Exploring how nature effects our well-being
This film seeks to explore how spending time in nature affects our mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. In 2021, owners of Wilderness Mindset, Alex Maier and Amy Robin set out on the Continental Divide Trail to document how a 3,000 mile long hike could be used to help heal trauma and get to know themselves on a deeper level. They set out on the 5 to 6 month journey with the intention of listening to their environment and going with the flow of nature. Finishing the trail was not the top priority.
Somewhere along the way though, they lose sight of their priorities. Alex becomes fixated on getting miles in, especially when it becomes clear that they are not going fast enough to finish the trail that year. They fall off the spiritual path that they are supposed to be following. It is then, that the Mind, Body, Soul project take on a life of its own. Instead of healing and growing from their time in nature, all it does is reveal their weaknesses and cause a rift in their relationship. In the after math of what feels like a failed thru-hike and nearly six months on trail, Alex and Amy are left to figure out what to do with the things they have learned about themselves and each other.
They must return to nature. Only this time they must remember why they set out on this journey in the first place. Amy returns to the trail next summer by herself in order to focus on healing her trauma without anyone pushing her to go faster. Alex is lost and unsure how to cope with the negative things he learned about himself on the trail. He wastes a lot of time ignoring the problem but eventually returns to the spiritual practices that he abandoned after the trail. His attitude about hiking and nature in general change from a desire to conquer to something he is building a relationship with.
Now the couple is working to rebuild themselves and their relationship. Nature was the one to reveal their flaws, now she will help them build something new together if they are willing to come to her with the right intentions.
Mind, Body, & Soul Trailer
Who's involved?
While the project is centered around Alex and Amy’s journey it will include many other experienced adventurers from all kinds of different backgrounds. The point is to show that the things we find in nature are universal and can apply to anyone and everyone, no matter what kind of life you live.
Dale "Greybead" Sanders
Dale is best known for being the oldest person to hike the 2,100 mile-long Appalachian Trail at 82 years old. Some other world records include, the oldest person to paddle the length of the Mississippi River and the oldest person to hike the Rim-to-rim-to-rim trail in the Grand Canyon. When people told him he was too old to hike the AT he set out to prove them wrong. He sets a great example as someone who continues to thrive into old age.
M.J. "Nimblewill Nomad" Eberhart
It might be easier to list the trails that Nimblewill has not hiked rather than the ones he has. His resume includes a thru-hike of all 11 of America's National Scenic Trails, many of our National Historic Trails, the Lewis and Clark route a couple times and much more. Nimblewill, also known as Sunny, has probably hiked over 50,000 miles. He's not keeping track anymore and he scoffs at the importance of such numbers. For him, hiking is about something much deeper than statistics. Traveling in nature on his own two feet is how he found inner peace and true acceptance of his place in the world.
Meagan Hennekens, MS C-EP LMT ERYT
Meagan Hennekens has her MS in Exercise Science and is a Certified Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine. She will be conducting tests on Alex and Amy to determine how their cortisol and vitamin D levels change during the hike.
Annie Nelson
Annie lives in Minnesota and has always had a love for the north woods. She spent much of her 20's self medicating with alcohol until she went on a trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Five days of sobriety in the wilderness helped her realize that it was time for a change. She worked on getting clean, and a few years later she embarked on a 1,500 mile hike on the North Country Trail. Nature helped show her that a life of inner peace and acceptance was possible. Now she works in the service of others, helping people in unfortunate situations find housing.
Bill "One Gallon" Nedderman
Bill has criss-crossed the entire North American continent and much of Europe by human-powered travel. During our interview, it took him half an hour just to list all the routes that he has hiked, paddled, or cycled. One notable title that he holds is a quadruple triple crown. That means he has hiked the Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Pacific Crest Trail four times each! Most people have a "regular life" that they occasionally leave to go be in the wilderness. One Gallon's regular life is in the wilderness, he spends about 10 months out of the year traveling under his own power. Like many of these ultra-accomplished adventurers, Bill doesn't really care about the miles or the titles. He just wants to be out there all the time.
