Seven women said yes to this adventure.

They came from different places, different stages of life, and different levels of experience. Many were founders, business owners and leaders. Some had been dreaming about an adventure like this for years. Some weren't entirely sure they could do it.

Eight women eventually made it to Alaska. Over the course of a few very full days, we would hike nearly 30 miles together, climb more than 8,000 feet, encounter more wildlife than we could count, eat a lot of very good food, laugh until we hurt, and learn quite a bit about ourselves and one another along the way.

But the story of Team Kenai started months before any of us stepped onto a trail.

Before Alaska

Back in June, we asked each member of the crew what was pulling her toward Kenai.

One woman had wanted to take on a fitness adventure for years but never felt like she had the tools to do it alone. Another was approaching 70 and curious about what her body - and this next chapter of her life - might be capable of. Others were looking for challenge, community, time outside, or simply something on the calendar big enough to ask more of them.

So we started training.

Twelve Weeks to Trail-Ready

For 12 weeks, the crew gradually built from roughly 13 miles a week to more than 23. There were strength sessions, hill repeats and increasingly long weekend hikes squeezed between work, family, travel and all the other things that don't conveniently disappear because you've decided to climb mountains in Alaska.

By Week 9, we were hiking 15-16 miles on Saturday and getting up the next morning to do another 8-10 on tired legs.

It wasn't glamorous. That was exactly the point.

Alongside the physical training, the crew spent three months working with Eric Olson, PhD, VITAL's Advisor on personal development and resilience. We weren't only preparing our legs and lungs. We were asking everyone to think about what they were training toward, why they had said yes, and what they wanted this experience to mean.

Then came the taper.

And on August 22, after months of preparing for Alaska, we finally got to meet it.

And Alaska Wasted No Time

We had planned a shakeout hike for Day 1. The crew asked for something harder (be careful what you wish for).

McHugh Peak gave us four steep miles and 2,185 feet of elevation gain right out of the gate. It was our first real taste of what the next few days would ask of us - tired legs, slippery trails, bear calls echoing through the trees and the mental negotiation that happens when your brain starts saying I'm done before your body actually is.

The next day we took on Lost Lake: 15.3 miles and 2,552 feet of gain through some of the most spectacular terrain we'd seen yet.

Then came Harding Icefield.

Nine-plus miles. More than 3,300 feet of climbing. And at the top, the kind of view that makes you understand exactly why you spent 12 weeks preparing to get there.

By the time we finished our three major hiking days, we'd covered 28.65 miles and climbed more than 8,000 vertical feet. A final recovery run at Lowell Point brought the trip total to 30.7.

Our Summary: Four Days, 30.7 Miles

Aug 23 - McHugh Peak: 4 mi, 2,185 ft gain. Steep and relentless from the first switchback.
Aug 24 - Lost Lake Trail: 15.3 mi, 2,552 ft gain. Long, sustained, alpine - the exact distance peak week had prepared them for.
Aug 25 - Harding Icefield: 9.35 mi, 3,314 ft gain. The big one - relentless gain to a glacial overlook - then back down.
Aug 29 - Lowell Point: 2.05 mi recovery run, closing the loop before heading home.

Three big hike days: 28.65 miles, 8,051 feet of vertical gain. Add the recovery run and the crew covered 30.7 miles across four days. Thirty miles in Alaska sounds impressive on paper.

What I remember more are the things that happened inside those miles.

The Firsts, the Hard Parts + the Wild Ones

Everyone brought her own version of hard.

For Julia, this meant stepping well outside her comfort zone and climbing her first mountain. For Andrea, part of the challenge had simply been giving herself permission to do something this big for herself. Others had navigated solo training, summer heat, demanding work schedules, traveling alone and the uncertainty that comes with signing up for something you've never done before.

And Alaska kept handing us firsts.

First mountain. First solo trip. First moose. New foods. New terrain. Longer hikes than some had ever attempted.

We also quickly became very comfortable yelling "HEY BEAR!" into the woods, thanks to Sarah Stallone's bear-safety briefing before we hit the trails.

