ANACONDA — It was just 10 years ago that Jesse Cody’s depression become so profound that he was ready to take his own life. It was only on America’s hiking trails that he was able to save his life, and he’s hoping his story of hiking will save others from that same darkness.
“You know, as I was getting closer to my 40th birthday, really, there were just a lot of thoughts in my head that this might be my last birthday and I was really fighting that darkness,” said Cody while on a stop in Anaconda.
Like many people in Montana, Jesse, who is from Massachusetts, suffered depression in silence.
“I was in a typical place as a man not really speaking up about it, not seeking help, not telling people in my life that I was suffering and I need help,” he said.
It was about this time that he remembered the book “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson which introduced him to hiking and the author’s own struggles.
“If that guy felt that way, the amount of questions and the things I’m looking for, a long walk could help me find the things I’m seeking,” said Cody.
With little training, he hiked the Appalachian Trail and has since hiked thousands of miles of trails. He’s currently hiking the Continental Divide Trail and stopped in Anaconda for a break. His first hike through Montana, he’s already had some hair-raising encounters with wildlife.
“A couple grizzly encounters. The first one was probably less than 20 feet from me right on the trail in Glacier National,” said Cody.
Jesse is sharing his hikes and story of survival on his website, Hike the Good Hike. He said he's grateful to the trail for giving him the encouragement to seek help.
“I promised the trail, I don’t know what it is, I don’t know what it looks like, but I promise you what you’ve given me, I’m going to find a way to pay it forward and give it out to the world,” he said.