Anthony Pompa
Anthony spent four years in the Marines, then three years in the Navy before becoming a firefighter. He's a high achiever and good at his jobs. When life threw a few curve balls at him he decided to go for a section-hike on the Appalachian Trail. The military had given him experience in the outdoors but the mental baggage that he carried into that hike was almost unbearable and it forced him off the trail. He was drawn back to the wilderness though and soon found a passion for backpacking. Eventually that passion evolved in his company, True North Expeditions. Now he helps others who are interested in backpacking overcome that initial learning curve.
Heather Sipes
Anxiety and bouts of depression in Heather's life steered her in the direction of nature. She had never gone on a real backpacking trip but something told her it would help. Getting into the wilderness can be intimidating and confusing for someone with little experience, so she joined Tony at True North Expeditions for one of their trips in the Appalachian Mountains. She found that nature allowed her mind to calm down and put things in perspective. It provided a safe environment and the tools she needed to understand the source of anxiety and deal with it in a healthy way.
Paul Classon
Paul is an eagle scout with a lifetime of experience in the outdoors. Anytime he feels down or has questions about life he retreats to the solitude of the wilderness. It has been such a beneficial force in his life that he started Redline Summiteers Mountain Guides to introduce others to the healing powers of nature. Now he finds great joy and satisfaction in guiding others, not just on a physical trail but along a path in life as well.
Dale Painter
Dale lives a life in devotion to Christ. He and his wife Kathy do mission work in Mexico and New Mexico every year, where they help build houses for people. He is also devoted to hiking, having completed the Pacific Crest Trail twice, all 1,100 miles of Michigan on the North Country Trail (including many of those sections more than once) and about 600 miles on the Grand Enchantment Trail. He sees God's work in nature and feels closest to the creator in the wilderness. Dale has hiked solo, with Kathy and with their two children as a family. Each form of hiking is very different, with its own pros and cons but he credits a long lasting marriage and raising a strong, happy family to those times they spent in the backcountry.
Episodes from the trail
These episodes are only a fraction of the overall project. They cover the hiking that Amy and Alex have done for Mind, Body, and Soul and the thoughts they have while out there in nature. The final project will include interviews from many experienced outdoor adventurers as well as the spiritual practices that Amy and Alex have been working with throughout the process.
Episode 1
Starting at the Crazy Cook monument on the Mexican border, Amy Robin and Alex Maier start their CDT hike with their dogs Minnow and Echo.
Episode 2
Days 4-7 on the CDT. Barney's foot problems get worse but a mysterious trail angel shows up at just the right times to help us out. We're out in the open desert with two dogs, finishing our first section on the CDT.
Episode 3
Days 10-12 on the CDT. After a couple zero days in Lordsburg, NM we head out for a 50 mile section to Silver City. After a day on trail we realize that two days in town wasn't long enough to heal the foot problems we've been dealing with.
Episode 4
Days 14-17 Money Shot and Barney split to allow Barney's foot some more time to heal. She's been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis and a minor sprain so she get dropped off at Doc Campbell's to soak in the hot springs while Money Shot hikes the 50 miles to them.
Episode 5
Days 18-22. The Gila River alternate is a long alternate route that most CDT hikers take. We cross the river over 100 times but the canyon is incredibly scenic. Then after the river it's back to long road walks and long water carries.
Episode 6
Days 25-28 It's a short section from Reserve to Pie Town but Money Shot and Barney have a hard tie getting started because they keep receiving trail magic. Barney's foot is feeling better and though and they stay at the Toaster house when they reach Pie Town, NM.
Episode 7
Pie Town to Grants, NM Days 29-32. We had to take the alternate route into Grants which meant bypassing the lava fields of the El Malpais National Monument. It was a lot of road walking but the hike still had a way of making things interesting.
Episode 8
Grants to Cuba NM. This was our longest section to date at 110 miles. By now everyone’s feet are feeling better and we are starting to do 20 mile days. We summit Mt Taylor at over 11,000 feet and finish the section back in some harsh open desert.
