The ripple effects of a chilling murder.

This is probably not a title you would expect to find on a blog post about mountaineering and yoga. But our community is still reeling from the murder of a woman who was murdered while paddleboarding right before the Fourth of July. Her name was Sunny Stewart. I didn’t know her, but plenty of people I know did. From what they said, she was a lobsterwoman, a bartender, and boat captain — clearly someone who could take care of herself.

If someone like Sunny could end up dead, what about those of us who do not have the same skills as she did? What about those of us who find peace in nature, hiking alone on familiar trails? The person who murdered Sunny did not only take her life — he infused a sense of fear into what had always felt like a “safe” community.

My husband and I had a long conversation about this situation and we both agreed that it would be best for me not to hike solo — at least for now. My heart is breaking at this, as one of my favorite things to do is wake up super early and climb Mt. Battie — my home mountain — before all the people arrive. To me, summitting and then enjoying my coffee while journaling is the perfect Sunday morning activity — it’s like church. I get so much peace on that mountain.

But thankfully, I have the most amazing hiking buddy who has become one of my best friends. We’re usually out on the trail at least once a week, except when we are away. She and her husband had a similar conversation following Sunny’s murder, so today we climbed up Mt. Battie and back down via the Tablelands Trail, then Bubba’s Trail. Even at 8:30 in the morning, there were a lot of people…and dogs. In fact, we met two different dogs called “Luna” — how special is that?

When I got home, my husband asked me how the hike was and I told him that there were a lot of people on the trail. Normally, this would have been a big turn off but today he smiled, knowing that there would have been plenty of people around if we needed any help. So for now, I will relish in these beautiful hikes with my “hiking mate” and treat them as an act of defiance in the face of such horror.

Please keep Sunny and the people who love her close in your prayers.