Backpacking 101--Women on the Trail

ANNE CHALFANT: TICKET TO RIDE
Enthusiastic hiker definitely walks the walks
I STEPPED INTO Peet’s Coffee and Tea looking for a tanned woman — a serious hiker I was about to interview. I was sure she would be decked out in multipocketed khaki pants. After all, Susan Alcorn, of Oakland, spends her time tromping trails — and right after our interview was heading for an overnight backpack trip on Sunol’s Ohlone Trail.
But the woman who answered to my "Susan?" was dressed in black slacks and a black-and-white checked jacket, looking like a schoolteacher.
Alcorn had in fact been a elementary schoolteacher in Hercules in the 1990s. But following her divorce, she expanded her interest in hiking, taking the sport up at age 48 with Sierra Club-sponsored hikes.
One good thing led to another — in this case a new husband whom she met on one of those outdoor outings. Ralph Alcorn, who had grown up in Yellowstone National Park, was game to go along with Susan’s yearning to expand their hiking to backpacking. That led the couple eventually to a trek to the top of Africa’s 19,335-foot Mount Kilimanjaro. The Alcorns have also hiked the famous pilgrimage trail, Santiago de Compostela, in Spain and have covered most of the Pacific Crest Trail, which stretches from Canada to Mexico.
Susan Alcorn is now 66 and Ralph Alcorn is 71.
Keep on hikin’
So what makes the Alcorns keep on hiking these days?
All the usual "because it’s there" reasons apply.
But Susan Alcorn also notes how empowering it is for women to feel the self-sufficiency of
making their way in the wilderness. That’s a theme Alcorn explored in an earlier book, "We’re in the Mountains, Not Over the Hill" — a book of essays by backpacking women, which Alcorn edited and self-published under her imprint Shepherd Canyon Press.
The Alcorns also hike because, "You can go places you couldn’t go otherwise," Susan notes. To practice for their longer outings, they prowl the trails of East Bay Regional Parks, of which Susan says, "We’re so lucky here."
Fingers do the walking
Alcorn also hikes so she can write about it. Her book "Camino Chronicle: Walking to Santiago" (Shepherd Canyon, $14.95) is a finalist for the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Award, sponsored by the Independent Book Publishers Association. The book chronicles the Alcorns’ experience along the trail, and outlines the history of the ancient pilgrimage route. The trail was a newsmaker when the likes of Charlemagne walked it, and it continues to attract thousands of pilgrims still today, including actress Shirley MacLaine and presidential daughter Jenna Bush. The trail leads to Compostela de Santiago, where the bones of the apostle St. James are in the crypt.
Villagers along the trail, Alcorn notes, are very supportive of hikers. The same holds true for Pacific Crest Trail hikers in the United States along which "trail angels" drop food and water, or answer Internet postings to drive hikers 100 miles to the trail.
Heavy on the shoulders
The difficulty of carrying enough food and water is a big issue for backpackers. At one point on the PCT the Alcorns went 10 days before refueling. Yet Susan — whose shoulders are slight — is only comfortable carrying a 25-pound pack. That’s not a lot when you think of food, water, cooking utensils, medical supplies and a sleeping bag. Ralph picks up the slack with their sleeping tarp and extra food and water.
I must say, I have yet to meet the woman who loves shouldering a backpack, so it impresses me to talk to one who is even willing.
So what does Alcorn miss the most when she’s out tromping the wilderness?
"Salads and showers," she said promptly.
And the most unexpected thing you will find in her pack?
"An umbrella." She goes on to describe a lightweight version that gets them through both rainstorms and brain-frying heat, such as what they found on the Mojave desert.
And what does the Montclair woman do to survive those many sweaty days with no showers?
"Baby wipes," she said.
Anne Chalfant is a travel editor.