Andy Rooney once said, “Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you are climbing it.”
I’m willing to bet Wadsworth resident Tammy Craig agrees. Tammy walked more miles than the Scottish duo The Proclaimers sang about in their 1988 hit. Tammy has become only the 189th person to complete the 1,444 mile Buckeye Trail, the longest trail in Ohio. While hiking has always been a fun hobby for Tammy, this particular trail came to her by happenstance.
“I stumbled upon it one day out of curiosity when hiking a usual trail,” Tammy said. “I noticed a path off the main trail and got curious. When I got to a trailhead, I Googled to see what it was and learned it was part of the Buckeye Trail. I researched a bit more and found out it’s the longest circumnavigating trail in a state that’s in our country and I was sold!”
Walking miles along the trail became a form of medicine and healing for Tammy when her daughter broke her leg in a preseason soccer game.
“The trail became a way to catch my breath,” Tammy explained. “It brought peace and gave me space to contemplate and deal with the grief of my daughter’s injury. It was healing.”
The Buckeye Trail Association even published an article on Tammy finding healing along the trail. Lost & Found: Finding My Way Back Home was published by BTA in their summer 2024 publication.
While Tammy’s ecstatic about reaching her goal, she knows other feelings might pop up as she continues to look back on her recent accomplishment.
“I feel at some point I will most likely grieve the loss of the trail. You put your heart and soul and all this effort, time and commitment into it — it becomes a part of you,” Tammy explained. “I did cry quite a bit on my drive down to the trail for my final hike, but it was more of a joyous cry. One of just immense appreciation and gratitude as I gained so much from the journey.”
It took Tammy 18 months — on and off — to complete the Buckeye Trail, which is far less time than she thought it would. “I guess I was just comparing it to other finishers at the time, as typically it takes them 3 to 4 years. I know finishers that have taken 7 years and up to 10 years,” explained Tammy. “I’m a pretty determined person when I have a goal in mind. When other hikers were doing 13 miles, I was doing double that. I always tried to be efficient, flexible, and smart about how I hiked the trail to get the most from the time and drive spent getting there. Plus, I absolutely loved seeing what I was capable of when I pushed the limits.”
Marked by its blue blazes, some sections of the Buckeye Trail are on roads, some are along wooded trails and other parts run parallel to rivers. Each part of the beautiful and sometimes brutal journey gave Tammy memorable moments to forever keep. She got to see a bobcat on the trail, hitchhiked back to the trail from a detour, forded waist-high creeks solo, stayed overnight in 30-degree temperatures, hiked down a mountainside in the dark following reflective shoelaces and so much more! But what stands out the most to Tammy along her life-changing adventure is her encounter with people.
“From meeting so many new random hikers on trail for the first time, and becoming fast friends because of a common interest, to the trail angels who would go out of their way to accommodate me with a ride, sometimes driving an hour each way, just because they wanted to help me reach my goal. I am so grateful,” Tammy said. “And then there are the random strangers I met on the trail, who would ask if I needed anything or just give me words of encouragement.”
Her stories and memories are endless, entertaining and everlasting. “I remember two teenage kids pulling out of their driveway and asking how far I was hiking. They were so impressed, they were screaming and cheering me on. Then there was the time I got to talk to a few Amish kids walking home from their schoolhouse on back country roads. I even crossed paths with my third grade teacher on a random back road two hours away from home! She was only one of two cars I saw on the road that day and she stopped to ask me for directions! How crazy is that?!” Tammy said.
The hiking community is a special group, full of incredibly encouraging and supportive people. “Being able to bear witness to so many just operating out of love and kindness is priceless,” Tammy said.
The Buckeye Trail passes through Ohio’s only national forest, its largest national park and 18 state parks — making logistics the hardest part about it.
