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Carly Brunault - One more Day On the AT
42 Plays22 days ago
This week, Alasdair sits down with Carly Brunault, a partial scholarship recipient from One More Day on the AT to discuss the founding, impact and legacy of this 503(c) that helps hikers thru hike the AT
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Transcript
00:00:01
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Outdoorsy Educator Podcast, where stories become lessons and every journey has something to teach us. Every week I sit down with people from all walks of life to hear their adventures, explore their experiences, and uncover the insights that have shaped them along the way.
00:00:21
Speaker
Whether it's from the outdoors, the classroom, or any other path, each conversation offers a fresh perspective on learning, growth, and what it means to truly connect with the world and the people around us.
00:00:40
Speaker
And on this week's episode of the Outdoorsy Educator podcast, we have Carly Brunolt. Carly, how are you today? I'm so great and um thank you so much for ah highlighting our organization on your podcast. It means a lot to us to get the word out um about one more day on the AT.
00:01:02
Speaker
Yeah, I've been really excited. to We've chatted for a little while and I've been excited to get this episode recorded. Why don't you tell us a little bit about you and the organization that we're here to talk about today?
00:01:15
Speaker
Yeah, um I'm Carly Bernal. hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2022, and I hiked the trail with ah help from the One More Day on the AT Scholarship. um I was a partial scholarship recipient.
00:01:34
Speaker
ah While I was planning for my hike, I came across the organization in a Facebook group and their story really resonated with me.
00:01:45
Speaker
um One More Day on the AT was founded in honor of the Loftus family's loved one, Nate Loftus. His trail name um is El Chapo. And he hiked 786.6 miles of the
00:02:07
Speaker
and He passed away in 2019. And while he was on the trail, he had this idea of having this organization of supporting individuals that were battling life challenges and obstacles um and couldn't necessarily just get on the trail easily financially. um and so he actually kind of had this idea. And then when he passed away, his family
00:02:38
Speaker
brought this whole organization to fruit fruition. And um he passed away from an accidental overdose. he was given a fentanyl laced drug and he lost his life. And he had just actually had a successful rehab experience. um And after the trail, about a year after the trail, he had relapsed and passed away. And in my personal story,
00:03:09
Speaker
I resonated with this story because um what brought me to the trail is i had a significant other for a very long time, many, many years growing up in my life, and he struggled with addiction. I also have a brother who has been battling addiction for over 20 years, and that has changed like very much so ravage my life and my family. um I'm actually still dealing with a lot of that currently, um, even today, but um,
00:03:45
Speaker
So i just, I applied for the scholarship and I really connected with them and and they gave me a partial scholarship. And and throughout the whole trail, i remained um building a relationship and connection to this family. And they asked me to join their board of directors after the trail. And um I do a lot of the social media work.
00:04:11
Speaker
And I mean, i do everything with them. um So it's been really helpful, like full circle to join the board of directors after my trail experience. It um it really keeps the trail close to me. like Because like I was saying, um you know, life is full of so many ups and downs and things.
00:04:36
Speaker
To be able to keep the trail close has helped in my um ongoing healing journey. And the trail really has a lot of lasting impacts to your life.
00:04:49
Speaker
Yeah, it's something that we don't talk about too much, but of course it's hugely important, is hiking the the Appalachian Trail is not cheap. um I know some people try and do it with minimal you know financial impact to themselves and things like that. should live on ramen. Right. it it it It generally doesn't work out too well for them. um It just, in the people I've talked to, it does cost, it just costs money. You've got to live still. You have to eat and shower and stay in places and all of those things. um So you were the risk a partial, a recipient of a partial scholarship. How did that impact your ability to actually get onto the trail? Was that, I mean, was it a deal breaker? Like this allowed you to get onto the trail?
00:05:39
Speaker
So I wouldn't say it was a deal breaker because where I was at in, in my life, like I was going on that trail come hell or high water. right um And actually that was one of the questions in my interview is they were wondering like, well, will this not, will not getting this scholarship be, be a deal breaker. And, and I told them like, I'm, I'm going no matter what I have to go.
00:06:06
Speaker
um And financially, like I just I just made it work. um I well, they they really helped me um get a lot of my gear and all the backpacking gear, especially if you want super lightweight quality gear. It's very expensive. hmm.
00:06:27
Speaker
So it was it was very helpful. And then I'm so thankful that you are a recipient of this. Can you talk us through, you you've you' touched on the interview, but the process of finding out about One More Day and then until you step foot on the trail, what what did that process look like?
00:06:48
Speaker
Well, there's an application that you fill out. um And many, many people apply and all the members of the board ah review all the applications. And then if you make it into um a Zoom interview um and then you you meet everybody on Zoom and share your story. And um so that's kind of the process. And so there's different tiers.
