Woman Embarks On 1,500 Mile Hike Across Colorado For Great Cause

A Colorado woman is in the midst of a remarkable, lengthy journey across the state, all in an effort to raise money for a great cause.

Meet India H. Wood - born and raised down in Colorado Springs and now a resident of Boulder, CO.

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Earlier this year (beginning in mid-May) India Wood, who is a writer and photographer in her standard day-to-day, kicked off the impressively unique challenge of hiking diagonally across Colorado with the ultimate mission of traveling 750 rough miles on her own route.

As per Wood's official fundraising page, she was set to embark on her personal hiking journey from the northeast corner near Julesburg on May 20; from there, she has been backpacking across the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and Colorado plateaus hoping to hit her goal of reaching the southwest corner of the state by this August.

"Even though I was born in Colorado, I felt like I really didn't know the whole state," Wood told Denver7 during a brief break from her trek.

"And I thought, by drawing two arbitrary lines across the state, like a biological transect, I would see Colorado as it actually is. And it was pretty amazing."

Hiking For A Cause

The hike that India Wood has set out on is impressive in itself, but what makes the hike even more special is that the motivation to complete this challenging hike comes from a place of charity.

For India, the meaning behind this hike holds tremendous selfless value -

"Why am I doing this? Because I want to help Audubon Rockies—a well-established and effective organization—conserve the incredible birds, lands, and waters of Colorado. This state gives me such joy, and I want to give back."

You can learn more about India Wood and her 750-mile hike across Colorado, as well as donate to Wood's fundraiser here. 

About Audobon Rockies

Audobon Rockies is an inclusive, nonpartisan bird conservation organization that collaborates with diverse stakeholders in order to find solutions that better birds and communities.

Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action.