#trinityalps

PSA : You don’t have to have every single piece of gear you think you need in order to get out and have an adventure. Don’t get me wrong. It’s still important to be prepared. Know the terrain you’ll be in, the weather, the rules for the area, and pack the 10 essentials. But you don’t need to wait around until you can buy every little thing you’re told (or social media tells you) to get for your hiking, camping, or backpacking trip. 🏕️ This is my sleep setup for backpacking. An ultralight @nemoequipment Hornet tent, the @seatosummit Comfort Lite self-inflating sleeping pad, and the @rei Women’s Joule 21 down sleeping bag. ALL of which I found for massive discounts at an REI garage sale, years ago! What you don’t see are the little things I’d LIKE to get that’ll improve my experience just that much more, but that I don’t necessarily need. Like a backpacking pillow to help with my scoliosis 💁🏻‍♀️ and to avoid back & neck pain (I currently use a folded up jacket and sweater as a pillow). And a bigger tarp at the bottom and better quality tent stakes — I bent a few of my cheap tent stakes on this trip and some of them I had to put heavy rocks on top of to keep them secure. There are so many other things (especially clothing-wise) I feel that I want and need for certain adventures but the truth is, you just gotta get out there and start. Use what you have. If you don’t have something you absolutely need, ask friends to borrow items. Search thrift shops or the used gear section on @rei’s website or shop at their outlets. You can also rent gear and items from REI and other places (check your local outdoor businesses too). 🎒 I hope this post encourages someone interested in the outdoors to just GET OUTSIDE and try new things this year! Whether you have the perfect tent setup or not, whether you have the best hiking shoes on the market or not… #getoutandexplore 📍: Northern Wintu and Walla Walla land #rei #rei1440project #nemo #nemoequipment #seatosummit #trinityalps #canyoncreeklakes #backpackinglife #backpackinggear #campinggear #campinglife #outdoorwoman #backpackingadventures (at Trinity Alps, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CncQ4vKONlv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Rest and relaxation were on the agenda this weekend #trinityalps #optoutside #fishinggirls🎣 #summertime #laborday2020🇺🇸 (at Trinity Alps Resort) https://www.instagram.com/p/CE3KCpCATpQ/?igshid=1c838o5mrk45f

The Backpacking Family Blog Post is LIVE! Check it out. Link in comments. Leave a comment on the blog post or simply click the like button ⛺️. #harvestwild #family #friendsoutdoors #thebackpackingfamily #blog #backpackingwithababy #hikeitbaby #trinityalps #backpackingadventures #backpackingwithatoddler #howto #backpackingblog #blogpost #leaveacomment #clicklike #didwejustbecomebestfriends

Coffee. For when your body’s too nervous to poop in the wilderness. 🏔️ I brought these @lannacoffeeco travel pour overs on a backpacking trip to the Trinity Alps with friends, and everyone agreed on it being some of the best coffee we’ve had outdoors! 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝘾𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡? ☕️ They’re ethically sourced and work directly with the farmers, paying them well above market rates. ☕️ They’re service and mission minded, sourcing from Northern Thailand, an area greatly affected by a lack of access to international trade. ☕️ It’s all freshly weekly roasted and based out of Fresno, CA. ☕️ They can ship right to your door! Order online or find them in stores like Costco and Whole Foods. ☕️ The travel pour over style makes it SO much easier to enjoy specialty coffee on-the-go, while traveling, camping, etc. The only downfall is that they’re a bit bulkier than instant coffee packets and can tear easier (I put a few in a ziplock bag to avoid any grinds in my pack). So if you’re an ultralighter or doing a lengthier hike, you might not like the extra weight of packing these out with you. Would you try these?! Is quality coffee an absolute must for your outdoor adventures too? #pourovercoffee #travelcoffee #campcoffee #trinityalps (at Trinity Alps, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpL2wDZp3L4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

