New England woman passes through Sacramento while hiking coast to coast
SACRAMENTO — A New England woman is on a journey to hike across the nation, and CBS13 caught up with her as she made the trek through Sacramento.
Briana DeSanctis, 40, has been hiking the 6,800-mile-long American Discovery Trail for almost two years now, and hopes to become the first woman to ever complete it.
The trail is a route that's typically broken up into four regions connecting the West and East Coasts. It runs through Washington, D.C., and the states of Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California. It encompasses city, forest, mountain and desert terrain all in one route.
DeSanctis carries everything she needs to sleep and to eat, all tucked away on her back as she hikes across the entire country.
"One of my biggest reasons for hiking this trail is to inspire others and to empower women," DeSanctis told CBS Sacramento on Thursday. "I think, nowadays, people don't really get outside enough, and even if they do, maybe people don't do what they really want to do."
From people to all sorts of wildlife, she's come across mountain lions, bears, prairie dogs and challenging weather – from one extreme to the next.
DeSanctis said that she's seen it all on the road, but the one thing that stands out the most is people's kindness and their willingness to help her through the journey.
"I have experienced some of the most amazing people," she said. "The nicest families. People don't know me from a hole in the ground inviting me into their house for dinner."
She's a hiker determined to go the distance by pushing herself in hopes of strengthening others.
"I think we're not being pushed enough and I've certainly pushed myself on this one," DeSanctis said with a laugh.
DeSanctis has already hiked around 6,600 miles and has approximately 200 left. She'll be speaking at the Los Angeles Adventurers' Club later this month. You can track her journey on her Facebook page.
