Backpacking to French Ridge Hut in Mt. Aspiring National Park, New Zealand

Back in November 2019, Jake and I traveled to the South Island of New Zealand for a 10-day road trip across the island. One of our stops along the way was Mt. Aspiring National Park where we backpacked to French Ridge Hut. I could list a whole bunch of excuses as to why I have …

How to Camp in Winter – A Beginner’s Guide to Sleeping on the Snow

Call me crazy, but I love winter escapades in the mountains and camping on the snow. I have had so many great experiences as an all-season backpacker. Weather doesn't stop me from having an epic adventure! Winter camping is something I look forward to every year. Sleeping on a blanket of snow presents a whole …

5 Tips For Eating Healthy on a Budget When You Travel

My husband and I love to travel and we do a lot of it. Travel time can be exhausting when it comes to reaching your destination. One of the things I make sure we plan ahead for is having healthy, nutritious food with us. When you're tired and hangry, you don't make the best nutritional …

Nutrition & Hydration Breakdown for Running an Ultra

This week, my husband and I are traveling home to Washington to compete in the Bigfoot 40 Mile Ultra which circumnavigates Mt. St. Helens! This will be my longest race at 43.5 miles and quite the challenge with over 9,000 ft. of climbing. We've completed our last "big" training run and are settling into this …

Laguna 69 – Acclimating Hike #2

Laguna 69 – Acclimating Hike Numero Dos – 15,100 ft Journal Entry | 10-9-18 Today was magical. It was an early start this morning at 5:00am waiting outside our hostel to be picked up by the tour agency. We got last pick of seats, so we sat in the back. It was a roller coaster the …

Laguna Wilacococha, Peru – Acclimating Hike #1

Acclimating Hikes Before setting out to complete the Cordillera Huayhush Circuit, Jake and I spent 5 days acclimating in the town of Huaraz. From Huaraz (10,000ft), we completed 3 day hikes around the area. all varying in elevation. Our highest elevation reached before starting the Huayhuash Circuit was 15,100ft. Originally, we had planned four day …

Cordillera Huayhuash – Day 8 – Incahuain to Llmac to Huaraz

Day 8 - Incahuain to Llmac to Huaraz It's was our final day in the Cordillera Huayhuash! We had a big decent down to the tiny village of Llamac. We decided to take the alternate "water route" to avoid another 900ft climb. We were absolutely exhausted! We set out at 5:15am. The sky was cloudy …

Cordillera Huayhuash – Day 7 – Huatiaq to Incahuain

Day 7 - Huatiaq to Incahuain Unzipping the tent, we were surprised to see clear, blue skies! We shook the frost off the rain fly and started climbing our first pass of the day. We hiked out of the morning shadows and into the sun. The heat warmed us quickly.   The 15,715ft pass approaching …

Cordillera Huayhuash – Day 6 – Cutatambo to Huatiaq

Day 5 Cutatambo to Huatiaq Today was a totally different day. The trail took us on a brisk walk all the way down to 11,000ft - oxygen! The trail traveled away from the high peaks and followed a raging river steep down into a narrow valley. The water was crystal clear with multicolored river rocks …