My Grand Adventure

I lay ensconced in the warmth of my sleeping bag, listening for the soft rustling sounds that would signal the others getting up. The night before our guide Brian had offered to show us the winter constellation, only visible early in the morning, and I had eagerly agreed. But it was cold and dark and I didn't want to leave my cocoon of down and nylon until everyone was up. Soon I could hear stirring, stoves being lit for coffee and murmured voices of sleepy hikers in the dark

The full moon setting over Moose Lake Waking up at Moose Lake was like waking into a dream. The sun hadn't risen yet and the moon was still up, giving the area around us a serene glow. I laid in my sleeping bag a while, admiring the last of the stars in the clear sky above me and listening to the soft sounds of gear being packed away around me. It was warm in my bag and I wanted to just stay there, drinking in every moment of this place. But there were miles to go.... In what

I kept my face tucked into my sleeping bag, out of the cold night air. Per Brian's advice, I'd worn my Buff around my eyes when I went to bed, which felt odd at first, until I woke up during the night and peaked out from my bag to find the full moon shining bright on our meadow like a spotlight, making sure we didn't miss the sheer beauty of this place we temporarily were calling home. Around 6am, with the moon dipping below the ridge line and the glow from the rising sun beg

I stood in the parking lot, a pile of gear and food at my feet, thinking about the last 9 months of planning, worrying, and training. I signed up for a guided 5-day backpacking trip in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks back in January, with the intention of getting outside of my comfort zone of carrying too much gear and following well marked trails. This trip would be an opportunity to experience things I'd never tried before, and as I stood looking down at my supplies