Hi I'm Krysta! I make videos about my life and long distance thru hiking. I have completed 3 long distance hikes: The Great Divide Trail, the Croatian Long Distance Trail & the Pacific Crest Trail. I love to create authentically, so you will also sometimes hear me talk about mental health and other topics close to my heart. It is so fun for me to take you on my outdoor adventures and I'm so glad you're joining me!
Absolutely helpful tips.hi kyrsta I recommended you visit the himalayan mountains k2 and Nangaparbat view point from one place moses peak Gilgit-Baltistan Barah Valley. Add this sound in your bucket list. Moses peak is open zone family trek
Thank you for such an open and personal video. I’d be curious to hear how your mental health is doing 3, 6, 9, and/or 12 months out from being off trail. If there’s a lasting mental health improvement from the thru hike as the trail fades.
Love your honesty about mental health issues that to some degree we all face…most just don’t discuss it and it needs to be out there in the world so we can all embrace our unique traits! I too have a very low social battery…love how self aware you are…and love that your hike improved your overall health. Think that just speaks to nature and the importance of weeding out all the noise and distractions of life…how we can all take even little moments in the wild to come back to our roots. Thank you from another Christa!
I know totally what you are talking about with regard to social battery. Mine has always been very low as well, or runs down very quickly, which was really hard as a teacher! Always has made it hard in social situations since I was kid--I just don't last long, then I need to recharge and regroup.
Thank you for Sharing this experience ☺️. I think even after one day of hiking you feel much better. Nature and movement is the key for mental health I think. 😊 Greetings from Germany
Interesting analysis of your mental health status. Do you normally do this kind of rating before all of your long-distance hikes? Do you think it’s improved due to a steady elevation of endorphins from the intense physical requirements of the hike?
Interesting analysis of your mental health status. Do you normally do this kind of rating before all of your long-distance hikes? Do you think it’s improved due to a steady elevation of endorphins from the intense physical requirements of the hike?
You have no idea how refreshing it is to hear your frank and natural discussion of these matters. In so many ways, especially for my generation (I am on the cusp between Boomer and Gen-X), mental health is just not something people talk about. And yet, because hiking and backpacking has been a big part of my life, off and on, over the years, it is interwoven with my mental health in a significant way. That has become pretty unpredictable the past few years, as I have gotten older. Hearing you address the matter so directly gives me confidence that I can address it too, with help whenever needed. Thanks.
Krysta, thank you so much for this video…I am not a tru-hiker but I am a daily hiker. When you mentioned social battery, you really touched home for me….I also struggle from time to time with anxiety and depression, and a low social battery, I love people, but become exhausted and enjoy hiking and walking by myself to recharge…You gave such a perfect description of what I also feel. Your videos are very calming and so informative. Thank you for sharing your journey.
Thanks for sharing. I’m glad you are feeling better than you were at the beginning. I found your rating system interesting and may borrow for myself. Thanks❤
This is such an awesome video. Great job being self aware and understanding where you have been and are at. 90+% of people can't do this honestly with themselves. I'm actually kind of surprised that there isn't a volume of psychological work out there that looks at through hiking and how individuals mental health changes.
This is really beautiful. I am struck by your deep self-awareness and openness. Thank you so much for sharing! I especially love that you included motivation and confidence as components of your mental health. Congratulations on such a big achievement completing the PCT! And for taking us along for the beautiful adventure. I think we all healed through nature alongside you while watching this series. ❤️
Krysta, thank you SO much for sharing with us, how this hike affected your mental health. I'm in my early 70s and was diagnosed with clinical depression when I was around 40 years old. Thankfully, I found a professional who correctly diagnosed me and found the right treatment for me! So, over all these years I've shared my journey and have tried to assure people that there is help available and it's a topic that should be openly discussed. SO...I was happy to see you discuss how the hike affected your mental health. I have loved watching all of your videos from your PCT hike! I hope Brian is getting stronger every day and it was great to see that he was able to join you for part of the trail. Wonderful!
I cannot tell you how much this resonates with me. I am planning to do a 3 week trip in the USA and now all of a sudden I had my first panic attack out of nowhere. It is so much harder than I ever imagined to be.
So interesting! Most of the time we work on our physical self tracking everything inches/pounds/reps/aerobic. But I need to track these things as I am suffering from major depression right now and having a hard time getting out.
It was so interesting to see how you rated yourself after completing the hike. I'm very surprised that you noted so much improvement after the journeys end. There is a more notable contrast between the person you were during the European adventure and the one making this latest video. It looked like the anxiety meter pegged pretty high especially during Brian's hike when you were in the support role. The person making this video has crossed many hurtles, is much stronger, more confident and capable of facing life's challenges. Well done and thanks for sharing, it's been an amazing journey.
Thank you so very much for a very important view of your life & the hike! It's inspiring watching you talking about your health because a lot of us are struggeling and searching for different chances taking (more) care about our very own health & life. THANK YOU FOR BEING STRONG EVEN IN WEAK SITUATIONS, KRYSTA.
Thank you for talking about mental health, Krysta. This is something as a 63 year old woman my generation didn’t discuss. Not because many of us didn’t want to, but because we didn’t know how to (even after years of therapy😮). I am going to watch this video again, take notes, and pay attention and gauge my own status. I had a thought while watching and listening to you; if we are more tuned in to our own state of mental health, I think we will be more sensitive and kind to other people’s state of mind. This coming week, I will try to stay present and take notice. I can’t tell you how much I love this conversation ❤
As I was watching, before you spoke about Brian's issue, I wondered how it affected your mental health so I was glad you addressed that. I watched all you PCT videos. I wonder if the hike included the benefits of forest bathing to improve aspects of your mental health. Be happy!
I have saved these last several videos so I can binge them vs wait for a weekly release. 😂 I have to say, it was SO cool to see the various passes without snow covering them and to see the actual trail through them! I’m used to watching NOBO PCTers, so these areas are typically large snowy areas covered in various footpaths of the different ways people have navigated to each pass, so I’m really glad your hike showed me a different perspective.
Cool to see! Do you have any inkling how you your loaded strength would be (barebell squat, etc.)? What about running ability? After the GDT (much less miles than your PCT thru!) I went from being able to run 15+km easily to struggling with a 3km run and went from a smooth 240lbs barbell squat down to under 150lbs.
Great video. I always use crocs when crossing currents so my hiking shoes don’t get wet (they are also goretex, so, it would take forever to dry). Even light shoes must take some time to dry and I can’t imagine they’re confortable, so, why would you not have crossing shoes?
Oh, Krysta, you are simply amazing!!! Many, many thanks for sharing your journey with the world. I have enjoyed your videos beyond measure. And, I truly respect your decision to complete your hike when you did, good for you to stay safe!!! Next year you can do those last few miles. ❤
