Adventurer

Journey: Adventurer

Trip: West Highland Way, Scotland

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - Just yesterday, we were hiking and camping in those mountains behind us! To wind up our Desolation Wilderness adventure we spent a day kayaking around gorgeous Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe.

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - Jenny took her hat off so you could see just how powerfully windy it was. It was difficult to breathe.

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - A look back at Rockbound Pass

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - Rock, rock and more rock. Rockbound Pass lives up to its name.

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - Some of the snow had melted from the stone steps while we were gone, revealing a more direct route than the one we took on our way in.

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - We return to confront Rockbound Pass once again.

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - A makeshift bridge was the only way to reach our campsite at Lake Lois..

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Havasupai - We would not have been able to see the opening to a cave hidden behind a waterfall without a hand extended by our guides.

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - We had read it was difficult to follow the trail here across granite slopes, crossing streams and spending lots of time focused on navigation, and it was. It’s difficult to tell if small piles of rocks here and there are “ducks” marking the trail, or a divergent path. We followed a fair amount of false leads but it’s worth it when you see grand vistas like this.

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - Rock scrambling on steep granite slopes to stay on course. We feel like trailblazers in this landscape with no discernible trail.

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - We knew it would be unwise to navigate down this steep snow-covered slope, and started a gradual traverse with eyes on the dry rocky path just across, but a missed step had some of us glissading down instead.

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - We secured our campsite and set out to explore the McConnell Lake Loop, one of the most beautiful hikes in Tahoe. It’s an unmaintained trail that’s reported as challenging to navigate. We felt prepared with paper maps and a fully charged Garmin but made some inexperienced choices, like leaving the spare batteries in the tent.

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - I started wondering how we smell to bears as we walk along the path, even during the daytime. Was it safe to carry any food at all? I watched 4-5 YouTube videos on choosing an appropriate hanging spot for the bag and more knots to know (thank you Girl Scouts!) for tying the bag to the tree. There are also YouTube videos of bears going after canisters campers had left on the ground or inadequately hung. The bears are very persistent! They usually succeed in demolishing the food supply and teaching a lesson to the hungry campers.

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - We weren’t carrying much water, since water sources are plentiful on this trail. We had sorted our food choices and left a third of the jerky, bars, and dehydrated food behind. I reconsidered my layering system and decided to re-use everything except my socks, underwear and a fresh shirt, and decided I wouldn’t need both my lined waterproof jacket and a light down layer, a choice I would come to regret. Coffee, two hats, and the JetBoil stayed.

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - It’s beautiful, and not an easy climb.

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - Removing our boots for a deep creek crossing in chilly meltwater was a welcome refresher for our feet.

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Desolation Wilderness California - We had little to no camping experience, and the Rockbound Pass McConnell Lakes Loop hike was remote and challenging. Let’s do this!

Trip: Desolation Wilderness California

Bhutan Dagala Trek - Sisters Sonali and Roopali at the Pagalabtsa Pass. They had never gone a trek before, had limited hiking experience and trained for months in preparation for this trip. Do you think they loved it?

Trip: Norway

Jenny:

Welcome back!! Your Utah trip looked amazing!! Do you feel ready for Rainier?? I got my waterproof socks and they’re hilarious. Feels like a wetsuit inside but a sock on the outside.

Norway - A full day of adventure in Løen.

Trip: Malibu / Mt. Baldy

Jenny:

I have our salads and snack bag. Dagmara, which salad is yours?

Dagmara:

The curry-apple-chicken one.

Malibu / Mt. Baldy - 10,064 feet – the highest point in Southern California.

Trip: Norway

Dagmara:

It’s from the song “Road to Nowhere” (apropos) and David Byrne has a new release coming out very soon.

Jenny:

So, knowing or not knowing what you’ll see can have both a literal and figurative element? You should be prepared for what lies ahead but let your mind be open to seeing and experiencing new things.

Norway - I didn’t stand too long at the junction between the E Expert route and the moderate option to the top. I had been training weekly at the indoor climbing gym and was eager to see how the effort would translate IRL.
E it was.

