Regaining our Spirits & Stolen Gear
Donation protected
This March, my sister, Sean, best friend, Stephanie, and I will set out for 5 months to hike The Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,650 mile long footpath that crosses California, Oregon, and Washington.
Everything was all set, until last Friday. On February 12th 2016, we left our San Francisco neighborhood, Bernal Heights, for a weekend-long backpacking trip. In the five minutes it took us to grab sandwiches from Good Life Grocery, our car was broken into. We came back to find smashed windows, broken glass, and only two backpacks. Stephanie’s brand new pack, filled with all of her gear, as well as a bulk of Sean’s and my own, was stolen. A few days ago we found out our insurance policies will not cover any of our loss. The police have not been very helpful either, despite this being a recurring issue in the neighborhood.
Thu-hiking the PCT means everything to us. To have it end because of something so senseless would be truly devastating. We have all been working two jobs (babysitting and dog walking) in order to afford the expenses of a thru-hike, a huge portion being the cost of gear. Stephanie has been working 12-hour days for over 10 months in order to save enough money for her gear. However, with no gear, and no money to replace it, there is no trip. As a first-generation Guatemalan-American blazing a trail in the predominately-white world of backpacking, Stephanie’s journey becomes all the more important. I know her courage and determination will take her far, but if we are unable replace the stolen gear, this setback could be detrimental.
Every contribution helps replace the gear we lost. Even the smallest donation gets us closer to overcoming this obstacle and conquering the miles ahead. We plan to send postcards to each donor from the trail to show our appreciation and how far we have come with your help. Thank You!
Maeve, Sean & Stephanie
Everything was all set, until last Friday. On February 12th 2016, we left our San Francisco neighborhood, Bernal Heights, for a weekend-long backpacking trip. In the five minutes it took us to grab sandwiches from Good Life Grocery, our car was broken into. We came back to find smashed windows, broken glass, and only two backpacks. Stephanie’s brand new pack, filled with all of her gear, as well as a bulk of Sean’s and my own, was stolen. A few days ago we found out our insurance policies will not cover any of our loss. The police have not been very helpful either, despite this being a recurring issue in the neighborhood.
Thu-hiking the PCT means everything to us. To have it end because of something so senseless would be truly devastating. We have all been working two jobs (babysitting and dog walking) in order to afford the expenses of a thru-hike, a huge portion being the cost of gear. Stephanie has been working 12-hour days for over 10 months in order to save enough money for her gear. However, with no gear, and no money to replace it, there is no trip. As a first-generation Guatemalan-American blazing a trail in the predominately-white world of backpacking, Stephanie’s journey becomes all the more important. I know her courage and determination will take her far, but if we are unable replace the stolen gear, this setback could be detrimental.
Every contribution helps replace the gear we lost. Even the smallest donation gets us closer to overcoming this obstacle and conquering the miles ahead. We plan to send postcards to each donor from the trail to show our appreciation and how far we have come with your help. Thank You!
Maeve, Sean & Stephanie
Organizer
Maeve FitzHoward
Organizer
San Francisco, CA