00:07:21
Speaker
But, yeah, I. somehow made it to receive a particle. I cried a lot. So I think that got me in. Hey, well, you know what? I'm sure you were just authentically you and they could see that.
00:07:36
Speaker
I'm sure. Yeah. It's something that I like to talk to through hikers especially about, and this is without any presumption that there is a big change, but how does time on the AT do you feel impacts mental health and or personal healing for those who may be seeking it?
00:07:55
Speaker
Yeah. um Well, I was just thinking about this earlier, how, how much our physical health ah really affects our mental health and how different of a person I become, like even on the daily throughout the day and in life off trail, like if i don't go on a hike, you know, I have um much more anxiety. um Actually,
00:08:21
Speaker
When I was on the trail before the trail, I had high blood pressure. i had some chronic pain in my shoulder from an old injury. And after the first month, ah my blood pressure was balanced and my chronic pain was gone. After I had that pain in my shoulder for about five years, I had chronic pain. And I think, um,
00:08:46
Speaker
Being out there, like the physical part, um i I believe I built muscle around that old injury to heal it, but I was also at peace mentally, and that has a huge effect on your whole well-being.
00:09:03
Speaker
Oh, I mean, I could not agree more. My wife and have been married almost 11 years. And to this day, she knows me better than I know myself sometimes. And she'll just go, you need to go for a hike. You need to get outside. And I'm like, well, what do you mean? And she's like, I can see it in you're starting to get certain way. she's like, that's what you need to reset yourself. And she knows that. So she'll kick me out of the house. It's so true.
00:09:34
Speaker
Well, it's just, it's sort of just, you're going back to ah your roots. um You know, like being out in the sun, um even, even hiking in the rain. I personally love hiking in the rain. right It's just feels like refreshing. um But yeah. And moving your body, getting fresh air. And as far as backpacking and especially backpacking for six months,
00:10:02
Speaker
ah You're completely detached from your life and society at home. And really all that's on your mind every day is, okay, like food, where's the next water source? Where am I camping tonight? Which, what shelter am I going to And you're just setting up camp, breaking down camp, walking, walking.
00:10:25
Speaker
You know, um it's you're just your mind is just focused on those things and you're it's not um really too much stress to the body. Aside from like carrying your 30 pound pack, it's a little stressful, um but it's the only thing that you have to think about is waking up and and walking and.
00:10:46
Speaker
Yeah, it's simple. So, yeah, even though it's on the outside, other people are like, but that's so challenging. And even now when I go on a hike, um sometimes I'm just like, wow, I cannot believe that I hiked the Appalachian Trail. Like this hike is so tough right now, but like I'm just stressed out from everything at home. So it's it's very different.
00:11:10
Speaker
Yeah, it does allow you to shed a lot of those burdens that we all carry with us every day. I think that's such an important thing. ah Something I was thinking about i was when I was so doing a little research and thinking, what questions am I going to ask you?
00:11:25
Speaker
I thought I'd love to ask you, obviously, I assume, met plenty of other through hikers on the 18 or built up some friendships. Who did you meet on the trail without mentioning any names, of course, if you don't want to just that had a particular impact on you? Was there a story somebody told you that has stayed with you from then until now?
00:11:48
Speaker
ah Well, while I was on the trail, I actually, i met so many people. um I started a photography and video project on trail names. And I interviewed, i have interviewed so many hikers and I've heard so many stories. And I ended up publishing a book at the end of my hike on all the, a bunch of hikers that I met. um So I've been in contact with,
00:12:18
Speaker
so much with everyone that I've met and so there's there's endless people and stories in the trail community that have stuck with me and are just like so part of my life now well I think this would be a good time to talk about your book um could you tell us a little bit about it Yes. So um I'm a photographer. And when I went on the trail, i just, you know, being a creative person, I just was like, well, I'm hiking the Appalachian Trail. I i have to do some sort of project out there. um
00:12:57
Speaker
I don't even know really how the the project idea Trail Name Tales came to me, but it just like popped into my brain. And I actually ah came out at a gap in Georgia and another thru-hiker asked me to do a survey, thru-hiker survey. And so I just naturally asked him, well, hey, I kind of have this idea for this trail name project. Like, can I interview you?
00:13:26
Speaker
And he told me his trail name story. And then his friend who was with him was like, oh, can I do mine? And, and then it just like naturally progressed all throughout the trail. And so basically I would ask people what their trail name was and how did they get it? And there's usually a funny story or a sentimental story behind that um behind everyone's trail names and it just really it actually ended up going viral online which i didn't think it would ever do right it did um
00:14:02
Speaker
And I actually wasn't planning to make a book while I was out there. The idea for the book came after the trail. And when I got off trail, i was sort of struggling with post-trail depression as most through hikers do. And i had all this content and I was like, actually, like I could make a book.
