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In life, a person has experiences that stay with them until the end, and they are unique to each person. These are the intangible treasures that money cannot buy. Along the way, we meet some people who remain a part of our lives, while other encounters are fleeting. Some convergences are so intense that they compel us to re-examine our values and have an irrevocable effect on us. Our trek up Mount Kilimanjaro was one of those experiences. This post is my tribute to those I will never forget—the guides and crew of Kilimanjaro.

Read the Blog Post:

The True Champions of Kilimanjaro

https://bit.ly/3DGBMSi

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How Backpacking Prepared Me for the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19. The coronavirus has disrupted the lives of every single person on our planet. Backpacking has prepared me to endure the pandemic. In this post, I've applied these experiences and knowledge gained while trekking to surviving a pandemic.

COVID-19. The coronavirus has disrupted the lives of every single person on our planet. Here’s how backpacking has prepared me to endure the pandemic.

I live in New York State, just about thirty miles outside of the city. New York City, one of the earlier pandemic hotspots, became an epicenter that reeled from the effects of an outbreak of historical magnitude with tens of thousands succumbing…

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The JMT 2018 Series - Story 5 – The Imperfect Storm

This story, the fifth in a series, starts on day eleven of our John Muir Trail (JMT) hike of 2018. It’s of collection of grumblings, disenchanted anticipation, childish breakdowns, and uncharitable cruelty happening over a week, concluding in redemption.

This story, the fifth in a series, starts on day eleven of our John Muir Trail (JMT) hike of 2018. It’s of collection of grumblings, disenchanted anticipation, childish breakdowns, and uncharitable cruelty happening over a week, concluding in redemption.

A radiant sunrise woke me up at Evolution Lake, about a week and a half into our hike, bestowing a benevolent and glorious morning, a…

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The JMT 2018 Series - Story 4 – Cloudy with a Chance of Breakdown

This story, the fourth in a series, starts on day seven of our John Muir Trail (JMT) hike of 2018. The account spans a few days and recounts pleasant surprises (and some unpleasant), unfounded expectations, fear, sheer panic, and an almost epic breakdown.

This story, the fourth in a series, starts on day seven of our John Muir Trail (JMT) hike of 2018. The account spans a few days and recounts pleasant surprises (and some unpleasant), unfounded expectations, fear, sheer panic, and an almost epic breakdown. 

After spending a day leisurely performing housekeeping duties and relaxing by Lake Marjorie, my husband Joe and I felt refreshed and even…

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The JMT 2018 Series - Story 3 – Reiteration or Routine?

This story, the third in my JMT series, is a tale of disgust, tranquility, and an onslaught from both the heavens above and the land below, echoing a resonating theme for the first segment of our trek.

This story, the third in a series, starts on day four of our John Muir Trail (JMT) hike of 2018. It tells a tale of disgust, tranquility, and an onslaught from both the heavens above and the land below, echoing a resonating theme for the first segment of our trek.

Our day started earlier than the norm set by myself in the subsequent days of my thru-hike but later than a close-to-dawn trekker…

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The JMT 2018 Series - Story 2 – The Naked Sickness

This story, the second in my JMT series, is an explicit narrative of what happens when you fall ill on the trail. This tale is not for the meek or reserved, it’s a story of suffering on an absurd scale that now can be looked back upon in laughter.

This story, the second in a series, starts on day two of our John Muir Trail (JMT) hike of 2018. It’s an explicit narrative of what happens when you fall ill on the trail. Be forewarned that this tale is not for the meek or reserved, it’s a story of suffering on an absurd scale that now can be looked back upon in laughter.  

After…

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The JMT 2018 – A Series – An Unexpected Adventure

Welcome to my new series, a collection of stories about my fortuitous 2018 John Muir Trail thru-hike. These are stories of adventure, misfortune, friendship, perseverance, and sheer darn luck.

In 2017 my husband and I had an experience on the John Muir Trail (JMT) that will be forever ingrained into our cores and has served as a lesson for future adventures. We learned a great deal about…

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The John Muir Trail and Thru-Hike Planning - An Excel Workbook to Plan Your Hike!

Planning a thru-hike on the John Muir Trail (or any other trail)? If so, then you're in luck! Brought to you by popular demand, I've provided a downloadable Excel workbook for you to as a tool to organize and keep track of everything!

