This time four years ago, I was somewhere in Vermont on the Appalachian Trail. I felt like my hike was almost over, clueless that I had endless memories yet to make and friends left to meet before reaching Katahdin. I had just started hiking with Sam who, unknown to me at the time, I...
This past May I hopped on a plane to Lima, Peru with one goal in mind, to hike the Cordillera Huayhuash Circuit. I got the idea in my head after returning from Nepal and spending too much time Googling “most beautiful hikes in the world.” I have always wanted to visit South America, and...
I bought my Granite Gear Crown VC 60 last year because I wanted to lighten my base weight. This pack seemed to be a good option for easing into the world of ultra-light backpacking. I used it for four months last summer while working along the Appalachian Trail as a ridge runner, then...
Somewhere around 17,000 feet in the Annapurnas. Before departing for my trip to Nepal, I struggled to find resources on solo trekking. I had read that Nepal is a safe travel destination for women, but I couldn’t find anything written by single female hikers. I felt apprehensive...
Gokyo is a small village in the Khumbu region (better known as the Everest region) of Nepal, sitting at 15,580 feet. The main attraction here are the turquoise lakes and variety of day hikes. I stayed here on two occasions. The first time was on my trek of the Three Passes, and I had a...
Ruby McConnell had me by the introduction to her new book, A Woman’s Guide to the Wild: Your Complete Outdoor Handbook. She writes about feeling like she needed to earn her place as an outdoorsperson and how she often made poor decisions in the wilderness for the approval of...
During my time in Nepal I made it to Everest Base Camp twice. The first time was while I was doing my trek of the Three Passes. The second time was because I loved the Everest region so much that I wanted to go back and see everything I missed the first time. Everest Base Camp is perhaps...
I spent most of the winter of 2014/15 planning on doing a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. I upgraded to a lightweight down sleeping bag, I made a countdown to my start date calendar, and I downloaded the Halfmile app. I was looking forward to the hike, sure, but I wasn’t...
Trekking internationally may sound like an expensive endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be. Once you get past the initial cost of the plane ticket, Nepal is a fairly cheap place to spend time. I’ve spent eight months total in Nepal, over the course of two different trips. Both times I...
When most people think of hiking in Nepal, they think of the Annapurna Circuit or Everest Base Camp. Both of those hikes are fantastic, but if you want something extra challenging and gorgeous try the Three Pass Loop in the Everest region. The three passes consist of Kongma La, Cho La...