Outdoor Adventure
My previous backpacking trip to Desolation Wilderness had been a nice and leisurely weekend stroll. This time around, I wanted something more physically demanding and adventurous. I wanted to go higher, farther, and off-trail. Ideally, I wanted to go to Ansel Adams wilderness to revisit some of my favorite places along the JMT.
Continue reading “Awesome 3-night JMT & PCT backpacking trip in Ansel Adams”
As you start spending more time on the trail, you’ll quickly realize that Mountain House and other commercial backpacking meals can blow your budget fast.
Continue reading “Bacon mac and cheese: 2-ingredient easy backpacking meal”
My friend Joonas and I had been planning an early June hiking trip to Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite. We had a permit for June 4. Unfortunately for us, they opened for backpacking on the 5th, which meant we needed to find an alternate trip.
Continue reading “3 days of awe-inspiring backpacking in Desolation Wilderness”
Emigrant Wilderness is in Stanislaus National Forest, North of Yosemite. Like Yosemite, it has towering granite mountains and spectacular alpine lakes. But it’s much less crowded than its neighbor to the South, offering more solitude for backpacking.
Continue reading “3-day spectacular Emigrant Wilderness backpacking loop”
For me, the best way to learn new skills is to work with experts. Most of my backpacking has been on established trails until now. I wanted to learn the skills needed to safely and confidently start planning my own off-trail adventures. Andrew Skurka is one of the backpackers who I’ve followed online for several years. I’ve learned a lot from his insightful articles and videos, so when I saw that he’s arranging guided trips, I knew I wanted to go on one.
Continue reading “Rocky Mountain National Park backpacking trip with Andrew Skurka”
Day 14 – 186miles, 4170ft ascent
I had prepared everything for the morning before going to bed. I’d gone through what I needed to do and in what order. I was packed up 20 minutes after my alarm went off. I even had time to have a quick coffee while I waited for Robbie to get ready.
Continue reading “JMT: Crabtree Meadows to Mt. Whitney”
Day 13 – 19.5miles, 4000ft ascent
We woke up at 5. We wanted to get over Forrester Pass and Bighorn Plateau before any storms started forming.
Continue reading “JMT: Forrester Pass and Crabtree Meadows”
Day 12 – 16.3 miles, 4575ft ascent
I slept in until 6:30 and had breakfast before heading out. The day started out in deep, dark woods, but the views started opening up as I gained elevation.
Continue reading “JMT: Rae Lakes and Glenn Pass”
Day 11 – 21.1 miles, 3340ft ascent
My feet felt like lead after the previous day. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my breakfast and packed up camp just after seven and headed towards Mather pass.
Continue reading “JMT: Palisade Lakes to the Woods Creek bridge”
Day 10 – 25.4 miles, 4100 ft ascent.
Today would be a long day. I started my climb up towards Muir Pass just after 7. Muir Pass would be the snowiest pass on the entire trail. Just a week before I headed out, the satellite images showed several miles of nonstop snow cover.
Continue reading “JMT: Evolution Lake to Upper Palisade Lake”