Planning a thru-hike on the John Muir Trail (or any other long-distance trail) can be overwhelming, it can take months of planning, and keeping track of details can be frustrating. There are so many different books, articles, and apps to reference that finding one comprehensive tool to plan your trek seems elusive, but from my own experience, I believe it all comes down to personal preference and…

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I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to climb Half Dome! I wasn’t planning on doing it and was going to skip it during this year’s #JohnMuirTrail #ThruHike. I didn’t initially have a permit; however, a friend of mine decided she wasn’t going to use hers, and everything had worked out, so here I am on the diving board at the top of that big rock! ———- #LifeisGood #JMT2018 #Yosemite #backpacking #hiking #trekking #disconnecttoconnect #adventure #hikingadventures #getoutside #exploremore #wanderer #mountains #earthcapture #wilderness #roamtheplanet #inspire #RedPackWalking #GoOwnIt #Go_OwnIt https://www.instagram.com/p/BnmcE1ol4rP/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=j09ddl7029ql

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When life throws in a monkey wrench, we often are presented with a chance to embrace new opportunities. Our #JohnMuirTrail hike encountered a setback when #Yosemite was closed due to the #FergusonFire, so we changed up our plans and re-hiked #MtWhitney and the southern section of the #JMT. This image was captured during our morning ascent as the sun slowly crept over the towering mountain as we plodded along the jagged meandering path up the final stretch. At this moment, everything became perfect. ———- #JMT2018 #CaliforniaOnFire #ForestFire #WildFire #backpacking #hiking #trekking #TheTrek #adventure #wanderer #mountains #wilderness #exploremore #backcountry #inspired #hikingadventures #RedPackWalking #GoOwnIt #Go_OwnIt https://www.instagram.com/p/BnFKfKWlFsw/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ttot2q7ntaev

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JMT Hike 2018 has encountered a glitch. We’ve been experiencing smoke, sometimes thick, during our hike north. The #LionsFire near #DevilsPostpile National Monument has started up again and is what seems to be generating all the smoke we’re encountering. Also, #Yosemite Valley has been closed due to the #FergusonFire, which means we cannot hike farther than Tuolumne Meadows at this time. We’ve exited at Red’s Meadow and are deciding what to do. Until Yosemite Valley opens, we cannot finish our hike; therefore, we are looking into obtaining new permits to re-hike the southern section of the JMT, including Mt. Whitney.

The first image is smoke hovering over the area during our hike yesterday to Red’s Meadow. The second image is the view as we trekked through the thickening smoke as we approached Red’s Meadow (the burned trees are from an old fire).

The Lions Fire is estimated at 9,905 acres. There are 194 personnel committed to the fire, including 6 crews, and 4 helicopters. The cause of the fire was from lightning.

The Ferguson Fire is estimated at 95,946 acres. There are 189 engines, 9 water tenders, 14 helicopters, 9 crews, 16 dozers, 5 masticators and 1,142 total personnel assigned to combat the fire. The cause is the fire is under investigation.

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Not all geologic formations are ancient. The Inyo Craters are some of the youngest geologic features of the Eastern Sierra, with a modest age of only 550-650 years old. They were formed as a result of steam discharges caused when rising magma encountered large pockets of groundwater, vaporizing the water to steam. The phreatic explosions blasted through overlying strata, hurling rock debris up to a mile, and created a series of funnel-shaped craters progressing north to south, probably within days of each other. Although violent, these eruptions did not result in any magma reaching the surface. ——— #monocounty #easternsierra #inyonationalforest #crater #geology #hiddengem #mountains #adventure #outdoorlife #outdoorlover #getoutside #optoutside #exploremore #wanderer #nature #wilderness #roamtheplanet #hiking #travel #wanderlust #naturephotography #GoOwnIt #Go_OwnIt (at California)

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Mono Lake, formed at least 760,000 years ago is one of the oldest lakes in the western hemisphere. It is a welcome and vital oasis in the natural dry closed basin (695 square miles in size) of the eastern Sierra Nevada for millions of migratory and nesting birds. It's an immense inland sea with water that is so saline and alkaline that only brine shrimp can inhabit its waters. The landscape is gloriously breathtaking, especially at sunset when wisps of clouds seemingly blanket the lake, as if preparing to embrace it for an evening of slumber. --------- #easternsierra #easternsierranevada #monocounty #monolake #sunset #california #californiaadventure #adventure #outdoorlife #outdoorlover #exploremore #wanderer #mountains #nature #naturephotography #roamtheplanet #travel #wanderlust #traveltheworld #travelphotography #GoOwnIt #Go_OwnIt (at Mono Lake, Sierra Nevada, California)

