the Haute Route. Yet even with these miles behind me, I feel like I’m just getting started.
Still, something was missing. I knew there was a void, but I couldn’t quite put it into thoughts or words. I would just keep going, looking for that link, that high, always chasing something I couldn’t fully name.
A few years ago, I joined the Women’s Wine Hiking Society of Utah. I thought, Yep, this is it. This is where I’ll hang my hat, with a cool drink and an even cooler view. It became a space to breathe and connect with other women who shared this same drive for the outdoors.
But it also made me wonder: Why did it take so long to find this? And how do I explain this feeling to my daughters, granddaughters, and all the beautiful little souls still finding their way? How do I help them experience this calm adventure, this beauty, this freedom, this peace? Is this why I am here? Is this my life’s purpose?
As life usually has it, wrenches are thrown. Lives are lived, and some are lost. As we grow, change, and morph into middle-aged women, it can often seem like the world around us spins faster, and the changes become harder to keep up with. We lose friends. We grow apart. We lose spouses and loves through heartbreak, divorce, and sometimes death.
But we keep morphing. We keep accepting the changes. We keep going round and eventually slowing down. For me, that peace and acceptance are always found on the trail. My passion for wanting others to experience the whole-body healing that nature can bring, and the potential they have yet to discover, excites my senses and reminds me that perhaps I can offer encouragement to others along the way.
Almost one year ago this June, I became an ambassador for the Women’s Wine Hiking Society. I’ll admit, I had a lot of anxiety about the thought of leading others into the wild. Even after decades of hiking, rock climbing, canyoneering, and backpacking, I still felt like an imposter. I am an introvert, a self-proclaimed loner, and completely comfortable with silence and being alone. So how could this be for me? Yikes.
But because of what the earth has given me, I felt a calling to make sure other girls and women have the same opportunity to find themselves in nature. Mother Earth is our soul. She is the one thing we all have in common. Every human, bug, and beast thrives, lives, and gains power from this common mother.
I wanted to be part of something bigger and better, for ourselves and for our planet. I wanted to get more women involved in outdoor activities so they can experience the same healing and independence so many others have already found.
To turn this passion into more action, I am embarking on a new challenge: a guided climb of the Presidential Range. This trek is a fundraising effort dedicated to supporting SheJumps, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that helps girls and women get outdoors and the 2026 charity partner of the Women’s Wine Hiking Society.
Covering over 20 miles in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, as a fundraising climber, I will experience exposed ridges, changing weather, and challenging terrain each day. This climb is unique in the fundraising climb lineup due to no early alpine starts, lodging in Appalachian Mountain Club huts, and plenty of summits to stand on! (Learn more about SheJumps’ fundraising climbs here: https://www.shejumps.org/fundraising-climbs.)
SheJumps inspires women, girls, and non-binary people to jump, to push past perceived limitations and take risks that lead to growth, confidence, connection to nature, and joy. SheJumps create spaces for empowerment and community, helping people unearth their potential through outdoor play and connection to nature.
Through outdoor activities, sports, and education, SheJumps works to reduce barriers to growth and transformation. Their truth is simple: We dream. We jump. We grow.
Growth looks different for every person—from hiking local trails, to attending a first mountain biking clinic, to putting on skis for the first time, to summiting mountains. What matters most is having a supportive and inspiring community that nurtures growth and transformation.
How You Can Help
Whether you are just beginning your journey or, like me, discovering more of your strengths through life, there is a place for you on the trail.
If you want to learn more about the current project / hiking fundraiser I am working towards, please visit my fundraising site for the Presidential Traverse here: https://give.shejumps.org/omajenkhikes
