DPMR board member Renee Jacobs shows us that life doesn’t stop when you become a Mom. At 42-years old, Renee successfully completed an audacious trek in the High Sierras, where she established a women’s fastest known time (FKT).
Join us for the DPMR virtual chat with Renee on Sunday, Sept 13 at 4pm.
The Sierra High Route is a 200-mile cross-country route from Twin Lakes (near Bridgeport) to Road’s End (in Kings Canyon,) much of it in rarely explored areas of Yosemite. Not even half of this wildly scenic course is on maintained trails, and nearly all of it is above 9000′ of elevation.
Renee has been studying and exploring the route as much as possible this summer. Her intellectual, mental, and physical fitness rewarded her with “the singular joy of cross-country travel [that] lies in wandering through the timberline country as the pioneers did–wondering what the next turn will reveal,” according to route creator Steve Roper.
Renee was also rewarded with a supported woman’s FKT of 4 days, 23 hours, and 53 minutes on this spectacularly challenging route. Don’t let the term “supported” fool you… Renee spent 99% of her time in the High Sierras completely unaccompanied and often seeing no sign of other human life for hours on end.
Her support team met her the last 3 out of 4 nights for camping either at a trailhead or deep in the wilderness along the route. Meanwhile, her husband Matt tended to their toddler at home while juggling a busy work schedule. As a professional recently turned full-time Mom, Renee knows what it’s like to juggle life’s demands.
“Don’t give up! It’s hard but it’s possible!”
Renee’s message to all moms
To learn more about Renee’s spectacular feat, start with this podcast at the Treeline Journal. You can also listen to an interactive interview at the Mile 99 series.
All photos by Renee Jacobs
Congratulations! I know the route well: went sub-8 days unsupported in 2005. It is beautiful and tough terrain that requires comfort on “climby” sections, navigation and close in route picking. Hope you enjoyed your trip and are recovering quickly.
Congrats, Kevin! I don’t come across many people that have completed the route… I considered going unsupported and had been training for running with overnight gear, but the opportunity to sleep in my Sprinter van 2 out of 4 nights (in Tuolumne and Devil’s Postpile) and the fun of running with a light pack drove me to go supported :p It was an amazing journey beyond words…