Journey – The Beautiful Crossing

The Journey

Cycling Across the United States

You can explore Alana Murphy’s route across the United States by checking out the map below. Alana left New York City on May 12th and reached the Pacific Ocean on August 7th 2018. During her cycling tour, this map was updated as frequently as possible to keep followers posted as to her location.

Scroll down in order to see pictures and updates from the journey!

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Stay up to date with new Beautiful Crossing projects and learn more about amazing individuals and organizations working with refugees.

thebeautifulcrossing

Using the outdoors for advocacy and standing for a more welcome America.

Posting one more series of epic views from my time

Posting one more series of epic views from my time in Glacier National Park! Missing the trail already. Life is somehow simpler and sweetly rewarding when it consists of climbing one pass after another, blister care, and scarfing down freeze-dried dinners each sunset. The mountains always impart their magic, but little by little - a slow drip of calm and certainty that contrasts starkly with our post-COVID reality. Hoping to be back out on trail soon! 🤞

#glaciernationalpark #continentaldividetrail #cdt #thruhike #sola #womenwhohike #mountainmagic #beautifulcrossing

I have crossed into Canada! After 18 days out on t

I have crossed into Canada! After 18 days out on trail and 346 miles (557 km), I have officially completed the Northern half of the Continental Divide Trail (total 1700+ miles/ 2735 km)! So thankful to my father for driving all the way to Waterton to pick me up and for celebrating with me on the border. Already thinking about the southern half and when I will be voyaging back out on trail…

#continentaldividetrail #cdt #nobo #sola #womenwhohike #waterton #glaciernationalpark #backpacking #beautifulcrossing

Glacier National Park has been outright gorgeous s

Glacier National Park has been outright gorgeous so far! The CDT treks through a series of pretty epic passes which make each day both challenging and rewarding. I’ve seen black bears, mountain sheep, and gigantic marmots (the size of small dogs)! I’ve passed through hail and thunder storms and I’ve been graced by sunsets breathtaking in their soft elegance. Not feeling ready for this leg of the trail to be over - only 40ish miles left to Canada!

#glaciernationalpark #cdt #continentaldivide #thruhike #sola #mountainmagic #canadahereicome #beautifulcrossing

I haven’t been on the insta in a while, but I wa

I haven’t been on the insta in a while, but I want to post for those who followed my trip in 2020 - I AM BACK ON THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE! I’ve got 100 more miles on the CDT until I reach the Canadian border. It has been both a painful and amazing experience getting back on trail in Montana to finish up the northern half of the trail. Blisters, bruises, and some gnarly leg gashes from bushwhacking through down trees. Each day I feel stronger and more focused. One more week left!

#cdt #continentaldivide #chickswhohike #sola #wewelcome #beautifulcrossing #glacier #glaciernationalpark #montana #montanamoment #bushwhacking

Series #2 Ecuador is Epic We’ve all had those m

Series #2 Ecuador is Epic

We’ve all had those moments - you look out over the ledge or across the ocean and for a second you are simply swept away in the vastness of it all, the beauty of the world rolling out beneath your feet.

I wish that feeling were easier to pocket, to package up and bring back home. I think it would make life a whole lot easier.

Our cross-Ecuador trip was full of breathtaking moments like that - glacier-topped Chimborazo finally shedding cloud-cover and showing its snowy face, green valleys full of grazing llamas, rugged tundra wrapped up in sunset gold.

Photos don’t do it justice, but here’s a small snapshot of the majesty we encountered biking cross Ecuador on the TEMBR.

📸 @joy.bittner

#beautifulcrossing #bikepacking #bikewander #tembr #mountainbikelife #ciclistas #womenwhocycle #ecuador #mountainmagic

Series #1 - “The Doors” There is something won

Series #1 - “The Doors”
There is something wonderful about over-the-top carvings, whimsical brightly colored paint, and elegant arches. The communities we biked through on our cross-Ecuador trip were graced by truly beautiful churches - clearly proudly maintained by community members.

If we were facing a cold, rainy night, we often sought shelter in front of a local church - protected, at least in part, by ornate roof lines, ledges, and door lintels.

