A letter to you!

Friday, June 25


I’ve been hiking the Four Corners Loop for three months now. I have traveled by foot almost 1400 miles. I think I have just over 1000 miles remaining to reach Santa Fe New Mexico where I started. Please consider this a letter to you, yes you the reader and all the people who I have given awe along the way. I would like to be humble, and just say this trip is easy and all one has to do is hike around and look at stuff. In actuality, sometimes I do find it a struggle, physically and mentally. Overcoming my struggle through my drive and determination I can only hope this helps you overcome struggles you could be dealing with.


I mention this because next to my hotel was a very inspired gas station attendant, who said to me she is in recovery from being homeless, from having alcohol and drug addictions, and she was going to share my adventure with the people helping her recover. This just put a huge smile on my face because each day I probably touch move and inspire somebody who’s following my journal or somebody who my venture gets shared with. Thank you, the reader (you), the follower, the person who is living the my adventure vicariously through my photos, my feelings and my emotions for allowing me to create value for you.


When work granted me the six months off to go on this adventure I communicated to my employer that part of my goal was to create value and a positive experience for others. My experience with a gas station attendant today and many people who I meet along the way tells me I am doing what I said I will do. I am thankful to be able to have the strength and energy to put a smile on so many peoples faces. Knowing I put smiles on peoples faces gives me energy to keep marching forward. The heat is taking its toll on my body and energy I vicariously get from you with the excitement you receive flows back towards me and allows me to continue moving forward.


Experiences that were special between Ephraim Utah and Spanish Fork Utah, an 80 mile distance range from beautiful sunsets, hundred mile vistas, meeting a Peruvian sheep herder, and watching a hummingbird investigate my backpack. I could’ve spent hours watching the sheep herding dogs keep the flock of sheep in one small group, but I had to move on because I was driving the sheep down the hill upsetting the sheep herding dogs. Well going around the sheep I determined what an epic bushwhack was like descending the thick, steep vegetated hills of Utah Mountains (don’t bushwhack in Utah stay on the trail, trust me). Every person I met along the way I stop and have a conversation, learn about what brought them out into the beautiful mountains and I share my journey with them. This last section I was pretty much on a dirt road called the Skyline Drive. This is very drivable by just about any vehicle. So if you are vacationing in Utah I do recommend driving the Skyline Drive.


Thank You,
The Animal - Kevin Koski