Axis Wild Expeditions

Axis Wild Expeditions The wild is calling 🌿

Guided backpacking and pack supported trips in Yosemite and the greater Sierra Nevada, to recharge your spirit, awaken your senses, and remind you what it feels to be truly alive.

✨️ Sierra Flora Spotlight ✨️ Little Elephant's Head (𝘗𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘴)The Sierra Nevada is much more than granite p...
08/17/2026

✨️ Sierra Flora Spotlight ✨️
Little Elephant's Head (𝘗𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘴)

The Sierra Nevada is much more than granite peaks and towering forests, it's also an extraordinary botanical landscape- a wildflower enthusiasts dream. Here is another one of our favs!

You can see how this particular wildflower got it's name with it's cute elephant-shaped flowers. These beauties are generally found in wet montane and subalpine meadows. These were found near Cathedral lakes, our last night's camp on the Yosemite Grande Traverse. While they still have chlorophyll and photosynthesize, this plant is hemiparasitic, meaning is draws some of its nutrients from other neighboring plants through its root system.

08/13/2026

Our last Yosemite Grand Traverse backpacking trip this season, will be from Sept 12 - 19, 2026.

Join us on this iconic journey deep into Yosemite's wild interior. Over Isberg pass, down the headwaters of the Merced, over Clouds Rest, through Sunrise and Cathedral Lakes, and out through Tuolumne Meadows. This epic trek was recognized by National Geographic as one of it's top 15 trails worldwide- understandably so.

This is one of our favorite secret swimming holes on the headwaters of the Merced river.

For the full itinerary go to:
Axiswildexpeditions.com

Or hit the link in bio ✨️

08/04/2026
🔦 Sierra Fauna Spotlight 🔦 Sierra Mountain KingsnakeLampropeltis zonata multicinctaBeautiful, Harmless, and Misunderstoo...
07/27/2026

🔦 Sierra Fauna Spotlight 🔦

Sierra Mountain Kingsnake
Lampropeltis zonata multicincta
Beautiful, Harmless, and Misunderstood

Don't let the vibrant red, black, and white bands fool you—this stunner is completely harmless! Often mistaken for a coral snake, the Sierra mountain kingsnake uses mimicry to scare off predators, but luckily for us, coral snakes don't live in California.

These reptiles are true "kings" of the forest. They get their name from their impressive ability to hunt other snakes, including venomous rattlesnakes. Thanks to a natural resistance to rattlesnake venom, they can constrict their prey with powerful coils without worrying about a fatal bite.

Secretive and shy, spotting one is a rare treat—they spend most of their time tucked under rocks and logs. We've been lucky enough to see a few this year across different habitats, which shows how adaptable these beautiful creatures are.

Harmless, beneficial, and absolutely gorgeous. A perfect reminder that the Sierra's wildness is often hiding just beyond our footsteps.

✨️ Guide Spotlight ✨️ Meet Sean 🌊 Known to many as “Bigfoot”—Sean is a seasoned wilderness guide and outdoor educator wi...
07/26/2026

✨️ Guide Spotlight ✨️

Meet Sean 🌊
Known to many as “Bigfoot”—Sean is a seasoned wilderness guide and outdoor educator with a lifelong connection to California’s wild landscapes. His path into guiding began early, growing up along the fringes of the vast Los Padres National Forest, where mountains, rivers, canyons, and waterfalls formed his everyday playground. Days spent roaming outdoors, climbing trees, and building forts on a small ranch fostered a deep respect for wild places that continues to shape his work today. Professionally, Sean has guided and taught across a wide range of environments, from leading expeditions in and around the remote Channel Islands off the coast of California, to educating students in outdoor schools tucked into the Los Padres mountains above Santa Barbara. His experience working with Ventura County Parks and the National Park Service helped shape his belief that there are many meaningful ways people connect with nature—and that this connection is essential to human well-being, as well as the health of the planet. A longtime backpacker and naturalist at heart, Sean brings a grounded, thoughtful presence to the trail. He values moving deliberately through wild landscapes, reading the land, and helping guests feel both capable and at ease in mountain environments. Whether navigating alpine terrain or sharing quiet moments of observation, his guiding style emphasizes connection—to place, to others, and to oneself.

At Axis Wild Expeditions, Sean is passionate about welcoming guests into the Sierra Nevada backcountry and helping them build their own lasting relationships with wild places. When he’s not guiding, he can often be found exploring California and the American West on road trips, always seeking out the next stretch of beautiful, open country.

We are stoked to have Sean on the Axis Wild team! Look for him on our upcoming Pints & Peaks trip.

07/17/2026

Can't beat summertime swimming in Yosemite. Especially in the high country. One of our favorite swimming holes in Tuolumne..

Address

1485 Azalea Drive
Carpinteria, CA
93013

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

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