Sometimes we ate lunch inside neighborhood churches in order to escape the rain. On one such occasion, the local caretaker opened the church, and proudly showed us the handmade, light-up Christmas decorations made by congregation members (and still on display mid-March). He then excused himself (heading off to check his herd), and told us we should wait out the storm inside and then leave the key by the door so that he could lock up later on his way back through town.

On another occasion, @joy.bittner and I set up our tents in front of the local church only to be surprised early the next morning when a large group of congregants gathered for 6am Palm Sunday mass. I think they were pretty surprised to find two gringas blinking back sleep while trying to quickly pack away their tents and other camping gear.

#beautifulcrossing #ecuador #ecuadortravel #local #transecuadormountainbikeroute #tembr #kindnessofstrangers #bikepacking

This post is long overdue - life’s unexpected ch

This post is long overdue - life’s unexpected challenges and changes have usurped my social media responsibilities. WE REACHED THE SOUTHERN BORDER WITH PERU !! After over 1,000 miles of up and down Andes mountains we biked through the tiny border outpost of La Balsa. This bridge crosses the Rio Chinchipe - the official border between Ecuador and Peru. It was certainly a victorious moment, but as with all adventures, tinged with sadness and pangs of regret. It is always hard to leave the trail - for all its trials and tragedies, somehow the struggle brings a peace that is hard to find in “normal” life.

I plan to share a short series of posts highlighting the second half of our journey. I had particularly bad luck during this second half of the trip, contracting salmonella and amoebic parasites as well as being attacked by an overly vigilant dog. Considering the above, please excuse my lateness in posting... thank you all for following our trip!! Your support is what makes it all possible.

#beautifulcrossing #transecuador #tembr #transecuadormountainbikeroute #bikepackher #bikepacking #ciclismo #ciclista #bikelove #mountainmagic #peru #ecuador #bordercrossing

There have been amazing moments blessed by sunshin

There have been amazing moments blessed by sunshine - rare afternoons when the mist clears and the valley opens up beneath us, the mountains magically pop into focus. We have spent the past week biking through small villages and towns, single-family farms, fields planted on steep mountain sides, sheep and donkeys who anxiously watch our slow uphill progress and duck in cover during our descent.

Biking the TEMBR during the rainy season has been rough - it has tested our resolve, frozen our fingers, and put a lot of wear and tear on our bicycles... but we are more than half-way to Peru!! The southern city of Cuenca is coming up.

Thanks for following our journey and for cheering us on!

#beautifulcrossing #tembr #transecuadormountainbikeroute #transecuador #mountainmagic #bikepacking #bikelove #ecuador #ciclistasdemontaña #ciclismoecuador

It’s all about the mud. I definitely didn’t r

It’s all about the mud.

I definitely didn’t realize at first just how crazy we were for deciding to do this journey during the rainy season.... This last leg of the trip has definitely been a wet one. Sometimes it pours for hours till the ground washes away underneath your tires. Sometimes the air itself is so saturated that the moisture hangs like a thick curtain, a perpetual shower albeit poor water pressure. Of course, spending all day wet means spending all day cold. Freezing hands and feet.

It’s a good reminder of everything we learned in 2020. Oftentimes things don’t go as planed. All the mud and rain and muck makes that uphill section feel all the steeper, but we are still climbing. Sometimes pushing our bikes, yes, but climbing all the same.

#biketouring #bikepacking #transecuador #ciclistas #mud #mountainbike #mountainmagic #ecuador #womenwhocycle #womenwhobike #beautifulcrossing

It continues to amaze me how on this trip how we c

It continues to amaze me how on this trip how we can wake up in our tents in the middle of the mountains, wander through tiny towns and villages where we eat lunch protected from the rain by a church roof outcropping, and then later that same evening find ourselves wandering city streets enjoying hot food and steaming showers.

Ecuador is puzzling in its vastness. Beautiful in its diverse ecosystems. Its people remarkable in their hospitality - we have been given shelter now multiple times by families and individuals along the way who took pity on our dripping rain-jacketed selves and muddy bicycles. Feeling blessed to be here and blessed to be on this adventure with @joy.bittner .

