Just before 10 a.m. on Saturday, when Briana DeSanctis put her toes in the Pacific Ocean at Limantour Beach in the Point Reyes National Seashore, she achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first solo woman to complete the over 6,800-mile, 20-year-old American Discovery Trail in a continuous hike.
The American Discovery Trail is a system of recreational trails and roads that collectively form a coast-to-coast hiking and biking trail across the middle of the United States.
The inspiration for this journey struck DeSanctis after she successfully conquered the Appalachian Trail and found herself wanting to keep going.
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“I wanted more. After I finished [the] Appalachian Trail, I was like, 'This was so awesome. I can hike from Georgia to Maine. I can go anywhere,’” DeSanctis said.
Embarking on her expedition from a Delaware beach on Jan. 1, 2022, DeSanctis faced every conceivable type of terrain and weather conditions on her trail to the West Coast.
“There have been so many wild, crazy things," DeSanctis said. "A lot of boring stuff. A lot of times when I'm like, 'OK, you got to just stick with it. Just keep going. You're going to see this silo for the next five days, but you will get there eventually.'”
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While DeSanctis always knew she would complete the trail, the realization of her accomplishment didn’t hit her until the second to last day while crossing Mount Tamalpais in Marin County.
“I always try to tell people it's just a lot of walking, but I know it's big, so I hope I'm not the only one crying,” DeSanctis said.
On the final day of her trek, her family surprised her at Limantour Beach all the way from Maine and shared her tears.
Beyond exploring the vast landscapes of the country, DeSanctis discovered more about herself, with the only thing stopping her being the Pacific Ocean.
“I've learned that I have a lot more perseverance than I think I do, and I think that's really true for everybody. I just wish that more people would tap into that and understand it,” said DeSanctis.
