WARM RIVER, Idaho (KIFI) — A woman from Brisbane, Australia, has stopped in Idaho during an amazing hiking trek across the American continents.
Lucy Barnard started hiking in the most southern end of Argentina in 2017. Since then, she’s traveled all the way up to Warm River, Idaho. Her goal is to make it up to the furthest northern reach of Alaska. That would take her over 9,000 miles of travel.
Barnard originally started her journey on a whim when she was on vacation in Argentina. She learned some men had walked the full length of that country, but no women had yet.
“And it just got under my skin a little because I felt like back then hiking and walking couldn’t be that difficult,” Barnard said. “But that’s been a hard and long lesson.”
Since then, Barnard has traveled through beautiful countries like Chile, Peru, and Mexico. She loved seeing the culture, dancing, and art in South America. She says she has a great appreciation for hiking trails here in the United States.
“There is such a strong community, and I really felt helped by the trail through the United States, where it’s the first time I’ve just felt like people understand what I’m doing, and have really been able to get behind me,” she said.
Barnard says she has a strong social media community, where many people have given her encouragement, and she’s been able to give people confidence to travel like she has.
You can learn more about Lucy Barnard, her journey, and her dog, Wombat, here.