📸 @joy.bittner
#beautifulcrossing #bikewanderer #bikelife #bikepacking #transecuador #transecuadormountainbikeroute #otavalo #quito

So far the hardest part of the journey has been th

So far the hardest part of the journey has been the uphill section we biked from La Merced de Buenas Aires up to the Paramo surrounding Piñan... I thought my bike’s chunky tires could handle anything, but mud, mud, mud is certainly one way to make anything or anyone slow down. High above the tree line, the rugged mountainscape, and decimated and washed out dirt road meandering off into the distance, and the roaming horse herds make you feel far away from civilization.

It has been a wild and beautiful journey so far. Ecuador continues to blow me away with its beauty, humble me with its altitude and steep ascents.

#transecuador #crossecuador #bikepacking #bikewandr #wanderlust #ciclistas #womenwhobike #mountainmagic #beautifulcrossing

We started our cross-Ecuador journey yesterday on

We started our cross-Ecuador journey yesterday on the Colombian border, and today we cycled through the wildly beautiful páramos of El Angel National Park. Every now and then, rain clouds and mist swept across the sky only to be replaced by bright sunshine, highlighting the distant mountains and waving frailejones (pretty amazing-looking spiky plants unique to this part of Ecuador).

The terrain is pretty rough. Hoping my legs get a lot stronger QUICKLY. We ended today’s ride with fried tilapia and a long downhill section... very thankful to be on this crazy journey with @joy.bittner - extremely thankful to our amazingly patient friend @cesar.alvarado.3 who accompanied us for these first two days.

#beautifulcrossing #crossecuador #bikepacking #shecycles #bikelove #packnpedal #ponermetas

One week left until we head north to Tulcan to sta

One week left until we head north to Tulcan to start our cross-Ecuador journey!! Trying to squeeze in as much training as I can.

I’m falling in love with my new Specialized Epic. On the hunt for names (yes, I definitely believe in naming my bikes). Any suggestions? Pls drop a comment below. 🙏

These shots were taken while riding down the Valle of Guapalo and then, of course, all the way back up to my neighborhood in Quito. This city is amazing. Feeling extremely blessed to have a raging river and a 15,000ft+ (4,700m+) mountain essentially in our backyard.

#transecuadormountainbikeroute #transecuador #quito #quitoturismo #specializedbikes #bikepacking #bikelife #bikelove #beautifulcrossing

Let the training officially begin! I’m excited t

Let the training officially begin! I’m excited to share that I will be joining @joy.bittner on a new adventure - cycling across Ecuador 🏔 we plan to journey via remote trails and dirt roads through the Andes Mountains from Ecuador’s northern border with Colombia south to Peru.

It has been wonderful to be back in Quito, but I’m definitely feeling the altitude! Chicago is not the best spot for mountain venture prep. Fingers crossed remaining trip training and preparation goes well 🤞

#beautifulcrossing #bikepacking #globalcyclists #cyclistas #womenwhobike #ecuador #quito #ponermetas #andesmountains #training

Sharing some shots from our “model shoot” last

Sharing some shots from our “model shoot” last week! I’m currently helping a dear friend of mine, Sasirubi Ramesh, launch her Etsy Business - Rubi Work Of Art! These pics are of Sasirubi’s daughter, Suruthika, and I wearing some of her beautiful handmade beaded jewelry designs!

Sasirubi came to the U.S. as a refugee in 2016, and I was her employment caseworker while I worked with World Relief Chicago. COVID and the resulting employment cuts have really affected her family. I’m always impressed by her resilience and creativity, and I’m really proud of her for starting this new business!

Check out RubiWorkOfArt on Etsy at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RubiWorkOfArt?ref=search_shop_redirect

Her designs are truly gorgeous, and would make excellent Christmas gifts! Plus your purchase would directly support a refugee artist and positively impact Sasirubi and her family!

