Adventure Seeker

By Melissa Hoyos, CityU Alumni Relations

In her third grade classroom at East Hill Elementary in Kent, Washington, she’s the inspirational substitute teacher, Jessica Winters. On the open trail, she’s known as Wildflower — the avid hiker lusting after nature and her next challenge.

Winters, a 2007 City University Seattle alumna, recently finished a documentary film of her last momentous trek — an approximate 2,800-mile, five-month adventure along the U.S. Continental Divide. She and friend Jessica Francis started in June 2007 at the Canadian border, walking and camping, through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. They eventually crossed the U.S. Mexican border at Mexican Antelope Wells border crossing station last November.

The friends braved freezing temperatures in the Rockies and wildlife along their well-planned route. They also met warm-hearted individuals, or trail angels, with kind words and home-cooked meals to share.

So why risk danger and give up the comforts of civilization for nearly half a year?

“Most people consider the Continental Divide trail as the mother of all trails,” said Winters, who wanted to earn her Triple Crown award — a figurative badge of honor for those who complete the Continental Divide, Pacific Crest, and the Appalachian trails.

The Albright School of Education graduate used her hiking experience from the two major U.S. trails – both more than 2,000 miles each. She also took along a video camera to share her adventure with others.

“I wanted to make a documentary to get the word out there. People hiking the whole entire length is very rare,” she said.

The two Jessicas also spent a year planning their route and meals. The women had family members mail their prepared packages with clothes and food to small town post offices during their journey. Their family also helped document the trip by posting short journal entries — including time spent in Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks — emailed from Winters and Francis using a mobile device called PocketMail. Click here to see their journal.

	Continental Divide Trail A national scenic trail running 3,100 miles (5,000 km) between Mexico and Canada along the Rocky Mountains and traverses five U.S. states - Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. In Montana, it crosses Triple Divide Peak, which separates the Hudson Bay, Atlantic Ocean, and Pacific Ocean drainages. Source: Wikipedia Hiking the Continental Divide By the numbers
	7,000		Calories burned each day
	2.5		Pounds of food eaten each day
	2,800		Approximate amount of miles hiked
	5		States visited
	2		U.S. Borders crossed
	200		Estimated number of people to hike the trail
	50		Estimated number of women to hike the trail

The Jessicas kept each other motivated knowing they would be among a small group of about 200 people to hike the entire trail.

“We worked pretty well as a team. If Jessica was having a bad day I could bring her spirits up and vice versa,” says hiking partner Jessica Francis, 35.

However, trouble did present itself throughout the journey. Francis fractured her ankle during the first month of the trip and Winters met face-to-face with an angry moose.

“I did get charged by a moose. It was the scariest thing that happened to me, but I survived. Rare instances like this do happen but for the most part, wildlife really doesn’t want anything to do with you,” she says.

Winters’ mentors at CityU of Seattle say they weren’t shocked to hear that she had dedicated time to pursuing a passion.

“I really think it’s delightful that she’s really getting out there and living,” said Corll Morrissey, Faculty Program Coordinator for Teaching Certification in the Albright School of Education.

Morrissey would send notes to Winters’ online journal to wish her well. She remembers Winters as a confident, well-rounded student who never missed a class. The two would work together often while Winters was earning her teaching certificate.

“She has a nice blend of playful love of world with being an intense student,” Morrissey adds.

Ryan Gunhold, CityU Faculty Recruiter and Winters’ former teacher, says her passion for the outdoors and environment will help her relate to students on another level.

“She wants to bring this same inspiration and passion to her students. I would have loved to have Jessica as a teacher when I was growing up. She is a passionate teacher who wants kids to learn first hand what this world is all about,” Gunhold says.

Winters expects to earn her math and science endorsement soon from CityU of Seattle. She plans to teach fourth grade at East Hill in the fall and take her experiences from the Continental Divide to her new classroom.

“(Hiking) makes me very alive but so small in the bigger picture of things,” Winters says. “The earth is very powerful… we need to take care of it so it will be here longer.”

Click here to request a copy of the documentary and watch a short slideshow of the adventure.

Back to top