00:14:22
Speaker
And so I put all my energy into that and I made a book and I still am continuing the project online and there might be another book at some point.
00:14:34
Speaker
I love it. were You're probably not going to run out of through hikers to ask. No. Yeah, i keep like going on trail and doing trail magic and then being at trail days. um So I'm continuing to interview people I love it. Trail magic has got a special place in my heart. My wife's not a big, big hiker. She likes the outdoors, but going 10 miles a day for 20, whatever it is for days on end, not really her thing. But she loves the thought in retirement of just planting trail magic up and down the trail.
00:15:08
Speaker
um That just speaks to her heart. So I love that you're involved in that. Yeah, I've been the recipient of it. It's amazing. It is. The Appalachian Trail community is so strong, all from from Georgia to Maine. And they're everyone that lives near the trail. There's so many trail angels and people hanging out just waiting to help hikers out. It's we're actually pretty spoiled out there.
00:15:36
Speaker
Right. yeah You do see the best of humanity, I think, on the trail. um There's something about it that does bring out the good in in everybody. um so Something I was thinking about is when you tell people your story, I imagine a lot of people go oh, I can't imagine doing something like that.
00:15:56
Speaker
ah what What advice would you give people who perhaps want to undertake some long distance hiking, but feel it's not for them or they're just a bit nervous about doing it?
00:16:07
Speaker
um Well, a lot of hikers that I met out there, um there were a lot of people going through like life challenges that that they needed.
00:16:18
Speaker
They just needed to get away and and do it. um There were also a lot of people and their mindset changed. was I've always wanted to hike the AT and they were just going to do it. So your mental state is everything because there were so many people out there that had never hiked or backpacked a day in their life, but just really wanted to hike the trail and just went out there and and did it. um So, I mean, i always just say like,
00:16:49
Speaker
just You could go out even for a couple nights and just test tests the waters, but um I actually don't believe that you need much preparation for AT. I did have a lot of preparation, and i I have been hiking. I have a ton of hiking experience today. And I do feel that that helped me. But then there were also people passing me up on the trail that had never backpacked before. So right ah I think that if you want to do it, you probably just you just will. Yeah.
00:17:27
Speaker
but just get out there. I think you're right. I think you learn as you go. Exactly. And there's no short people will help you and be glad to support you. people will Help you. um Yeah, I had a friend um who really, really helped me because I was going through such a tough time. And I didn't really have my mental state wasn't like making spreadsheets and planning and um reading reviews on hiking gear and planning the dates of when we're going to go and where we're going to stay and all this. Like, i my friend just basically planned everything and I was like, like I'll be there.
00:18:05
Speaker
i love that. So yeah I think of my my friend, that you may know Derek Lugo. He's an author. Yes, love him. I um yeah it interviewed him for my project.
00:18:18
Speaker
Oh, I love that. He's actually coming to, yeah we're going camping this weekend. He's coming through Texas. Oh, no way. Awesome. we've um Yeah, he's become a good friend. We've stayed at AT Trail Days, PCT Days together. We've done little hiking here and there. But I think of him often. I met him at Trail Days.
00:18:38
Speaker
Yeah, he's ah he's quite the fixture at Trail Days. um He's heading out to CDT Days, CTD Days just now, and then heading then heading back east. for um Where is CDT Days? It's in a town called, I believe it's Silver City, New Mexico. It's in southern New Mexico.
00:18:59
Speaker
Oh, nice. He's going down there for a few days. But I think of him often because sometimes I i can get caught up in the the you know the the gear, the this, the that. And, of course, his he famously read A Walk in the Woods and the next week was on a plane to Georgia, having never you know never been on really been camping or any kind of serious hiking before. You've just got to decide you're going to do it. Yes. Yeah. I think it really can. That's what makes all the difference. As you said, that mental state.
00:19:30
Speaker
Yes. It's everything. um If listeners just remember one thing from this interview or or your experience on the trail, what would you want one thing that they take away with them to be?
00:19:44
Speaker
Well, well really like the everything that the trail gave me is is just kind of indescribable um a lot of through hikers will probably agree um it's you can't really describe in too much like detail like how much the trail just helps you um And also it's always there. It's always going to be there if you need to get away and escape and be in nature. um
00:20:22
Speaker
You know, a lot of um thoughts that I have is on like being happy and finding joy. a lot of that is, is inner work and you can't,
00:20:34
Speaker
You can't really think that you can find peace externally all the time, but like going away and backpacking for six months and changing my surroundings did really help, help me internally. um But doing that, even temporarily, like it did change me internally to like have lasting peace um off trail. so I love that. And it's I don't fully understand it. Maybe none of us do. But there is a change that washes over you when you spend that amount of time outdoors.
