Liberty Walks Chronicles
5.26.25 - Today was a personal training walk for me… 8 miles on a trail outside Oakridge, Oregon, through second growth and old growth forests, some areas recently ravaged by fires, some totally untouched and pristine. At one point, we rounded a corner and stepped into a meadow filled with wildflowers - we were overlooking the Sisters, Mt. Bachelor, and Diamond Peak all at the same time, the vista truly breathtaking. I thought to myself that 8 miles goes quickly when you have such beautiful views to take in from time to time. Eight miles took us four hours, even with breaks for water, snacks, and a climb up into the nook of the most perfect maple tree. That pencils out to approximately 10 hours each day on the walk dedicated to putting one foot in front of the other. It’s a simple task - life in pilgrimage strips away much of the extraneous noise and brings you to your senses - you become far more viscerally aquainted with your eyes, ears, skin, perception and proprioception…
While talking with a group of clergy recently about Liberty Walks, in the hopes of spreading the word and getting more people involved, I was trying to describe what it felt like before going on pilgrimage back in 2018 when I walked the camino, compared to how I felt after having accomplished my goal in that pilgrimage. Truly the best way to describe the change that took place over the course of that experience was that every part of me - body, mind, and spirit - was strengthened by undertaking that experience. Today, while hiking, I just kept thinking about that idea - that by moving through the world in this way, every part of us is fed, fortified, and strengthened.
Today, I was feeling so lucky to share the day with my husband and my dog, all of us happy to be outside and exploring the world together. We are so lucky to live in this beautiful place - we have so many raw and untouched (or lightly touched) wild places in this great country of ours. I am getting pretty excited to get out on the road with all of you. I hope your training is going well, and that you are feeling as hopeful, emboldened, and determined as I am currently - it’s a good feeling!
In other news, the fundraising letter is going out, and we are hopeful that our efforts will afford us a support vehicle. We are in need of drivers who are willing and wanting to come alongside in a capacity other than walking. A “job” description will be forthcoming and we’ll be spreading the word to try and fill that role in the coming days. In the meantime, enjoy a few snaps from the Tire Mountain Trail:
Me and the maple tree 😍
Diamond Peak from the meadow
Going where the trail leads…
Onward!
❤️
Kate
5.24.25 - Another gorgeous day for a training walk! There were over a dozen walkers there with us today, and the sun was out to guide our way. Those four miles went by quickly, and there were certainly a lot of other people out enjoying the weather, the paths, and the park, too. We crossed paths with bikers, roller bladers, runners… and some turtles. Plenty of folks stopped to chat and ask questions about Liberty Walks and what we are up to. I got the names and numbers of a few folks and will be having some follow up conversations, and hopefully we’ll have a few more people ready to join in the pilgrimage. This training walk was special for two additional reasons: we were joined by a reporter from the Eugene Weekly (it was great to meet you, Eve!), and we were wearing our Liberty Walks swag! The first shirts have arrived and they look great! But don’t take my word for it… here’s proof of how stylin’ we Liberty Walkers are:
Now, I know - this image only shows nine people, but take my word for it, there were at least four more who are not shown here, but who walked the full four miles with us today. There is something just downright GOOD about walking and talking and being together in this way. Come join us!
❤️
Kate
5.23.25 - A big thank you to Tanya who put in time, effort, energy to get the Go Fund Me page up and running - no small feat. Hooray!!! Now, for tomorrow, we are meeting up for a traning walk and this week there will be a reporter joining us, which is also exciting news. We don’t have a social media presence yet (which may be a good thing?), so word of mouth is really how information about the walk is spreading at this point. That may change a bit after Esty gets a chance to talk with a reporter tomorrow. We hope to have a lot of walkers there for the training walk - maybe you will come check it out? We sure hope so!
Onward!
❤️
Kate
5.19.25 - The gear list is live!! We have had a cadre of hikers helping us to compile a comprehensive list of neccessary and helpful gear for Liberty Walks walkers, and it is finally polished and ready to go! When you go to the Join Us page, there are links scattered about the page to get you to the gear list… is this enough? Should we have it linked in the home menu? In that vein, we have a young talented person who is interested in helping us get the website up to the next level, which is fantastic news! Hopefully we’ll be bringing him on board in the next week or so - keep your fingers crossed for us that it works out in everyone’s favor! That’s all for now - signing off,
❤️
Kate
5.13.20 - Each week, the board gets together to discuss matters of “what now” and “what’s next.” In all honesty, the mood of the board comes and goes in waves as we are each impacted by what’s happening at a national level. Some of us are more directly and immediately impacted than others, and I feel grateful on days when the world is so heavy that I have a life that gives me a sense of safe harbor much of the time. That is an unearned gift, I know, and gratitude for it isn’t enough, I know, which is why this forward momentum of an idea is so beautiful - a way to be in conversation with the world in a way that makes sense to me and lets movement and air flow through those tight, constricted spaces in my heart that have clamped down around fear. Let it all breathe.
There are a few things still glitchy about the wedsite that we are working through, and the gear list is getting finalized in a form that will give you a sense of structure and (hopefully) ease as you prepare for your pilgrimage across this great country of ours. As is my reminder in most areas of life: have patience with the process.
❤️
Kate
5.10.25 - Today was a great training walk. Sun was shining, a cool breeze kept us feeling refreshed, and proud goose parents were out along the riverbanks with their beautiful fluffy babies. We walked four miles today, and much of the discussion was about appropriate foot-wear. For my money, something light and breathable is going to be your best bet. I wore hiking boots today, and I doubt I’ll make that choice again. Here’s the thing, though. Choose what is going to offer you support, comfort, and ease. One walker wore flip flops today, and while I wouldn’t recommend that, either, it did not seem to slow him down in the slightest! Here’s what I would recommend: whatever footwear you decide to bring with you on the walk, familiarize yourself with them early - begin training in them now. Give your shoes and your feet a chance to get to know one another before they are forced into relating with one another for 20 miles a day!
Here are a couple of photos featuring goose babies for you to enjoy:
And one of our Liberty Walks crew for the day!
❤️
Kate.
5.9.25 - This is where the journey will be documented in real time… for example, right now, piorities are (in no particular order) getting our values & guidelines for conduct of walkers established, getting our fundraising efforts off the ground, and getting this website into good working order. There is a plan for interested parties to do a training walk in the park (4 miles) and gather for community and connection afterward. Esther is managing all of the various juggling balls and spinning plates with aplombe, and meanwhile, I am stuck in the weeds attempting to get each Lady Liberty the exact same size across the pages… a good use of time, no? Idk… will beauty be a draw for walkers? It certainly is for me! One of the reasons I am excited to have this adventure is the opportunity to explore this beautiful land of ours. Signing off now so I can go on a date with my sweet hubby, but more to come, and likely in better order once I find out how to do real blog entries. Thanks for sticking with us as we all figure out what it takes to walk across America together!
❤️
Kate.