🥄 MACARONI IN A POT 🥄 That’s some good a$$ camp food…For real though, on your next camping or backpacking trip, get some @annieshomegrown macaroni, a chicken creations pouch, and breadcrumbs (or make your own), and tell me it’s not the most fire dinner! 🤌 Thanks to @madoutdoorsy for this group meal idea on our Trinity Alps/Canyon Creek Lakes trip! 🏕 And thanks to @jennysimacek for our sour gummy worm dessert. 🙌 #trinityalps #canyoncreeklakes #campfood #campingfood #backpackingfood #backpackingadventures (at Trinity Alps, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/ChShnmapfM6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

☁️ Hello, Bob Ross? Is that you? ☁️ After yesterday’s announcement, it’s back to our regularly scheduled programming…for now. Successfully conquered my 2nd-ever backpacking trip over July 4th weekend! @madoutdoorsy, @lola.and.arlen.roam, @jennysimacek, and I hiked Canyon Creek Lakes Trail in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, in Northern California 🏔. AllTrails fibbed a little, but we made it! We clocked around 9 miles each way on this out-and-back trail (camping on the rock area that sits between the two lakes). The last couple miles were BRUTAL 🥵! But these views were so worth it. And now I’m itching to plan more backpacking trips, now that I’ve got most of the gear! #addicted 🌅 #trinityalps #canyoncreeklakes #shasta #lassen #visitcalifornia #backpackingadventures #alltrails (at Canyon Creek Lakes) https://www.instagram.com/p/CgHrKKmrN55/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Feeling the pain of rejection, I walked down the road after an hour or two, and stopped at the Weaverville museum which was filled with memorablia about Trinity County's gold-mining history. Well worth the time. The friendly docent suggested I try my luck at the east end of town so I walked down the road and stuck out my thumb again. I considered the pros and cons of visiting the Tangle Blue Saloon to ask the patrons for a ride, but figured this should be a last resort since riding with a guy who'd been drinking all afternoon might be riskier than meeting bears on the trail. And just then, a white station wagon with an American flag in the rear and graffiti on the side (Vote for Darla's Tacos) slowed down and a couple took a look at me. A woman was driving with her partner who asked where I was headed. I said Redding, but they were going only about ten miles down the road to Douglas City, so I declined the ride. I cussed myself as soon as they pulled away because I should have offered to pay for gas if they took me all the way to Redding. But then a miracle occurred. The car made a U-Turn and came back. The guy said: "If you pay for gas, we'll take you to Redding." I said: "Deal." It took awhile for them to clear their gear out of the backseat to find a place for my backpack and me. Then before we took off, the guy turned to me and said, "I'm Ben and this is Stacy and you're riding in SnowWhite. You aren't gonna pull any funny stuff are you? "Nope, I'm old and safe," I replied. After that security check, the conversation was fun and free-wheeling. They told me the story of how a friend had given them SnowWhite, a 2009 Mercury station wagon. While talking about how long they had been together ( nine years) and how long they had been married (6 years), they casually mentioned that both of them were bi-polar and that Stacy also suffered from schizophrenia. I told Stacy I liked her purple hair to which she replied that she didn't like orange or red hair. "Why is that?" I asked. "Because I've never tried those colors," she replied. To which we all roared with laughter. In a more serious moment, Stacy said that she loved Ben because he knew how to take care of her when the bi-polar and/or schizophrenia symptoms hit. In turn, Ben said that Stacy was his best therapist. "He's mine too," she said. "But she was planning to leave when I got hooked on meth," confided Ben. "Two months ago she told me I had two options, kick my meth habit or lose her," he said. "I stopped it cold right then and there. One of the toughest things I ever did, but Stacy's worth it. Even fucked up on meth, I was smart enough to choose Stacy. I've been clean two months now, and I feel clear and free." We all cried a little after Ben's story, and then high-fived him for his courage. Stacy found the cheapest gas in Redding ($5.81), we filled up and then headed to the airport where I found a flight back to the Bay Area. I regret that I don't have a pic of SnowWhite. Read the full article

If there is one positive I can take from 2020, it is this: Covid has given me the gift of time. I have had the best moments working on woodworking projects with my roommate. There is a lot of trial and error and I have learned to roll with the punches but I will always cherish the way life has slowed down during this time. #woodworking #carcampingadventures #summer2020 #trinityalps #mcloudfalls https://www.instagram.com/p/CE5gb56gd_q/?igshid=zzunytupuegv