'AKA The Girls' to start six-month hike

Married Ritzville couple Kris Lennon and Shari Parkinson, known to friends and family as 'AKA The Girls,' have always wanted to go on adventures together. They moved here from Hawaii 12 years ago and planned on seeing some national parks and exploring the Northwest.

Now, they have decided 2020 is the perfect year to kick the adventures to the next level.

They are going to start with a 2,193-mile hike.

"Go big or go home," Lennon said.

It all started five years ago when Lennon was reading a book.

"I read Grandma Gatewood's Walk," Lennon said. "That's what kind of started the process of wanting to do this."

Grandma Gatewood's Walk is a book about Emma Rowena Gatewood. In 1955, at the age of 67, Gatewood became the first woman to hike the Appalachian Trail solo. Five years later, she hiked it again at the age of 72. At 75, she hiked it for the final time, becoming the first person of any gender to hike it three times.

Lennon and Parkinson were inspired by the story.

See 'AKA THE GIRLS' on Page 2

"Kris started researching the Appalachian Trail," Parkinson said. "She came back one day and said, 'I want to do that.' I said, 'What part do you want to do?' And she said, 'The whole thing.'"

The Appalachian Trail is a trail that starts in Georgia and ends in Maine.

Lennon and Parkinson will start their hike on March 4. They say they've spent five years preparing for the hike, which included getting completely debt free.

Lennon left her job at Bronco Farm Supply in December to help make the hike possible.

Lennon and Parkinson are also attempting to sell their house before the hike, though they said the adventure does not depend on the house selling.

Lennon and Parkinson have done day hikes before, but nothing like this. When they decided to take on the challenge, they researched other trails as well, including the West Coast's own Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from the U.S.-Mexico border to Canada. The Pacific Crest Trail avoids cities and civilization.

"We chose the Appalachian Trail instead of the Pacific Crest trail because, besides Kris reading a book, the amount of trail towns near the trail," Parkinson said. "We will generally be passing through a town at least once a week. So we don't have to carry six months of supplies on our backs."

The two women will carry just enough food and supplies to get them to the next town.

Safety will also be of great importance to Lennon and Parkinson. They will be carrying a satellite communicator.

Lennon and Parkinson will be sharing their adventure with friends, family and anyone else who wants to follow them. They are going to vlog their hike on YouTube, and also post on other social media. They use the username @AKATheGirls on all social media.

Lennon's and Parkinson's life changes won't end after the hike is complete. They don't know what the next step is yet, but with their house up for sale, they know they are going to keep facing changes. They also hope to keep going on adventures.

The two women, who used to flip houses in Hawaii, want to keep seeing the country. They haven't ruled out attempting the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail or both.

The Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail together make up what is referred to by hikers as the "Triple Crown of Hiking." Lennon and Parkinson both said they could see themselves completing the Triple Crown.

For more on Lennon's and Parkinson's trek, follow the pair on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook or Instagram at @akathegirls. The Journal will also have updates throughout their journey through the The Appalachian Trail.