Episode 9
Cuba NM to Hwy 84 Ghost Ranch. This was our last section in the desert. Since the San Juan mountains and all their snow is approaching quickly we chose to slow our pace down in order to allow some more time for the snow to melt. The CDT takes us through some incredible canyons and we cross the first major river of the whole hike.
Episode 10
Ghost Ranch to Chama, NM. This is our last section of New Mexico. The terrain is already starting to resemble the mountains. As we near the border, we reflect back on the first state of the CDT and what we have learned from hiking together.
Episode 11
Chama, NM to Pagosa Springs, CO. This section was a doozy. Our first section in the San Juan mountains, which are the first major mountain range on the CDT. It's also the first place where CDT hikers usually run into major snow. Since we waited long enough, the snow wasn't too bad but it was still the hardest section so far.
Episode 12
Pagosa Springs to Salida, CO. We chose to take the Creede cutoff through the San Juan Mountains. It's late June and the snow in the San Juans should be manageable but we need to make up some time so the short cut would save us over a week. Once back on the CDT it's about 80 miles to Salida in forested mountains.
Episode 13
Salida to Twin Lakes, CO. We're entering the Collegiate mountains on this section. They are known as some of the most scenic but also the most challenging mountains in the area. All this elevation change is slowing us down but the views are worth it!
Episode 14
Twin Lakes to Leadville, CO. Warning, there is some adult content in this one as Amy talks about some of the trauma she is out here to overcome. Amy and Alex decided to hike this section alone. We believe that there are many benefits to be found in solo hiking that simply can't be found when hiking with a partner or group.
Episode 15
Leadville to Denver. This was an intense section! We spent most of it up on the ridge lines above 13,000, including summiting the CDT's only 14er Grey's Peak. The views are incredible up high but the exposure is extreme and we dealt with thunderstorms almost every day.
Episode 16
Denver to Grand Lake. After a nice stay in Denver at Amy's mom's house we are back up in the high elevations. There's some more ridge walking, but we summit our last peak over 13,000 feet on the CDT. That signals the Colorado Rockies are nearing an end. Amy reflects on some more events from her past that have shaped who she is today.
Episode 17
Grand Lake to Steamboat Springs. We are joined by a friend on this section. Eric has his own hiking channel called Seeking Lost and he has his own series about the Continental Divide Trail from his 2018 thru hike. We hike through the recent burn around Rocky Mountain National Park and Amy and Alex come to learn some more about each other.
Episode 18
Steamboat Springs to Rawlins, WY. We are done with another state and reaching the halfway point of the CDT! The terrain changes drastically as we enter Wyoming and the Great Basin. We prepare for desert hiking again and attempt to change our hiking schedule.
Episode 19
Rawlins to South Pass City. Amy and Alex split up to take on the Great Basin desert as a team. Since the desert is extra hard on the dogs and they have to make up some time this allows them to get through the desert a little faster. The solo time gives them an opportunity to reflect.
Episode 20
The Wind River Range is one of the highlights of the whole CDT. It's a longer section and we spent a week out there. It's getting late in the season and we endured some cold weather along the way.
Episode 21
Pinedale to Yellowstone. Amy and Alex have to split up for a couple sections. After hiking 90 miles through the Wind River Range Amy's knees are in a lot of pain and hiking is becoming more of a struggle. They both get to hike a section in Yellowstone though.
Episode 22
Yellowstone National Park. Amy and Alex are still hiking alone in order to do shorter sections. Amy's knees are hurting really bad and they have to make some tough decisions.
Episode 23
We are picking up the Mind, Body, & Soul documentary project again for another summer on the Continental Divide Trail. Things will be much different this time around though. Last year we focused on the miles too much, we were so concerned about finishing the CDT that we lost sight of our priorities. The real reason we embarked on the CDT was to heal and grow in nature, so that's what Amy will be focusing on this year. We decided it would be best for her to do it alone so that Alex doesn't distract her from the process. This won't be your typical thru-hike anymore, we are trying to accomplish something very different than just hiking 3,000 miles.
