You know all of those places you have saved on your maps? Maybe you too have a list titled, “BRB”? How about the social media followers that you interact with daily, that you’ve never met? I’m sure we all have those things. I’m sure we all contemplate how it would be if we just reached out to that one person with an invite. Well, I’ve contemplated for entirely way too long, and as my BRB list continues to grow, I’m finding myself reaching out to more people with weekend invites now more than ever. Not only am I checking off bucket list destinations, but I’m building real friendships along the way.
It’s Memorial Day weekend, the end of May, and the beginning of backpacking season! Winter is gone, and for the past 4 months I have sucessfully gone on one solo road trip every month this year.
Being able to actually show my sisters just exactly why I don’t mind the 6-hour drive to Mammoth is probably one of my favorite ways to get them outdoors and in the backcountry. It was Anjoelina’s very first backpacking trip, and Brittany’s 10th (or so); and to have them both here with me in Mammoth was something special.
The California wildfires this year were heart-breaking, to say the least. Our hiking community has been affected by trail-closures, canceled hiking permits and plans this summer.. oh, and not to forget- we’re currently in the middle of a pandemic. Once places started to safely open up to the public; hikers and backpackers, like myself, took full advantage of getting back on the trail.
When there’s too much snow in our local mountains, you’ll most likely catch me warming up somewhere in the desert. The month is February and this was my first backpacking trip of the year. We headed out to Arizona for the weekend, to explore hot springs that had been on our list for awhile.
2019 was my year of backcountry memories and alpine lakes. From Washington during spring and Colorado in the summer, I was lucky to be able to dip my toes in a few alpine lakes last year. No matter how far I travel, I’m always sure to remain grateful for the beauty of my backyard, even though a 6-hour drive from LA, the Eastern Sierra forever has my heart.
It’s the last official day of our 3-day journey here in Colorado. After spending 3-days at 3 different lakes, our journey has come to an end. The sunsets here have been nothing short of amazing, but I guess they don’t call it Colorful Colorado for nothing.
** I would like to share with you my guide to backpacking and some tips on how you could prepare for your first trip. I am not an expert and this should be used only as a guide which is based on my opinions and experiences. ** Day hiking is fun but have you ever hiked a trail and just wanted to stay […]
This was the first time I’ve heard of the Mineral King Loop- a 39-mile hike that loops around some of the most pristine mountains and alpine lakes in the Sequoias! On average, this loop is usually done over 5-days, and we completed it within an extended 3-day weekend.
Over Labor Day weekend, three friends and I took a road trip to Colorado for an extended weekend of backpacking to some of the most amazing alpine lakes in the San Juan mountains! During our trip of three days and three nights, we hiked over 15+ miles and explored 3 of the most colorful alpine lakes I had ever seen!
It is without doubt that I very much enjoy backpacking to alpine lakes. It’s pretty much all I live for during the warm summer months! It was not until last year that I added a children’s floatie to my summer gear list and let me tell you, trekking in that extra pound is totally worth […]
Sometimes you just need to disconnect and enjoy your own company. Of course, most backpacking tips begin with the instruction of never going alone, but once you’ve successfully completed your first solo trip, the feeling of accomplishment is inevitable! I try to plan a solo backpacking trip once a year and if i’m being completely honest- […]
Santa Cruz Island is the largest of seven that make up the Channel Islands. Located 20 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara county, this national park is a backpacker’s dream! We spent four days on the island hiking, camping and one big backpacking trip towards the end of our journey on Santa Cruz Island.
Big Pine Creek North Fork Trail is located in Inyo National Forest on the Eastern side of the Sierra Nevada and is a pretty popular area known for day hiking, camping, fishing and backpacking. If you’ve been, you know exactly why! There are a total of 7 lakes that follow along the North Fork trail. With the amount of snow the Sierra received last winter, we planned to only hike to the second lake.
Duck Lake Trail in the John Muir Wilderness is a popular trail that consists of alpine lakes, mountain views, wildflowers and a decent climb for a day hike or even an overnight backpacking trip. A little less than 10 miles round-trip, this trail passes three alpine lakes before climbing Duck Pass to Duck Lake.
Trail so nice, I’ve hiked it, well.. several times this summer; twice backpacking and twice day hiking! Easy enough for beginner hikers with views that you don’t necessarily have to “work” for, although the hike is rated as “moderately strenuous” due to the elevation at the trail head,which is 10,000 ft.
You probably wouldn’t know that I wanted this day to happen for quite some time. As someone who is committed to the hiking community through a series of personal posts, inspirational quotes and nothing but hiking and camping photos; I sat back and kept myself from joining the large crowds and hiking groups. For years, […]
There’s no better way to cool down in the middle of summer than hiking to and swimming in an alpine lake. This was my first alpine lake swim and it will definitely not be the last. It was the beginning of August and I so badly wanted to hike to an alpine lake and luckily, I was able to score a last-minute wilderness permit.
The month is April of 2016 and we are excited to finally complete the Trans-Catalina Trail, roughly 34 miles of open land crossing the entire length of Catalina Island. We allowed ourselves some time to shoot and take in the scenery and officially completed the trail within 5 days.