#refugeeswelcome #refugeeartists #etsyshop #modeling #handmadejewelry #supportlocal #supportsmallbusiness #supportrefugees #womensupportingwomen #womeninbusiness #beautifulcrossing

Trying to soak up whatever warmth is left in Chica

Trying to soak up whatever warmth is left in Chicago while out on my Surly. 2020 sure has been a rough one and now that the sun sets around 4:30pm and it’s getting colder - it feels harder to remain optimistic and open. In Chicago, COVID cases are surging and more and more people have loved ones who have been personally affected. Feeling thankful for the remaining sunshine and my family, and thinking of those who can’t be together during the upcoming holidays.... #surlybikes #crosscheck #bikelove #chicago #chicagoskyline #alltogethernow #2020 #beautifulcrossing

Next Monday, I’ll be joining Northeastern Illino

Next Monday, I’ll be joining Northeastern Illinois University Faculty members for a digital panel discussion hosted by the @chicagopubliclibrary - We’ll be discussing Mohsin Hamid’s book “Exit West” as well as migration and refugee resettlement! If you haven’t read it yet - definitely a book to check out! Poetic and thought provoking, full of complex and surprising characters.

The event is Monday, Nov 16th 6:00PM CST. The best thing about COVID (maybe the only good thing) is the increased ability to connect digitally: anyone can register for the event. You can also watch/listen to the discussion at a later point via the Chicago Public Library’s YouTube Channel. For more info: https://chipublib.bibliocommons.com/events/5f4f24b8636ecf45005ce77e

#chicagopubliclibrary #chicity #northeasternillinoisuniversity #migration #existwest #beautifulcrossing #usrap #refugeeswelcome #migrationisbeautiful

After weathering on-and-off rain accompanied by fr

After weathering on-and-off rain accompanied by freezing temperatures, snow struck again! We woke up to our tents covered in white fluff, the certainty of wet boots and socks, and a very muddy snow-covered CDT. Confronting steadily dipping temperatures, we decided to abandon the trail and hike out to lower elevation only to be rescued by a Montanan good Samaritan in a red pick up truck.

The seasons have changed too quickly for my plodding progress hiking along - I won’t be able to reach Canada this year, but I hope to return to the CDT next summer! My heart feels displaced after leaving the mountains, and my still aching feet almost miss the blisters.

Thank you all for following my hike! It is impossible to capture the lessons I learned from both the trail and the incredibly kind, hospitable people I met along the way. I feel full of gratitude and oh so eager to return - soon!

#cdt2020 #beautifulcrossing #continentaldivide #montana #montanamoment #fatherdaughter #mountainmagic #kindnessofstrangers

Montana sure is gorgeous - we’ve had only a few

Montana sure is gorgeous - we’ve had only a few blue sky days, but the mountains have blown us away! Deep, clear lakes flanked by cliff sides already sprinkled with gold. Rugged peaks and dramatic purple cloud-streaked skies.

Each day the temperatures start out freezing, rise to tolerable sweaty-T-shirt weather, and then plummet again once the sun dips below the mountain range. Several nights we warmed up around beautiful bonfires, star gazing and eating snickers. The CDT continues to inspire, challenge, and surprise me.

#montana #montanamountains #continentaldivide #cdt2020 #beautifulcrossing

Look who I found in Darby, MT?! I’m thrilled tha

Look who I found in Darby, MT?! I’m thrilled that my Dad has decided to join me for two weeks on the trail. End of last summer we climbed Mt. Rainier together and I think he’s been missing the mountains ever since...

Jumping onto the trail is tough - the CDT is somehow wild and rugged (despite being a relatively well maintained route - thank you chainsaw crews!). You never know what the trail has in store for you each day... this last leg, it rained our first three days on the trail. The following night (albeit dry) dipped well below freezing, and we woke up with our tents sheeted in thin ice. We climbed a number of steep passes riddled with switchbacks, and we even saw a bear! My first one on the trail - not a grizzly though, so all good 😬

The CDT continues to push me, teach me - really happy to share its lessons and beauty with my father.

#continentaldivide #cdt2020 #montana #montanamountains #thruhike #beautifulcrossing #mountainmagic

Today was my 50th day on trail - I have officially

Today was my 50th day on trail - I have officially hiked over 850 miles across four different states (with a lot of Montana and quite a bit of Idaho left to go)!

Whereas my headspace at the beginning of the trail was predominantly dedicated to fretting over blister pain and fantasizing about food - I’ve really come to feel at home on the CDT... in a constantly challenged but also reduced anxiety, always marveling at the mountains sort of way. It has been a wonderful place to ponder - I guess that is all we hikers really can do while walking all day, everyday 😉

The world has been pretty crazy this year - and even though 2020 feels like it is drawing to a close, things don’t seem to be getting a whole lot better. I encourage all of you to find some headspace - to get outdoors if possible. To let the trees, stars, and mountains impart a little peace and security amidst the current roller coaster.

