One Step, Hour, Day at a Time
From the Winter 2026 Issue
Riding from Mexico to Canada, local discovers grit, faith and the true meaning of home
Crossing in front of the Grand Tetons. Photo by Natalie Newman
Crossing from Idaho into Wyoming. Photo by Palmer Wisco
When Sandpoint native Patricia Petrina finally crossed into Canada this September, she carried with her the dust of deserts, the chill of mountain storms and the steady companionship of her mustangs and her dog, Piglet. What began six months earlier in Mexico as a childhood dream (to make a horseback journey from Mexico to Canada) had become a journey of grit, faith and discovery that would ultimately lead her home. “I always wanted a Hobbit-like tale with my horses,” Petrina said. “After nursing school, I realized I needed something bigger than myself—something that gave me hope.”
Mustangs filled the bill. At first, mustangs were simply affordable, but Petrina quickly realized they were more than that—they embodied the spirit of the West. “Mustangs don’t fit into neat programs. They’re strong-willed and independent. Each one taught me something different, and I had to rise to meet them,” she said.
Preparation for the ride took four years. Petrina mapped her route, trained her horses, learned to shoe them and even freeze-dried seven months of food. “The planning of my trip was to give myself something to look forward to in my first year of nursing during COVID,” she said. Mentally, she leaned on prayer. “I asked God to bless this trip—and to give me the wisdom to stop if it wasn’t his plan.”
Her greatest hope and fear were one and the same: keeping her animals safe. “It was my choice to do this—they had no say. Every single day I felt the weight of being responsible for their lives.”
Days began at dawn with coffee, feeding Piglet, packing nearly 200 pounds of gear and saddling the horses. Then came 12 to 30 miles of riding through deserts, alpine passes and mountain forests. Evenings were spent hauling water, setting up camp, and preparing to do it all again the next morning.
The journey was not without peril. In Arizona, her herd escaped from camp in the dark. Petrina ran the trails alone, calling for them in silence until she heard the jingle of bells. “I knew if I caught two, the others would follow. That was my nightmare come true—but I survived it,” she recalled.
Even amid exhaustion and fear, there were breathtaking moments. She watched meteor showers from a meadow, cowboy camped in the Grand Canyon and marveled at elk moving gracefully through basins. “There were times I’d laugh or cry because it was just so overwhelming,” she said.
There were moments she wanted to quit. But perspective, prayer and determination carried her forward. “I’d ask myself, am I really going to let this little thing stop me? And the answer was always no,” she said.
Patricia on her final day home, giving her horses a drink at Pack River Bridge before heading to Sandpoint.Photo by Amy Peterson
Her mustangs mirrored that resilience. “They never quit—not once. If they could keep going, I had no excuse not to.”
For Petrina, the journey’s end wasn’t the Canadian border—it was coming home to Sandpoint. Raised in the area, she credits her community with fostering her adventurous spirit. “I didn’t have family nearby, but God placed people in my life who taught me horsemanship, ranching and a love of the outdoors. The people of Sandpoint gave me my values and my courage.”
Patricia meets a cheering group at the south end of the Long Bridge—almost home! Photo by Amy Peterson
She missed the small comforts of home—her circle of friends, Second Avenue Pizza, Jitterz granitas, Copper Moose breakfast burritos—but returning felt right. “It didn’t feel finished until I came home to Sandpoint,” she said. Now back in town, Petrina hopes her story encourages others, especially young people, to chase their dreams. “Don’t let people tell you what you’re capable of. The only way to know is to try,” she said.
In the end, it wasn’t about the miles or even the finish line. “This journey taught me that God is faithful. True grit is just not giving up. One step, one hour, one day at a time—that’s how you get there. That’s how you find home,” she said.
Check out more images and videos from her journey on Instagram at “on_a_wild_mustang.”
The horses and Piglet the dog all appreciate cooling off in the water. Photo by Natalie Newman
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