Take A Hike
by Charlotte Skipper
If Deb Coleman could go back in time and tell her younger self she’d eventually become outdoorsy, she probably wouldn’t have believed it.
After all, Deb didn’t grow up hiking, camping, or spending much time in the great outdoors. Yet in her 60s, the Heathrow resident is now a proud member of an elite club – the Triple Crown of Hiking.
This prestigious achievement is not for the faint of heart. To reach the Triple Crown milestone, a hiker must complete the three major U.S. National Scenic Trails – the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide – totaling 7,840 miles across 22 states, all on foot.
Step by Step
Deb’s hiking journey began in her late 30s, after going on a family vacation that left her more exhausted than relaxed. That’s when she found Outward Bound, an outdoor education program where groups explore the wilderness. After seven of those trips, her Outward Bound instructor gave her the push to attempt a solo hike.
“I thought I’d just do the Appalachian Trail, and that was going to be it. But I did it, and then I got hooked,” says Deb. “About a month after, I started saying to my husband, ‘What would you think if I did the Pacific Crest Trail, too?’”
Deb hiked the Appalachian in 2017, moved on to the Pacific Crest in 2019, and finished with the Continental Divide in 2022. Each took about five months to complete, a task made easier timewise by the fact that Deb had retired from her job as a partner in a law firm specializing in communications. With thousands of miles to cover, she spent every day focusing on one step at a time.
“I was afraid that if I missed anything, I would lose the motivation,” says Deb. “For me, it was about doing it all and being able to know I really did cover every inch.”
Deb takes pride in knowing she never cut any corners, even when facing adversity.
She broke her foot 250 miles into her first attempt at the Continental Divide in 2021 and had to start over the following year. And after completing the Pacific Crest, she flew back to the Sierra Mountains just to make sure she covered a section that was too snowy months earlier.
A Little Help From Our Friends
Although she did the majority of her hikes alone, Deb couldn’t have succeeded without a little assistance from newfound friends she met along the way, known to hikers as trail angels. Deb’s faith in humanity was restored every time she crossed paths with one of these Good Samaritans, like when locals brought water out to hikers after a 34-mile stretch of dry land, or when a brigade of Czech motorcyclists stopped to let Deb hitch a ride into town.
“That’s the best thing about the trails,” she says. “The communities get into it, and everyone is helping each other out along the way.”
Even though Deb already holds one of the most coveted titles for U.S. hikers, she has no intention of ending her hiking adventures anytime soon. Deb not only plans to hike a handful of smaller trails across the United States, she often hikes local trails in Central Florida, including Seminole County’s Black Bear Wilderness Area. What matters most to her is enjoying the hidden magic that nature has to offer.
“You can go to a national park and see the areas that everybody sees,” says Deb, “but when you can be out there in the more remote areas that are just so gorgeous, it makes you really appreciate our country.”
Adds Deb, “It’s amazing that these places still exist, where everything looks like a postcard. I cannot believe I really am so lucky that I’ve gotten to be out there.”