Kelly Bessem on the trail in Oregon.
Alpine County resident Kelly Bessem is setting out to complete 3,000 miles from border to border on the Continental Divide Trail from New Mexico, through Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, ending in Canada.
“Feeling like things couldn’t possibly work out or that something unexpected could happen at any moment must be embraced.” Bessem acknowledges, “One could say that thru-hiking always embodies this, but in the grand scheme of things, it feels like a more secure life decision than ever.”
Thru-hiking is completing the entire length of a long-distance trail from one end to the other in a single season. Relishing in her “freedom to roam,” she is experienced and well-versed in this demanding physical and mental challenge. There is a tradition of having a special name that you use on the trail and Bessem is known as “Rogue.”
Following the spine of the country where the headwaters spring, flowing into streams and then rivers that eventually make their way west or east into the Pacific or Atlantic oceans.
These lands were initially traversed by the indigenous peoples of North America. During the push for westward expansion, the Divide became an obstacle for settlers, the defining geographic features playing an important part in history. The trail is remote and mainly stays at high elevation.
She has already hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (2,600 miles from Mexico, through California, Oregon, and Washington to Canada), the Oregon Coast Trail (362 miles from the Columbia River to the California border), the Trans-Catalina Trail (38.5-mile on Catalina Island, California), the High Sierra Trail (72.2 miles from Crescent Meadow to Whitney Portal in California), and the Tahoe Rim Trail (165 miles around Lake Tahoe). In New Zealand, she tramped the S. Te Araroa, known as “The Long Pathway.” It is 870 miles across the South Island.
Normally a solitary activity, Bessem has turned her thru-hiking plans into a fundraiser showing her appreciation for people. She asked herself what the best, most beneficial thing she could do with where she is in her life right now. Having had her own hardships, she is seeking to make a positive difference for others. “In looking at responses to catastrophes on a large scale, I would want physicians there to help the people that have been impacted. That is the first priority.” she says. “Rather than despair, you can choose to do something that actually matters.”
Not easily flustered, Bessem is preparing to spend the next six months raising money for Doctors without Borders. “They are reliable, have been around for a long time, can get access, and help everywhere, all over the world.” she says.
Doctors without Borders cares for people affected by conflict, disease outbreaks, natural and human-made disaster, and lack of health care in more than 70 countries. They provide independent, impartial medical humanitarian assistance to those who need it most.
Bessem never gets bored. Her love-language is definitely “action.” Although she was born in Southern California, she was a “Daddy’s girl,” fishing and digging in the dirt all the time. She studied fashion and interior design, but when she found a summer job in Yosemite, everything began to make more sense for her.
“It was simple living. No phones worked, and it was a good community, both accepting and welcoming.” says Bessem. She got married there, then went back to SoCal, but eventually ended up moving to Tahoe. Both she and her ex worked all the time, but managed to create an opportunity for themselves to travel in California, Arizona, and Nevada. Bessem fell even more in love with wandering, backpacking, and particularly the land itself.
She found she was gifted with an ability to read maps and find her way almost anywhere. She became more and more resourceful, and her passion also grew. She thought “I should do something to protect these places.” This set her out on an educational journey of many years, graduating first from Humboldt State with a degree in Geography, emphasizing Water Resource Policy and Geospatial Analysis, along with a minor in Journalism.
She received her master’s from Northern Arizona University in Climate Science and Solutions, along with a Certificate in River Studies and Leadership in 2018-19. She was most fascinated by the study of Hydrology. She states that “My aim is to always be overqualified.”
“I was fortunate to become immersed in Pacific Island Culture. It is filled with sustainable successes and especially with hope.” says Bessem. After a two month study, she stayed on for another full month in Maori, New Zealand, relishing the communication and connectivity, with “circle-ups” and songs beginning each new day.
Bessem moved on to do water quality, algae and frog monitoring at high elevation lakes in Sequoia King’s Canyon. For work, she used her geography background to begin navigating off trail, with offices at Three Rivers.
But the mountains of South Lake Tahoe kept enticing her back, and she returned to get training as a Wilderness First Responder. She worked summers as either a Wilderness or Hydrology Technician for the Forest Service mostly for the El Dorado and Lake Tahoe Basin. In the winters, she has instructed snowboarding first at Sierra, then at Kirkwood.
“This last year, my personal life felt like a rollercoaster, with major highs and lows. In addition to losing my US Forest Service career plans, maneuvering difficult relationships, dealing with lasting injuries from a car crash, I leaped into the world of home-ownership by purchasing a fixer-upper in Alpine County. Everything seemed to move too fast to even blink. I am looking forward to quiet days on the trail to review the ride. What’s more American than setting off on a grand adventure through public lands with nothing more than a backpack and a lust for adventure?” queries Bessem.
“Life is short.” she continues “There are no guarantees. As much as you possibly can, you gotta make things happen, you gotta make things good. Existence is always full of trade-offs and junctions where we must choose which path we’ll take. I know that pursuing this bucket-list goal will brighten my life in ways I don’t yet understand. I am here, jumping into the unknown.”
She will be blogging and writing articles about her journey.
MORE ONLINE
Gofundme for Doctors without Borders (tax deductible):
https://gofund.me/eee0a611
On instagram @rogueroamings
https://thetrek.co/author/Bessem-rogue/
https://cdtcoalition.org/category/blog/