Thankfully, the wildlife encounters were considerably less stressful.

We saw orcas cruising near shore, sea otters floating on their backs, puffins and bald eagles overhead and Steller sea lions gathered by the dozens. Alaska seemed to have something new waiting every time we looked up (Full rundown in our Kenai Field Guide ).

And when our legs needed a break from hiking, we got out on the water, kayaking near the glacier and experiencing another side of the Kenai.

The Good Stuff Between the Miles

This is the part that's harder to put into an itinerary.

Our local family, Pam and her son Justin, shared a lifetime of Kenai knowledge with us. Michele, an Anchorage Local and past VITAL Adventurer, guided our Day 1 Shake Out hike up McHugh Peak. Pam kept us very well fed. Moose chili and homemade rhubarb pie quickly became part of Team Kenai lore.

We stretched together before big days. Ate together afterward. Sat around the fire. Told stories. Laughed. Talked about what hurt and shared about what mattered.

At one point, Pam asked each woman to choose something she wanted to offer or embody during our time together.

Clarity. Courage. Service. Awe. Openness. Excitement. Remembrance.

Those words started to mean more as the week went on.

Caroline Mauro - founder of REWOLF and VITAL's storyteller since year one - also led our first Founder Storytelling Workshop. Most of the time, Caroline is the one behind the camera helping other people tell their stories. This time, she stepped in front of the group and shared her own.

It was her first time leading a workshop, and another reminder that everyone on this trip was stretching in her own way - sometimes on the mountain, sometimes nowhere near it. She came home and joined a strength-training gym. In her words: preparation changes what's possible - creatively, professionally, and physically.

And Then There Were the Conversations

Many of the women on Team Kenai are founders, entrepreneurs and leaders, so inevitably the conversations moved beyond hiking.

Ideas were shared over dinner. People learned about what the woman beside them was building. Connections formed. Potential collaborations started bubbling up.

At some point, the question shifted from How are we getting through tomorrow's hike? to How can I help with what you're building when we get home?

That's one of my favorite things about what happened in Alaska.

The crew was taking care of each other on the trail, but they were also becoming invested in one another beyond it.

One woman described the experience as empowering.

Another said family.

Another chose simply awe.

And one member, reflecting on entering her 70s, came home with this: "Being 70 is not the end. I can create my future responsibly every day."

That's the stuff I can't put on a training plan.

What We Carried Home

I've always believed that being Adventure Ready isn't about knowing everything will go according to plan. It's knowing you've prepared yourself well enough to meet what happens when it doesn't.

We trained the body. We worked on the mindset. Then Alaska gave us the opportunity to put both into practice.

But somewhere between the steep climbs, glaciers, wildlife, sore legs, moose chili, business conversations, laughter and stories we trusted one another enough to share, something else happened too.

Seven women who had signed up individually became a crew.

And they came home with something more useful than a finish line: their own memories of the moments when something felt hard, uncertain or completely new - and they did it anyway.

That's what I hope stays with them.

Not just "I hiked 30 miles in Alaska."

But "Look what became possible when I gave myself something worth preparing for."

And if reading that stirs up even the smallest Could I? Pay attention to it. That's usually where these things begin.

If any part of this stirred something in you, that's worth listening to. Let's grab 20 minutes and talk about what stretching yourself could look like - no obligation, just a conversation. Book a 1:1 with Libby →

What's Next

Team Kenai may be home, but VITAL isn't slowing down. The Dolomites are calling, with the Azores, Grand Canyon and even Kilimanjaro waiting farther down the trail.

But before we race ahead: Team Kenai 2026 - you did the damn thing. 🧡💙

It was an absolute honor to prepare with you, walk beside you and watch you discover what you were capable of.

Curious about a VITAL Adventure and want to learn more? Let’s talk!

Ready to find out what you're capable of?

Schedule Your 1:1 with Libby → Let's talk about where you are, what's calling you, and whether this is your year.

View the 2027 Adventure Schedule → Already know you're in? See what's next and grab your spot.

Eight Women, One Wild Peninsula: Inside VITAL Frontier: Kenai