Brooke

Backpacking the Mineral King Loop

Summer 2022, Part 4: July 27 to 30 (Read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) After finishing the North Lake to South Lake Loop, I spent five fun days exploring the eastern Sierra with John and gave my legs a bit of a rest before tackling the rugged terrain of Mineral King, a remoteContinue reading “Backpacking the Mineral King Loop”

Backpacking the North Lake to South Lake Loop

Summer 2022, Part 3: July 14 to 20 Read Part 1 and Part 2) The third leg of my Summer 2022 backpacking adventure brought me back to one of my favorite stretches of the John Muir Trail: Muir Pass and Evolution Valley. To access this area, I headed south on Highway 395, which runs parallelContinue reading “Backpacking the North Lake to South Lake Loop”

Backpacking in the Emigrant Wilderness

Summer 2022, Part 2: July 6 to 10 (Read Part 1) After three days in the Desolation Wilderness, I left Lake Tahoe and headed south for the second leg of my extended backpacking trip in the summer of 2022. I was headed to Emigrant Wilderness, which borders Yosemite National Park, and would spend the nextContinue reading “Backpacking in the Emigrant Wilderness”

Backpacking Desolation Wilderness

This summer, I was very lucky to be able to take time away and spend two months backpacking out West. Now that I’m home, I’ll be writing up some trip reports, sharing photos, and maybe a few personal reflections about my time away. First up: Three days in the Desolation Wilderness, located near Lake TahoeContinue reading “Backpacking Desolation Wilderness”

July in the Sierra: An Update

Hello! Just a quick post to share how things are going! My month in the Sierra is coming to a close and the mountains have treated me well. I was lucky to avoid smoke from the Yosemite fires and have hiked over 170 miles all up and down the Sierra Range. The Sierra are aContinue reading “July in the Sierra: An Update”

Acclimating in the Mountains that Drove the Donner Party to Cannibalism

435 Miles in CA, WA, & WY (Summer 2022)

I’m heading out soon to spend the summer on an extended backpacking trip, hiking in wilderness areas in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, Washington’s Cascade Mountains, and Wyoming’s Wind River Range. I may share photos and a few words here along the way for those friends and family that are interested in my travels, but myContinue reading “435 Miles in CA, WA, & WY (Summer 2022)”

Northern Yosemite July 2020

In July 2020, I completed an 85-mile loop through the northern Yosemite wilderness. This solo trek was one leg of a fundraising effort for Big City Mountaineers, and I’ll complete the second leg, a 75-mile loop through southern Yosemite, in 2021. The trip showcased the beauty of Yosemite National Park along a route that, atContinue reading “Northern Yosemite July 2020”

Backpacking in SEKI 2019

When: 7 days, August 10-16, 2019Where: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National ParksMileage: About 75 miles Overview In August 2019, I completed a seven-day solo trip through Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, emerging from the wilderness on my 40th birthday. A great way to celebrate, in my opinion! The trip was to be a lollipop, starting andContinue reading “Backpacking in SEKI 2019”