By Brenna Wiegand
Though her party consists of herself, her dog and two horses, Stevie Anna Plummer is taking the whole world along on her 1,000-mile trek through Patagonian back country. Plummer will remain live on social media throughout her journey through this vast, mostly uninhabited region.
Plummer, 29, grew up outdoors, a young rodeo rider with a great love for horses and dogs.
“I was born in the middle of nowhere West Texas, but would spend each summer up in the backwoods of Silverton,” she said. “That really exposed me to what other magical places lay outside my Texas borders. It was those summers that sparked my curiosity and desire to travel and explore more of
the world.”
After graduating high school, she moved to Oregon which became her “gateway state.” From there she and faithful canine companion Darcie wound up traveling all 49 continental U.S. states while living out of her van.
“Silverton holds a special place in my heart and returning is always one of my year’s biggest highlights,” she said.
Her adventures continued to take Plummer farther afield until she reached the heart of Patagonia, a sparsely populated region at the southern end of South America, shared by Argentina and Chile. There she found a way to marry her loves – back country and horses – guiding back country pack trips through its vast wilderness.
Upon her arrival in Patagonia Plummer had the good fortune to meet Patagonian gaucha (cowgirl) legend Carol Jones, who took Plummer under her wing and showed her the way of the gaucho.
Jones is considered “the granddaughter of Patagonia.” Her grandfather, Jarred Jones, was the first to settle in the area.
“He rode his horse down through Texas and was followed by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” Plummer said. “They were friends of the family and traveled south through Patagonia. I’ll be following a bit of their trail and go through their old hideout cabin in Cholila.
“The Jones name is known throughout Patagonia so I’m able to travel with that name and meet all these other old gauchos that know all this really cool history,” she said. “Living down there these last three years has really opened me up to this entire people that live, eat and breathe slowness. I really want to embrace that throughout my trip and stop, visit with people, learn about the culture and experience things you would miss on
a road trip.”
Though she could do it in two, Plummer is allowing four months for the adventure.
“This trip for me is really embracing slow travel, something I think we’ve lost an appreciation for in the rush of everyday life,” she said. “I also want to keep my animals happy.”
Thanks to sponsor Hilleberg the Tentmaker, home will be a new Nallo 3 GT tent, which will provide critical shelter from the demanding Patagonian weather with its ruthless winds. Its design provides plenty of space for her, all the gear and of course Darcie, who lounges in its vestibule as if it were a front porch back on the farm.
It will also serve as her office from which she’ll transmit her experiences to anyone who’s interested. There will be trip updates and blogging on her website and she’ll be live on social media throughout the trip.
“I’m taking solar panels, my computer and my phone because a big part of this trip is being able to share it with people and I think doing that is so much more fun in the moment,” she said. “Even if I’m just waking up, unzipping my tent and making coffee, I really want to let people experience those moments with me.” All her journaling will be done in both English and Spanish.
“This being my new home, I feel like I’m leaving them out if don’t share with them everything I share with folks back home in the United States,” she said.
She’s calling her expedition “Patagone.” Patagonia is so-named for the early settlers who were known to have big feet.
“Pata can mean foot, paw or hoof and since I’m going by all three I thought Pata-gone would be a good fit which is exactly what we’re doing,” she said.
Find more about the trip or ways to help at www.StevieAnna.com; Instagram and Facebook: StevieAnna.