#beautifulcrossing #cdt2020 #covidcrazyiness #headspace #continentaldivide #mountainmagic

So on the topic of “trail trials” - this last

So on the topic of “trail trials” - this last Monday I was hit with a very sudden surprise snowstorm. Within a matter of hours I went from hiking in a T-shirt and shorts, sweating, to suddenly freezing, doubled over attempting to fight intense wind while climbing a mountain pass. The wind and snow continued throughout the afternoon and evening, forcing me to hunker down in a clump of pine trees off trail. I didn’t sleep much that night - it was too cold, and all around me I could hear the sound of beetle-kill weakened trees breaking under the unyielding sway of the wind.

Thankfully, temperatures warmed and most of the snow melted within a few days. Feeling thankful for all my extra layers, for hot chocolate, for my tent. Thankful to be safe.

#cdt2020 #surprisesnowstorm #continentaldivide #frozenhiker #solohiker #beautifulcrossing

I have spent the past 5 days hiking in Idaho! I re

I have spent the past 5 days hiking in Idaho! I remember when I first voyaged into this (for the Chicagoan) little-known state while biking across country summer 2018 - I was blown away by her glory. I’m still impressed.

Lots of mountains! Not quite as tall as what I previously crossed in Wyoming and Colorado, but neither their beauty nor difficulty should be underestimated. Some bushwhacking has been necessary 😬🏔

Idaho mountains means lots of up and down, and lots of switchbacks! On the trail, I love switchbacks. They signify striving for the summit, approaching the peak - the goal - while miraculously avoiding facing the full fury of that incline... in life, however, “switchbacks” feel discouraging, infuriating. Who wants to double back, seemingly repeat something already accomplished or already endured? I’ll try to have a little more patience on those switchbacks - on trail and off.

#beautifulcrossing #idaho #cdt2020 #traillove #mountainmadness #mountainwoman #continentaldivide

Every day on the CDT brings beauty and blessings a

Every day on the CDT brings beauty and blessings as well as “trail trials” - unexpected problems that push you. A chewed and pillaged food bag, wind so strong it feels like it will rip the hair off your head, an unmarked section of trail that you are forced to bushwhack.

This last leg I had to hitchhike around a wildfire burning in Yellowstone National Park that was blocking a 20+ mile section of the CDT. I felt guilty skipping a section of the trail, but also thankful that I was able to continue onwards to Idaho/Montana!

The fire prevented me from spending as much time in this national treasure of a park as I would have liked, but I still did a little geyser gazing...

Heading north!! It’s getting colder! Almost makes me miss the desert... 🤔 #beautifulcrossing #continentaldivide #cdt2020 #yellowstone #geysers #solohiker

The last glimpse I want to share of the Wind River

The last glimpse I want to share of the Wind River Range is my climb up the craziest pass I’ve completed on the CDT so far - “Knapsack Col.”

The Knapsack was daunting to say the least - incredibly steep with nothing but loose scree to cling to. Standing up on the top of the pass with the wind howling was a pretty incredible moment.

After straddling Knapsack, the trail descends to the deep Aquamarine Peak Lake, and then eventually to the Green River Lake region where I bid the Winds goodbye - for now.

There’s something motivating about the mountains that incomparable. It’s electrifying. Next leg, I head into Yellowstone National Park.

@qdpp 📸 for the last shot!

#windriverrange #glacierglory #knapsack #mountainmagic #cdt2020 #continentaldivide #beautifulcrossing #soloclimbing

While venturing in the Wind River Range, I also co

While venturing in the Wind River Range, I also completed a CDT alternate section up to the Titcomb Basin - another chain of ethereal glacier-melt lakes so immense and strangely still they somehow suck the mountains and sky right into them. Gorgeous.

Luckily, I had some company on this leg and was joined by the talented photographer, Konrad @qdpp 📸 who took some sweet shots of the mountains and me.