Idea for our t-shirt: a hiker girl with braid and buff in her hair is at camp with a bear. She is holding a coffee cup and the bear is holding a salmon and they are meeting and shaking hands. “Give risk a chance”

Norway - A new day, a new adventure. After massages and a champagne toast sent to us (from Houston) by Helen’s husband Craig for their anniversary, we were ready to tackle the via ferrata.

Trip: Norway

Norway - Before we left Skålabu, we made sure to chop new ice to melt on the potbelly stove for the next travelers.

Trip: Norway

Norway - Tired and comfy cozy under our duvets, but YOLO so we set our alarms for the sunrise at 4:20am

Trip: Norway

Trip: Norway

Norway - Dr Hans Henrik Gerhard Klouman’s original tower is still open to mountaineers. There are 22 beds on two levels, and an honor bar with coffee and hot cocoa.

Trip: Norway

Norway - Skålabu was a hiker’s dream: an architecturally cool Scandi design, compact, efficient, and meticulously clean.

Trip: Norway

Norway - We appreciated not having to go outdoors to use the adjacent but separate (and very clean!!!!) toilets with windows and views!

Trip: Norway

Norway - We hadn’t imagined such luxuries at 6,063 feet: a potbelly stove, a fully stocked honor-pantry, and down duvets. Welcome to hiking in Norway.

Trip: Norway

Norway - We booked our overnight lodging in Skålabu, the new self-service lodge at the summit of Skåla, opened in 2017.

Trip: Norway

Trip: Norway

Norway - This is how it feels to climb a mountain.

Trip: Norway

Norway - Noticing we were within the lower end of the estimated hike time, perhaps inspired by “supergirl,” Jenny F and Dagmara decided to sprint the final bit to see if we could get in under 5 ½ hours total time. Yes we did.

Trip: Norway

Malibu / Mt. Baldy - The beaches in Malibu are dotted with amazing rock formations and the canyons are no different.

Trip: Malibu / Mt. Baldy

Malibu / Mt. Baldy - Tiny hikers on the side of the rock.

Trip: Malibu / Mt. Baldy

Malibu / Mt. Baldy - At more than 154,000 acres, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the largest urban national park in the world. The Woolsey Fire of November 2018 devastated this area and it sustained significant damage, with over 100,000 acres burned. We are so grateful to the firefighters and first responders who battled this blaze. It will take years and years before these mountains will look like they did before the fire. We’re hopeful to learn about volunteer efforts to help this area recover so that it can once again be the destination for hiking, biking, rock climbing and camping in Southern California.

Trip: Malibu / Mt. Baldy

Malibu / Mt. Baldy - Stacey is first to the rock formation!

Trip: Malibu / Mt. Baldy

Malibu / Mt. Baldy - An interesting rock formation beckons to be explored.

Trip: Malibu / Mt. Baldy

Norway - Seeing this trail sign when we had yet to see any sign of the summit gave us the boost we needed to reach the top.

Trip: Norway

Trip: Norway

Norway - Skåla, being Norway’s longest continual ascent, is host to an annual summer event called the La Sportiva Skåla Opp, Northern Europe’s toughest uphill race.

Trip: Norway

Norway - Grotle, Norway: the trailhead for Veten Cliff

Trip: Norway

Norway - As if you needed more reasons to hug a tree. Yarn bomber hits Bergen!

Trip: Norway

Trip: Norway

Trip: Norway

Norway - From Kalvåg we took the van to Løen, on two-way roads wide enough for only one car.

Trip: Norway

Dagmara:

(girls in the van) so…How did you get the bear story to Jon ahead of time? Didn’t you just meet him when we did? (Dagmara and Jenny) oh…we have our ways

Malibu / Mt. Baldy - Starting off on the right foot! Now who’s leading the way?

Trip: Malibu / Mt. Baldy

Trip: Norway

Jenny:

Thought this morning. Our website says top set trekkers – transformative travel. People keep asking me if we are going to organize/sell trips. I like your “together in adventure” tagline or something along those lines as we’re 2 friends who are taking a journey together.

Dagmara:

People do ask, and I’m hoping people “copy” us and go on the same trips, but I don’t think we will become tour guides 🚙