Woman makes unlikely friends at B.C. snowmobile lodge during epic 5,700-km trek

An American woman who hiked a combined 5,700 kilometres through the U.S. and Canada over five months found an unlikely source of help right at the end of her trip — a group of B.C. snowmobilers enjoying an evening in their cabin.

Jessica Guo documented her extensive journey along the Continental Divide Trail in the western U.S., and the Great Divide Trail in the Canadian Rockies, over the course of more than 150 days between April and September.

Initially, Guo only shared her trek with friends and family, but later began chronicling her travels on social media and in a newsletter, gaining thousands of followers.

Guo says she is the first woman to ever complete the trails on one simultaneous trip, and the fourth person documented to have done so.

"I think it was also very gratifying to know that I had that kind of impact on other people's lives," she told Sarah Penton, host of CBC's Radio West, last week.

"I've had so many people reach out to me saying that they have been inspired to go outside or go for a hike ... I think that's been really special, and I'm so grateful to have been a part of all of these other people's journeys as well."

The northern terminus of Guo's epic trip ends in Kakwa Provincial Park northeast of Prince George, B.C. On Day 152 of her trip, Guo planned to hike towards Prince George to meet her parents the next day.

En route, she met Greg Redmond and a few of his friends — Gary, Bob and Lee — members of the Kakwa Park Snowmobile Club who have been recreating in the area since the 1980s.

Guo initially approached their cabin hoping for a ride to finish her journey, but the group said they weren't headed out to Prince George that night. Not wanting Guo to hike the rest of the way in the dark, the friends offered her dinner and a place to stay instead.

"They said we don't really feel comfortable with you going out there in the dark like that. It's not a very good road, it's really rough. It's very muddy," the hiker said.

"It's a lot of, like, steep banks and you're going to be sliding around in the dark — and then there's grizzly bears."

The five quickly hit it off, exchanging stories of their adventures in the mountains.

Redmond said he and his friends built the cabin around 2005, with friends working in local lumber mills helping with supplies.

"It's seen lots of animals. It's seen grizzlies try to crawl up the wall of the cabin," he said.