Faye Decker

Hey, I’m Faye.

As I was thinking about something interesting to write for my bio, I considered the things in my life that have had the biggest impact on me. I grew up loving the outdoors and spending many days hiking with my family and spent my summers at nature camp. I went through a lot of phases with outdoor sports throughout my life, including canoeing, horseback riding, rock climbing, and more. Although I really enjoyed all these phases in my life, the one that I have fallen in love with lately is backpacking.

My best friend from my hometown took me on my first backpacking trip in the Great Smoky Mountain Range. I had never done anything like this before so I was both excited and a little terrified. The hike took a lot of endurance and pushed my limits. I definitely struggled but it showed me how great it feels to push myself in that way. Summiting our first peak was the best feeling in the world, even though to my dismay I had to learn how to use a bear hang at our campsite (basically a pulley system to hang our backpacks up for the night so the bears won't steal the food). So, once I got past the fear of seeing a bear in the middle of the woods with no way out, it was great! It also showed me how much peace you can gain from being in nature (really being in nature, as in, no phone service for a week).

Since that trip, I have been to Mount Hood in Oregon and the beginning segment of the Appalachian Trail. I'm super glad that I trusted my best friend with taking me on that first trip and I hope to have many more! Even though I have been through many phases with these outdoor sports, this feels like one that is going to stick with me and take me on many more fun adventures in the future.