Laurie Gagnier (supplied)

Laurie Gagnier is out there alone in the wilderness. There is no one following her to offer sips of water or transport her supplies to the next hostel. She’s carrying her shelter, food, water and clothes in her 35-pound backpack while hiking the rugged Appalachian Trail on a six-month solo trip to raise funds for The Children’s Miracle Network (CMN).

Gagnier, a 54-year-old mother of three, grandmother of six, and Realtor of 25 years, began her journey on Feb. 1 in Georgia and is walking more than 3,250 kilometres through the eastern United States to Maine.

The broker with Re/Max Affiliates Realty Ltd. in Ottawa, who describes her walking speed as “turtle,” says, “Most people (including her family) think I’m nuts doing something so long and so difficult. The Appalachian Trail is the most difficult long-distance trail in North America.”

Facing the physical and mental challenges

“Can’t you just have a golf tournament to raise money? Why do you have to take on such a challenge, and for so long?” her family wanted to know.

Gagnier admits it’s a lot. “Spending six to eight hours every day for up to six months, either going uphill or down, takes a toll on your mind and your body. I won’t lie, I was absolutely flabbergasted at how little ‘flat’ or ‘flatter’ hiking there is.”

The Appalachian Trail turns rocky near the peak of Blackrock Mountain in Shenandoah National Park (Canva)

It takes her about an hour each morning to coax herself from her warm sleeping bag, get dressed, pack and set off to brave the terrain and elements.

She begins the day’s hike at around 7:30 a.m. and walks for a couple of miles to warm up before stopping for coffee and food from her backpack, which also includes other necessities such as power banks and a compact camping stove.

Navigating the trail and finding shelter

A GPS offline map tells her the location of water sources, viewpoints, parking lots and wood shelters (three walls and a floor) peppered along the trail. The shelters may be better than sleeping in the open, but it’s still brutal, she says, with a variety of “critters walking across her head at night.”

Sometimes she will be alone; other nights, there could be five or 10 people—hikers including everyone from the newly retired to vets to young adventurers who all want to conquer the challenging trail. Gagnier says she thinks she is the only one walking to raise money for hospitals.

The GPS map also “shows you where you are and what upcoming elevations to expect,” she says.

Sharing her journey and finding support

Gagnier vlogs while she hikes, and once she reaches camp and her chores are complete, she edits the YouTube vlogs on her phone and uploads them at the next hostel with Wi-Fi. “There could be a lag of 10 to 14 days.”

On the day of the phone interview for this story, she set off with four days of food. She checked the map to look for places to restock. If there’s a hostel, she will message (if she has service) to see if there’s room. She checks parking lots along the way to see if they have a shuttle to the nearest town. Or she drapes a towel with a “hiker to town” message over her backpack and is pleased to accept offers of rides. For the most part, the community is hiker-friendly, she says.

Every three weeks, her husband (they’ve been together for 25 years) “finds her” to replenish supplies and spend time together so she can recharge and enjoy a few nights at a hotel with a hot shower. Otherwise, she’s roughing it. “I’ll be happy not to dig a cat hole again,” she says.

Pushing through to the finish line

“It’s an extreme sport. Only 25 per cent who start will finish the hike. One-quarter quit by Mile 31,” she says.

Her family feels a level of anxiety about her trip, but she says she has a satellite communicator that allows her to text her family and send an SOS to emergency services if needed.

“I have lived a very charmed life. When I turned 50 in 2020, it was celebrated by fighting breast cancer. As I was going through radiation in June 2020, there was a day when I was feeling pretty rough, and very sorry for myself. I looked up as I heard the noise of a hospital bed coming down the hall.

“On that bed, I saw an absolute hero. He couldn’t have been more than four years old. I may never know his name or what he was fighting, but it was obvious it was a pretty big fight.”

She says she broke down and cried. “It was then I decided to get off my hiney and do something hard.”

A mission beyond the trail

Gagnier has been a CMN supporter, donating a portion of her income for 25 years through Re/Max’s Miracle Home Program, but felt it was time for a challenge.

“CMN is a passion of mine. It starts and ends with the kids…I have deep ties to my local CMN hospital. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be doing this. We should never take these incredible hospitals for granted. Also, I felt I had to pick something very far outside my comfort zone in order to replicate the things that these kids and families have to go through mentally.”

The Realtor mindset on the trail

Gagnier says being a Realtor has helped her prepare for this challenge. “Working in a business where things can literally turn on a dime and you have to adjust instantaneously is what has prepared me most for this trip. Much like real estate, no two days out here on the trail are the same. Your task does not change in the sense that every day you just need to walk the trail; however, you have to be ready for all kinds of changes, from weather to water sources, to shelter options and re-supply.”

Barring injury or new requirements for aliens in the U.S., she plans to keep on walking until she completes the hike.

Help her reach her goal

Gagnier, known on the trail as Canadian Bacon, needs the support of her fellow Realtors and the public in the U.S. and Canada to help her meet her fundraising goal.

On the Canadian website, there is a drop-down list where people can choose the hospital they would like to support. In the United States, when folks put in their billing information, their donation is directed to the hospital closest to their ZIP code, she says. So far, she has raised just over $18,000. “I’m hoping to hit $50,000 or more.”

If you are a realtor living or working near the trail, you can also support her by cheering her on and giving her a wave.

You can donate to Laurie’s cause here, and follow her journey on YouTube and Instagram.

Editor’s note: Unfortunately, shortly after completing this interview, Laurie had to suspend her hike due to a serious knee injury sustained while hiking. Despite this setback, she remains committed to raising funds for The Children’s Miracle Network and is still welcoming donations.