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The best part about aimlessly roaming the Eastern Sierra is what you find when you least expect it. ⠀ ⠀ While driving along Highway 120 heading back to Benton Hot Springs from Lee Vining, we saw a cloud of dust rise up in the distance, far off the road. At first, I thought it may have been someone with an off-road vehicle, then it quickly became apparent that the disturbance was being created by wild horses! We had spotted a pair of these majestic creatures earlier in the day, and I was hoping to catch another glimpse of them. ⠀ ⠀ Screeching with delight, I shouted out to my husband to immediately stop the car. Beneath a sky illuminated with the afterglow of a setting sun, a band of four wild horses stirred up the dry earth as they ran through the field of sagebrush and other low-lying scrubby plants. ⠀ ⠀ I crept in as close as I could without threatening these magnificent beasts to capture some images of the magical moment, then I heard the tread of hooves in the distance. I turned to my left to find a trailing pair of horses and one foal. I hurriedly switched my phone to video mode and captured this extraordinary sight. ⠀ ⠀ This was a moment that was one of the most precious from our trip to the Sierra Nevada last year and one that I will not soon forget. ⠀ ---------⠀ @easternsierranevada @monocountytourism @easternsierralandtrust ⠀ ---------⠀ #easternsierra #easternsierranevada #monocounty #wildhorses #horses #californiaadventure #adventure #outdoorlife #outdoorlover #exploremore #wanderer #mountains #nature #trail #wilderness #roamtheplanet #travel #wanderlust #traveltheworld #travelphotography #GoOwnIt #Go_OwnIt

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Mount Whitney…”You’re crazy!”

Read about what it's like to scale the highest mountain in the contiguous 48 states, Mount Whitney.

Climbing Mount Whitney is an extraordinary experience, full of sights that are out of this world and struggles that feel almost unendurable. In the end, it is the most rewarding thing that I’ve done so far. In this essay, I share my tale of what it was like to ascend this magnificent mountain via the John Muir Trail.

Last year we embarked on an adventure, backpacking the infamous John Muir Trail…

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Amplified Awe | No matter how many images of mountains I see, true bewilderment takes over when I’m dwarfed by their presence. The insignificance of ourselves becomes overwhelmingly apparent when a single footstep seems like an eternity, when traversing ancient monoliths is accomplished by absolute resolution, the most magnificent of them all withholding their mysteries from those who do not dare or do not have the ability to scale their monumental heights. ------ 👉go-ownit.com ------ (📷📍: Kearsarge Pinnacles and Lakes (10,938 feet / 3,334 meters). Kings Canyon National Park. Sierra Nevada. California. JMT NOBO. 7/23/17 & 7/24/17) ------ #JMT2017 #JMT #JohnMuirTrail #California #SierraNevada #KearsargeLakes #ThruHike #backpacking #hiking #trekking #theTrek #adventure #outdoorlife #getoutside #optoutside #exploremore #awe #mountains #earthcapture #wilderness #backcountry #roamtheplanet #inspire #hikingadventures #wildernessculture #RedPackWalking #GoOwnIt #Go_OwnIt (at Kings Canyon National Park)

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Purposeful Contemplation | I sit reflecting on the long traverse up to Glen Pass on the JMT. This image taken on July 21, 2017, is one of my favorites. We were heading northbound on the iconic trail and had already finished crossing most of the snowfields when we stopped to watch a guy going the other direction, making his way to Kearsarge Pass to exit. He had already contended with considerable amounts of snow on the other side of Glen Pass and decided he had enough. We would soon make the very same decision, not being comfortable with our skill level in passing over steep snow. After feeling defeated, we've decided that we will be returning this year to finish what we started. I've since taken a mountaineering course to manage any snow that we might encounter this year. ------ 👉go-ownit.com ------ (📷📍: The approach to Glen Pass (11,895 feet / 3625 meters). Sequoia / Kings Canyon National Parks. Sierra Nevada. California. Mile 33.1 of JMT NOBO. 7/21/17)