Unfortunately, there are quite a few active fires going on in the surrounding area (off in Colorado, California, Oregon?) so for this section of the trail the sky remained smoke clouded. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had somehow been transported back to China - hiking amidst a daily dose of smog and pollution... the smokey skies were kind of magical, however - well, mysterious at least.

#cdt2020 #continentaldivide #windriverrange #explorewyoming #beautifulcrossing #trailmagic #womenoutdoors

There is no way to describe the beauty of the Wind

There is no way to describe the beauty of the Wind River Range Mountains in Wyoming - so I will attempt to capture it and share its glory with you all in a series of posts. Here’s my first attempt.

These shots are all from what is called “the Cirque of the Towers” - an impressive half circle of craggy peaks through which channels a chain of deep, icy snowmelt lakes.

For CDT hikers going northbound, we climb three mountain passes on our journey along the cirque - the Saddle, Jackass Pass, and Texas Pass.

If the views weren’t fantastic enough, I was blessed with excellent company for this leg - and of course, seeing as only days before I had been wandering in the desert, I felt halfway to heaven.

#wyomingwonders #cirqueofthetowers #windriverrange #wyoming #cdt #continentaldivide #shehikes #beautifulcrossing

I have survived the Great Divide Basin and a large

I have survived the Great Divide Basin and a large stretch of the trail that passes through the Red Desert of Wyoming! Not a lot of shade out there - lots of sun exposure and crazy wind that feels like it’ll rip your skin off or push you over if you let it. Miraculously, there is water in the desert - and everything it touches takes on a magical quality. Swipe to see some of my sick desert campsites. #continentaldivide #cdt #shehikes #solotravel #wildwyoming #desertoasis #beautifulcrossing

I’m officially in Wyoming!! I made it to Rawlins

I’m officially in Wyoming!! I made it to Rawlins just in time for the Rodeo! Cell service has been sparse during this past leg of the CDT - hope to share more from the trail soon but enjoy some of these epics views. Wyoming is a rugged wild land. After leaving behind the mountains, my route has gotten increasingly drier with water hard to find. Hoping I make it through this next dry section to Atlantic City. #continentaldivide #solohike #shehikes #beautifulcrossing #wyoming #mountainmagic #cdt2020

I have officially completed my first leg of the Co

I have officially completed my first leg of the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) - my hope is to walk over 1500 miles/2414 km from Grand Lake, Colorado to Glacier National Park on the Canadian border.

I don’t know if I will make it - the week I’ve already spent on trail has taught me I severely underestimated the CDT... but I’m ready to try.

2020 has been a hard year - for everyone. For me it has been dominated by a series of unexpected health problems accompanied by undiagnosable leg and knee pain. I’m hiking the CDT to reclaim my health, to prove that I can still live a life full of adventure despite these past months of doctors visits.

I’m hiking the CDT for everyone whose lives feel on hold due to COVID-19. For everyone who has been separated from loved ones by travel restrictions and closed borders. For all the young people confronting an unstable economy and uncertain future.

Follow my journey! #beautifulcrossing #continentaldivide #mountainmagic #thruhike #solotravel #womenwhohikecolorado

📸 @sgreywall

Snuck away last week to spend some solo time with

Snuck away last week to spend some solo time with my Surly! Single-person tents are great for social distancing. So are mountains and sunsets. Bright blue lazy rivers and black bears. Quarantine and lock down measures are starting to wear on us all. Make sure you are finding avenues to feel strong and adventurous, eager and excited about life. We will get through this together. #fightingcovid19 #socialdistancecyclingclub #solotravel #bikelover #ciclista #beautifulcrossing #surlybikes

I am really enjoying supporting a Chicago-based fa

I am really enjoying supporting a Chicago-based family from a refugee background in their new Mask micro-business! Refugee and immigrant families have been put in particularly vulnerable positions due to COVID-19, and are at risk for losing employment and consequently struggling to pay rent. I’m so proud of my friend who has already made and sold over 150 washable masks! Her masks are both stylish and beautiful. Her children have made the product tags that are tucked into each mask delivery. They are quite the artists 👍 Here’s to entrepreneurship and resourceful, resilient people! #beautifulcrossing #covi̇d19 #entrepreneur #refugeestories #refugeebusiness #chicago #chicagocommunity #masks4all #staysafe #staystrong

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