“So much planning goes into a hike prior to the hike. You have to consider home life, juggling your kids’ schedules, your work schedule and finding time to get away. You have to determine how much mileage you’re capable of hiking with the daylight you have and with the drive time that’s needed to get to and from trail,” Tammy explained. “A good rule of thumb I had was that if I drove over two hours, I had to stay the night and hike for at least two days to make the most of it. There was a lot of reading and re-reading of maps prior to a hike. You have to consider if there’s cell service, can someone shuttle you, all the things. Then there’s packing supplies for a hike: food, water, electrolytes, backup cell power bank, clothes.”
This Buckeye Trail Beast also learned a lot about herself along her hiking journey. “I have come to recognize that as much as I’m an extrovert and love people, I am just as much an introvert. I love spending time with myself. You learn a lot about yourself when it’s just you out there alone for miles all day long. You learn how to overcome obstacles, and I found that I’m actually very good at improvising and figuring it out!”
Tammy said there were times it was hard, times when she felt overwhelmed, times when she felt burned out. No matter the feeling, she always found a way to put one foot in front of the other. “It did get overwhelming at times. So much so that I took myself off trail for an entire month to regroup as I was getting burnt out. Then I came back more determined than ever! I didn’t really let much stop me even when I physically was being challenged. I always found a way to figure it out. I had to have good self motivation and self talk often; you have to be your biggest cheerleader if you want to get through.”
One day while hiking, Tammy’s blisters were so bad, she ended up ditching her socks and boots and hiked 18 miles barefoot over a two-day period!
“I was constantly adapting the more I hiked. Each hike was a new learning experience. Terrain changed, the seasons changed, and new faces and spaces were encountered,” Tammy said.
Known for her positive vibes and smile in the community, Tammy fought through what many of us do in various situations. “I always got what I called ‘hiker anxiety’ prior to a hike. It can be challenging to leave the comfort of your home to go out on your own in unknown spaces, in conditions that are not ideal — but once I got on trail, that all completely went out the window. I always left the trail better than when I started.”
To so many people, nature is nurturing. It shouldn’t be too surprising as humans have spent most of their evolutionary history closely connected to nature. Being outside can have restorative and calming effects — and research shows it can make us feel happier, more creative and resilient.
“Nature is where I feel the most connected,” Tammy explained. “Being on the trail really makes you appreciate the simplest things in life. This quote by G.M. Trevelyan is so great: ‘After a day’s walk, everything has twice its usual value.’ And it’s true! You’re awareness is enhanced, the colors become more vibrant, the sounds more soothing. I became fascinated with just the trees, the animals, shapes, colors, the water, the clouds. I do believe hiking gives you space away from the chaos of life. It makes you live in the moment. And I do believe that movement in body, is movement in life. When you get that stagnant energy flowing, it opens floodgates in other areas of your life, especially problem solving and creativity. Everyone should get out in nature and hike if possible. It’s so good for the mind, body, and spirit — and it’s actually a tool I use often in my life coaching practice.”
At the moment, Tammy doesn’t have any plans to hike other major trails, but thinks she’ll get the urge again one day. “You just realize how good it is for you so you want to keep immersing yourself in it.” And if she does, it seems like she’ll use the strategy from the game Ticket To Ride. “Naturally, I think I would maybe consider doing the North Country Trail or the American Discovery Trail as I have already hiked about 900 miles of the NCT and 500 miles of the ADT just from hiking the Buckeye Trail, as they coexist in mileage throughout Ohio.”
There’s a quote from Beverly Sills that says, “there are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” And knowing Tammy, she’ll always choose the scenic route, because you never know when and where the road less traveled may take you!
“I can say I have always envisioned walking across the whole United States so who knows! Right now, I’m just seeing where the wind takes me or what tugs on my heart.”
Congratulations on hiking the entire 1,444 mile Buckeye Trail, Tammy! Thank you for walking us through your journey! We are excited to talk with Tammy on-air March 4 at 7:30 a.m. to dive deeper into her incredible trek. Make sure you tune in!
