“My intention was just to present individuals that no make a difference what dimension you are, you can hike,” Emerson reported. “I would not take into account myself in condition, you know, and mountaineering can be really difficult when you’re chubby, but there are still trails out there that are great for that system sort.”

Like lots of folks through Maine, Emerson turned to the outdoors through the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to get out of the dwelling and improve her health and fitness. She was also on the lookout for a way to problem herself for the duration of a time when she was sensation specially lower.

“Like anyone else, I was impacted by the pandemic, but I also had a good deal of own items heading on at the time that created it worse and I experienced gotten fairly depressed,” she explained. “Hiking gave me one thing to seem ahead to and a reason to get up in the morning. When all the things in the globe seemed like it was heading completely wrong, hiking was the 1 issue that created sense.”

Though Emerson felt uncertainty about attempting the activity, she was encouraged by buddies who joined her on some of her 1st hikes. Progressively, she began doing work her way up to additional challenging trails. She learned that she appreciated mountaineering solo simply because it permitted her to go at her have tempo.

In June, continue to a climbing newbie, Emerson made the decision to create the to share her photographs and all that she was studying during her time in the wilderness.

“I chose the name to be a little little bit ironic mainly because, staying a even larger person, folks are often taken aback when they hear how considerably I like to hike,” she stated. “My buddy and I ended up tossing around title suggestions during a hike a single time and the title just stuck.”

In excess of the summer months, the Instagram web site gathered far more than 1,300 followers, and Emerson obtained remarks and private messages every day. So considerably, the response has been overwhelmingly constructive, she claimed. Lots of people today have attained out just to enable her know that her posts have encouraged them to try out hiking or some other outdoor pursuit.

“I consider the most common issue that I have listened to individuals say is that they enjoy how ‘real’ my account is,” Emerson claimed. “I really don’t attempt to sugarcoat everything or make it appear like I have the ideal Instagram daily life. I just consider to be myself and hope that I can make people laugh in the approach.”

Humor is a prevalent thread throughout her posts, no matter whether she’s poking fun at in particular tough aspects of a trail or uncomfortable her younger nephew by pretending to be a moose. Her temperament shines via with sassy language and expertly put emojis.

“After the 10th time of falling by way of the snow, I inspired my mountaineering companions to depart me at the rear of,” Emerson wrote in her Instagram write-up about a thriving hike to the major of Borestone Mountain. “I additional than Darth Vader breathed on this a person.”

Still it is not all about laughing. Emerson also does a excellent task of becoming relatable and inviting discussions about really serious topics — not just about climbing, but about human body positivity and the importance of mental overall health.

Paige Emerson poses by the summit sign of Dorr Mountain, the 2nd tallest mountain in Acadia Countrywide Park Emerson of Old City navigates some rungs when climbing Dorr Mountain and she stands at an overlook on Tumbledown Mountain in Weld, a single of her ambitions for 2020. Credit rating: Courtesy of Paige Emerson

In curating her page, she’s acquired inspiration from Instagram influencer Allison Kimmey, , who has 233,000 followers and spreads equivalent messages about self-love, acceptance and satisfaction.

Nonetheless Emerson did not start off her account to be “Instagram well known,” she said. She just believed it’d be a pleasurable task, and if it experienced a positive affect on just one particular person’s lifetime, that was enough.

“I do not think men and women ought to enable themselves to be constrained to specific pursuits because of their overall body size,” Emerson mentioned. “I want people today to see someone that seems to be like them carrying out the items they did not assume they could do. There are so many little mountains in Maine that are perfect for inexperienced persons, and you can just take it at your personal speed.”

When she enjoys a lot of distinctive out of doors routines, hiking has grow to be her absolute preferred.

“I assume it is because of the amount of operate you have to put in,” she said “You’re sweaty and having difficulties for the longest time, occasionally asking yourself why you chose to do this in the initially location, and then you make it to the top rated and the perspective helps make it all worthy of it.”

Through the spring, summer and slide, Emerson conquered 15 mountains scattered throughout Maine and hiked on a amount of flatter, less difficult trails as effectively. She discovered that hand-above-foot climbing in excess of boulders and rock faces is a person of her favorite items to do. Her legs grew to become stronger, and her frame of mind turned a lot more beneficial.

And she also lost pounds, but that is not essentially her target. What is more significant to her is that she feels much healthier, physically and mentally.

Her hiking journey is far from over. In simple fact, it’s seriously just begun. This winter, she ideas to try out climbing in the snow for the to start with time, even while she’s not a fan of chilly weather. The consistent encouragement from pals and strangers on the net has served motivate her to preserve mountaineering even with the climate or any other difficulties that could occur her way.