Washington is a state known for its residents’ love of the outdoors, and Washingtonians are known to take it to the extreme. While not all of them fit the stereotype, junior Shelby Mallard does with her love of backpacking. 

Backpacking is an outdoor activity where one carries all their supplies in a backpack while hiking and staying overnight on trails, often done in groups. Mallard originally started backpacking when she was eight years old after her uncle gave her and her brother backpacks for Christmas to introduce them to backpacking.

“That summer my dad took us on our first trip along with our uncle, who was formerly a guide. We went to Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Leavenworth and visited three different lakes there,” Mallard said.
Since then, Mallard has been to countless other places for backpacking across Washington, but she has a few favorites.

“I definitely enjoyed backpacking in the Cascades. My absolute favorite stretch (a section of trail) there was coming out of the White Pass area on a part of the Pacific Crest Trail,” Mallard said. “You’re walking along a ridge that’s steep on either side of you, so you get this beautiful view of the mountains and a perfectly flat path to walk across on top of this huge mountain.”

Mallard also plans to go on future backpacking trips in the forests of the Amazon and Eurasia, as well as the entire Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).

“Backpacking on the PCT is where I would start in Mexico in the spring and go north across three states to reach Canada in the fall,” Mallard said. “It seems extreme, but I can make it happen.”

While walking all day may seem difficult and boring, Mallard believes it gets easier once falling into a rhythm.

“I go backpacking with people I know, so we do a lot of socializing,” Mallard said. “As the day goes on, we get more exhausted. Then the conversations start getting goofier, which I love.”

Being in the presence of nature also helps Mallard to enjoy the long hikes across trails.

“It’s refreshing to be so connected with nature since we’re outside for so long,” Mallard said.

There have been some experiences Mallard remembers fondly, especially ones with unexpected hardships.

“We went on a trip, and it was a beautiful, sunny day. We set up our tent and went on a day hike, and it started pouring rain,” Mallard said. “Little did I know, our tent had a hole in the roof with water dripping onto our sleeping bags. We ended up using my one sweatshirt to soak up the water. Just two hours later, it was sunny again, but those two hours were so cold, and my sweatshirt has not recovered.”

Mallard advises that backpackers must be physically and mentally prepared before they begin.

“Being ready for rain and thoroughly checking your gear, especially in Washington, is important, but so is being flexible with the things you might encounter,” Mallard said.

Even though her whole group enjoys backpacking, Mallard has realized that there is a lot of diversity within her group.

“Some people like to backpack differently than others. My dad and brother, for example, like to hop from lake to lake, hiking for a day and then spending an entire day at the lake,” Mallard said. “I just like to walk and cover a lot of ground in one day doing long trips.”

Mallard has learned valuable life lessons while backpacking such as perseverance. 

“On the last trip I went on, I was sick with a runny nose and constantly coughing,” Mallard said. “However, when I look back on it, I’m glad that I didn’t give up because I remember how pretty the views were and how it was truly worth it.”

Mallard even has some terminology she uses to describe her backpacking experiences.

“There are three types of fun: type one fun is general fun things like hanging out with friends; type two fun is not fun at the time, but you would do it again like hiking in the rain; type three fun is it’s not fun when you’re doing it, and you never want to do it again,” Mallard said. “For me, type two fun experiences are the best ones to go back to.”