Shizumi Stewart likes to stay busy. At 76 years old, she enjoys spending time hiking and painting in her home state of Texas and nearby Arkansas. The two meditative activities bring her a sense of peace and joy since her husband passed away 20 years ago. "Hiking alone in solitude gives me a special feeling I can't explain with words," she says. "My artwork is a way to express my impressions of beauty in natural and manmade structures." A self-described "serious hiker," she was attracted to the Sierra Club's approach to the outdoors, which emphasizes active adventure, natural wonders, and inspiring people rather than luxury restaurants, hotels, and other amenities. Since 2015, Shizumi has visited Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado; Sedona, Arizona; the Cascades in Oregon; the Stehekin Valley in Washington; and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument in Utah.
Each trip presents its own unique set of physical and mental demands, which, for Shizumi, is central to the appeal. "I'm happiest when I'm able to finish challenging trails," she explains. But that doesn't mean she takes preparation lightly. When she signed up for her most recent trip, to Big Bend National Park in Texas in 2020, Shizumi wanted to make sure she was in the best shape possible, so she discussed her questions and potential medical issues with trip leader Margaret Klose and developed a hiking and yoga training regimen to ensure that she would be up to the challenge. Shizumi completed the day hikes with flying colors, impressing the entire group—perhaps most of all, Margaret, who fondly describes Shizumi as a "ball of energy and curiosity." Along the way, she shared stories about what it was like to grow up in Japan and about her experience coming to the United States in 1973. One day on the trail, she miraculously spotted an extremely rare and endangered rock cactus, which she eagerly pointed out to everyone. "She showed us all that age is just a number," Margaret recalls, "and to never be afraid to try something new." Afterward, Shizumi was so confident that she signed up for another challenging trip the following year.
The experience also left Shizumi with a deep appreciation for the volunteer leaders' willingness to help participants prepare for a trip, their love for nature, and the daunting task of preparing food for an entire group for a week. "Before the trip, they made a menu for each meal—and even did the test cooking at home. What preparation!" On top of that, she says, the meals were much better than at restaurants. "I can only guess that the leaders were exhausted by the end of the day, but they were the first ones I saw every morning starting coffee for us."
"I wish that our happiness was measured by the health of Earth and not by economic growth."
Each trip, Shizumi says, renews her awe of the natural world. Hiking in Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, in particular, was truly beyond her imagination. "I've never seen before that kind of natural beauty on such a vast scale." Shortly after returning from this trip, she was devastated to learn from the leader that the Trump administration was planning to sharply reduce the size of Grand Staircase–Escalante and nearby Bears Ears National Monuments in order to open them up to mining and other private interests (President Biden restored the boundaries of these national monuments in 2021). "I wish that our happiness was measured by the health of Earth and not by economic growth," she states. Shizumi continues to exercise her love for the planet in her daily life by minimizing the waste she produces, collecting trash along the trail, and making more environmentally friendly choices, like driving a hybrid car.
When COVID-19 threw a wrench in Shizumi's more ambitious travel plans, including a Sierra Club Outings trip to Nevada's Ruby Mountains, she's stuck to local hikes and planned to assist a Texas nature advocacy group with trail maintenance projects. Margaret reports that she is still in touch with Shizumi and probably will be for many years to come. "She just sent me pictures from where she is now camping with a friend," Margaret happily notes, "and they are picking up litter."
Looking for an epic Texas outdoor experience of your own? Join us for "Classic Trails in Big Bend National Park, Texas."