In this episode of What Lingers, professional hiker Shilletha, known as Dragonsky on the trails, shares her remarkable journey of traversing the Appalachian Trail and beyond. Amidst facing racist and hateful backlash from an online hiking community to confronting the physical and emotional challenges of through-hiking, Shilletha reveals the complexities of her life as a Black queer woman in a predominantly white, male-dominated sport. She candidly discusses her struggles with depression and anxiety and how nature sometimes exacerbated and sometimes healed these mental health challenges. She recounts vivid and harrowing encounters, including being helicoptered off a mountain and walking in grizzly bear territory alone. Shilletha's story is one of resilience and empowerment, where nature becomes both a sanctuary and a battleground for her mental wellbeing. Listen as she revisits discovering a sense of belonging both on the trail and in sharing her powerful story.
Shilletha Curtis' book is called Pack Light. You can connect with her on Instagram @i_am_dragonsky.
Hosts: Cristian Figueroa and Liz Melchor. Produced by Jonny Bunyan. Edited by Liz Melchor.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