Episode 24
Amy has made it a goal to hike only 5 miles a day on the CDT. Last summer Alex and Amy were too focused on getting the miles in to finish the trail, so the hike this summer is a reaction against that. It is giving her time to reflect on last year and go even deeper into her past to begin unpacking things and enter the healing process that nature can provide.
Episode 25
As part of the healing process in nature, Amy continues hiking at a relatively slow speed. She stops where the water is and rests. This creates time and space for trauma from the past to resurface so that she can process it.
Episode 26
We had the fortune of taking a zero day at Bike Walk Southwest Montana, a non-profit donation based hostel made for bicyclists and hikers. Larry gave us a tour of his place. Then Alex joins Amy for a day on the trail. Amy deals with increasing smoke from a nearby wildfire and she continues processing traumatic events from the past. Alex has a surprise for her at the end as well.
Episode 27
Amy is back on the CDT north of the Pintler range in Montana now. She encounters some negativity but also has time to reflect on events in her past and her thoughts on God.
Episode 28
Amy is hiking outside of Butte, MT. She encounters the Lady of the Rockies and discusses another encounter with negative energy stuck on the trail.
The Making of Mind, Body, & Soul - Gathering stories from across the country
This project has grown way beyond our expectations. This behind the scenes series shows just a little bit of the people and places that we have had the honor of visiting as we seek answers to some of life's biggest questions.
Episode 1
Alex heads east to begin a series of interviews with experienced outdoor adventurers.
Episode 2
Alex meets a North Country Trail hiker, Annie Nelson in Minnesota. Then heads to Sandwich Illinois to interview a backpacking guide named Paul Classon.
Episode 3
In this episode Alex talks to two very different people. Heather Sipes is a relatively new backpacker who talks about what motivated her to start in the first place. Then he head to Tennessee to talk to Dale Sanders AKA Greybeard, the oldest person to paddle the Mississippi river and hike the Appalachian Trail..
Episode 4
Alex meets up with legendary hiker, Nimblewill Nomad at Flagg Mountain in Alabama and we "get into the weeds." In his 50,000 or so miles of hiking, Nimblewill has acquired some deep and hard earned wisdom about life.
Episode 5
Alex met the quadruple triple crowner BIll "One Gallon" Nedderman in Texas for the last interview of the trip. One Gallon has quite the impressive resume of adventures totaling well over 100,000 miles of human powered travel!
Episode 6
Right after getting off the CDT Amy and Alex continue the journey of the Mind Body Soul project to interview people across the country about their experiences and wisdom found in nature.
Episode 7
We continue down the entire west coast to meet with Dyana Carmella in Los Angeles. She's s fellow youtube and thru hiker with some incredible stories from her PNT thru hike. Amy gets a chance to visit her old home town which played a big role in shaping the person she is today.
Episode 8
We met up with Barney and Sandy Mann in San Diego. They hiked the PCT together in 2007 and Barney wrote a book about their adventure called Journey's North. His book describes the stories of other hikers they met along the way and I thought it was a good portrayal of the social aspects of thru hiking and the myriad of reasons that motivate people to thru hike.
Episode 9
We head to Moab in Utah to meet Mike Coronella, the co-founder of the Hayduke trail. He and Joe Mitchell created the Hayduke trail in the late 90's without GPS or cell phones. They ventured into an uncharted part of the desert to hike a route that no one had ever hiked before. Mike tells stories of their adventures in the Grand Canyon and how that extreme immersion in nature has affected him.
Episode 10
We meet Freebird and Raven in a cave they are living in outside of Moab. Freebird is an extremely experienced hiker with a triple-triple crown and many other trails under his belt. The accolades don't mean much to him though, Freebird is more interested in "walking in harmony." He believes that's how a person brings synchronicities and other good events into their life.
Gear for the trail and filmmaking
Since we are making a professional documentary about the hike, our gear is going to look a little different than the average thru-hiker's. Our hiking gear will be as ultra light as possible but our camera gear will seem ridiculous for most thru hikers. If you are super dedicated to shooting pictures or video you may find this interesting though!