00:21:11
Speaker
There really is. well And I'm lucky that I get to um keep the trail so close with the scholarship organization and I get to assist in helping other people get out there and have lasting impacts. So. I love that. Well, I've got ah three more questions I'd like to ask you kind of three quick fire questions before we come back around to how to contribute and help with one more day. Um, how, if we're really thinking pre hiking or pre trail to after you're through hike, how has your definition or your view of success changed if indeed it has?
00:21:53
Speaker
Um, yeah, I definitely feel that it has. Um, You know, as an artist, not that I haven't like, you know, publishing a book after the trail, like that's all success to me, but also more so um before the trail, I would say i was more anxious and really focused on like the next productive thing that I'd be doing for my life.
00:22:20
Speaker
creative career. um But I'm also just more content and okay with whatever happens happens. And I will put in the work, but I'm not going to obsess over what happens next. um Again, that's just what comes with ah the inner peace that you end up having and just feeling more content in life and also more grateful. um Once you live out of a backpack for six months, you kind of, um you know what I had two outfits that I wore for six months. um You appreciate a shower and a bed and a hot meal.
00:23:01
Speaker
um Those are all such small things to be grateful for or um or you know, you out there hitching a ride, you don't have a car. um So the trail really has put a lot of things into perspective of just being grateful for the mundane and being happy with that. I i love that. Aside from your own book, has there been a book in your life that's been particularly impactful?
00:23:32
Speaker
And you can take this any direction you want, any way. Well, what comes to your mind? um i so I have an addiction to books.
00:23:46
Speaker
and Excellent. And I have this problem where i I see books, and I'm a visual person, so I will like see books and I'll read like the cover and look through the pictures. And oftentimes I don't read them, but I just, I like the aesthetic. I like them around me. I'm intrigued by them. um I just, I'm addicted to little free libraries. I will stop at all of them and just collect books. um But I guess I can't really pinpoint too many books. But right now I'm reading book called H's for Hawk. And it's about a girl who um used to go and...
00:24:37
Speaker
look and search for hawks with her father and he passed away and he comes through as a hawk in her life, the energy and, and actually right now I'm going through that. Cause I recently lost my father and he used to have a hawk that would visit him in his yard all the time and actually would like, let him hold the hawk. The hawk would let my father hold. goodness Um,
00:25:05
Speaker
So that book kind of just came to me. So I like um kind of as finding a spiritual connection and just letting a book come into my life at the right time. I love that. well What a wonderful answer. That's great. It's just i mean filled filled me with joy, the visual of the hawk. I love it. um If you could go for a day hike with one person, this could be somebody you know, a stranger, famous, not famous, dead, alive, anybody. If you could go for a hike with one person and just get to pick their brain and spend time with them for a day, who would you think that would be?
00:25:43
Speaker
oh Well, is could it be someone that I've already hiked with? It could be anyone. Or someone that I have never hiked with. It could be either. it could whatever direction you want to go with it.
00:25:59
Speaker
Well, I will just go with um hiking with my friend Jackie because we started hiking together during COVID. um We spent so much time in the White Mountains and the White Mountains are so heavenly beautiful. And those were just some of the best times. And I would just relive that. And I'm grateful for her for taking me on all these hikes. Yeah.
00:26:29
Speaker
And yeah, she's a big part of my Appalachian Trail story. So. I love that. Well, as we kind it coach i love it as we kind of come to a close here, I want to of course, highlight one more day on the AT. Where can people find out more information? Of course, you can donate to help people get on the trail. Where can people get in touch with you, find out information and get involved?
00:26:57
Speaker
Yep. Our website is onemoredayontheat.com and you'll find everything there. um You'll find ways to donate there and read more about our story and our recipients and how you can apply and all that all that jazz.
00:27:14
Speaker
I love that. And believe you're on Instagram as well. You're on some social media if people want to connect there. Yes. Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Yeah.
00:27:24
Speaker
Perfect. Well, I would highly encourage every listener out there, check out One More Day on the AT, a fantastic nonprofit organization. And Carly, thank you so much for being here with me today. i really do appreciate your time. Thank you. We appreciate you. Thank you.
00:27:45
Speaker
Thank you again to this week's guest and I hope today's episode was as enjoyable for you as it was for me and perhaps even inspired your next adventure. If you did enjoy the show, please be sure to subscribe, leave a review or follow us wherever you get your podcasts. You can find more information at theoutdoorsyeducator.com or follow us on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook. Until next time, thank you so much for listening to The Outdoorsy Educator Podcast.