Shannon Spangler

Hey look! It’s my face! Smiling! Quick, someone tell @patagonia I’m ready for their next campaign. 📸 New headshots by the brilliant @thisguyrob HMU by goddess @ashantaartistry

On September 10 I completed my through-hike of the High Sierra and John Muir Trails: 275 miles and 53,000 vertical feet of the most gorgeous landscapes I have ever seen, traversed over 19 days. 
Was it what I expected? Absolutely not. It was so much more. I’d never been at altitude - on this trail I hiked most days over 10,000 feet, and over 13,000 at my highest. I’d never had a blister while hiking - on this trail I had eleven. Simultaneously. I’d never gone off-trail - on this trail I hiked over 7 miles following GPS points instead of a path. I’d never made a friend while hiking - on this trail, I found so many. I’d never forded a river - well, I still haven’t. I have a million stories and memories on the tip of my tongue and right now everything reminds me of the trail. That immediacy will fade over time, but some things I learned won’t: 1. Simplicity is magic. Our lives are so cluttered with endless choices and consequences. Cutting those away - a day on the trail is minimal: wake up, break camp, walk, eat, walk, set up camp, sleep - allows you to think more deeply. It gives your mind freedom, and keeps you present. 2. Miles over Milestones. This was a mantra I discovered after the first week of hard days on the trail: when you’re trying to get somewhere else, the miles in between are never-ending and become punishing. If I can remember to look up from needing to be elsewhere, there’s so much to see, and so much less I miss. 3. Don’t ever try to cross a river in the rain. I did this hike solo - I set out with just me, myself, and my pack, but I could not have done it without the support of so many people, both on trail and off. Most especially, @callyourmother247 was very worried but never doubted me, and @yesbueno was my rock during my loneliest hours, my resupply deliverer, the caretaker of my dog, and my internet source when things needed to be googled.

These photos are from Day 7 - 18 of the trail: Rae Lakes, Selden Pass, Muir Hut, and others. I might do a more detailed breakdown but I’m not a particularly good photographer, so enjoy these for now. There will be more to come. More stories to tell. More miles to hike. 🏔️

Happy Anniversary to my love, @arealandrewcox What a year! In this year (one year!) we have done so much together. We have: Traveled to three continents. Summited 10 mountains. Spent 2 weeks’ worth of nights in tents. Traveled by boat, plane, bus, van, train, metro, gondola, car, ski, and snowshoe. Dressed up for film festivals, Halloween, and prom. Thrown axes and game night parties. Created spreadsheets and Notion pages. Taken thousands of photos of mountains, plants, and each other. Driven hundreds of miles on the 395. And my personal favorite: Hiked or run 509.4 miles of trail… together. (Yes of course I have been tracking) I was not waiting for someone to come into my life in order to explore and adventure, but having this man in my life to share it all with has made every experience more special, more possible, and more fun. It’s not always easy to keep up with me, and I am so grateful for his humor, his support, and his well-trained endurance. He is the ultimate adventure partner, and I am the lucky one. Andrew Cox, I love you. More adventures to follow. 🏔️

Peak Weekend: Owens Peak! Looking for our next Absurdly Hard Day Hike Challenge™️ @jenna_lynde @jordanlinville and I (accompanied by my beloved @arealandrewcox ) climbed up to highest point in the Southern Sierra — a chill, enjoyable 15-mile hike except for that ONE MILE WITH 1600 FEET OF ELEVATION GAIN which had us once again questioning our lives and choices. I’m so grateful to have friends who join me in reassessing mortality in beautiful places and very, very excited that hiking season in the Sierras has begun ⛰️🥵

🌵CACTUS🌵 =to=> ☁️CLOUDS☁️ The hardest day hike in the US - from sandy Palm Springs at sea level (at 3:30am) to the tip top of Mount San Jacinto at 10,800ft (at 5:30pm) it was the most uphill I have ever climbed… and then some. The only way to the top? Gaslight yourself and your two strong, determined friends into having a good time. Couldn’t have made it without the moral support and motivation of @jenna_lynde and @jordanlinville and the inspiration of cacti in bloom 🌸

Seven months ago @arealandrewcox and I hiked a circle around Lake Tahoe — with not a bit of snow. This weekend we came back with skis and snowshoes (though at times still not enough snow) for some delightful spring skiing with friends. 🌸🎿

A weekend reuniting with the wonderful @jenna_lynde seeing the phenomena of Lake Manly in Badwater Basin and the super bloom in Death Valley — a once-in-a-lifetime combination I’m thrilled to have witnessed.

🧗🏼‍♀️

Let the new year begin! January highlights. (Not featured in this little photo collage: the never-ending horror of the news cycle. 🖕🏻🧊)

Today is my 34th birthday, and as I look back at 33, I’m struck by the year of emotional extremes it has been. As my 33rd birthday rounded the corner, things were not good: LA was in the aftermath of the Palisades and Altadena fires, and Trump was furiously dismantling hard-won safety for my neighbors and the environment. It was a good time to go: I left to live abroad for the first time in my adult life; a month in Chile - a liberating, occasionally lonely experience. Upon my return, I explored California to its fullest - skiing in snowy Tahoe, hiking in sandy Mojave, running on Catalina, and backpacking the Lost Coast. The summer was full of love - I witnessed the wedding of one of my oldest friends, and was honored to stand at my little brother’s side as he said ‘I do’ to my new sister. I smiled so big my face hurt for a week straight. I also began a love of my own with an adventurous new partner, Andrew. And then my dog died, suddenly, and the shape of my entire year changed. Everything was suddenly tinged with grief, and my personal equilibrium experienced a seismic shift. I am beyond grateful for the dedicated friendships in my life that supported me through that time - the love of my LA community in the midst of my grief is one of my biggest takeaways this year. But time keeps going, and the fall was a welcome, adventure-filled escape. Fueled by my traveling co-conspirator, Andrew and I thrilled at 195 miles of thru-hiking around Lake Tahoe, and two weeks of exploring and climbing in Spain. The holidays arrived in a whirlwind, my residual grief and disequilibrium betraying me and my body into difficult anxiety - and then, suddenly, it’s 2026. I am so grateful for this year. I miss my dog, especially on days of reflection like this one, but to have found and experienced such love this year - for travel, friends, family, Andrew, and even for Dio through the process of saying goodbye - is a gift. 33 was a year of extremes, but I can only hope to experience so much love in my next revolution around the sun. Here’s to 34. 🥂🐺

Finally ready to share the poster for SkyPig Productions and @c.me.productions ’ new film, SH(OUT)! Directed by @sbmusacchio Starring @theplantbasedboo and @spanglerbird Written by @sbmusacchio and @theplantbasedboo Cinematography by @joulyonmartin Sound by @dabirdplane Produced by @tobin_carter @sbmusacchio @theplantbasedboo @joulyonmartin and @dabirdplane With funding from @officialsbiff Currently submitting to festivals, stay tuned to find out where you can watch SH(OUT)!