Wilder Walks

02/26/2026

One of my favorite things about guiding in Point Reyes is watching people slow down enough to really notice what’s around them.

Fog in the trees. Elk near camp. Empty beach miles. And sometimes, people start making up haikus as we walk!

If you’ve been wanting a reset, a first backpacking trip, or just a few blissful miles on the coast, I’d love to have you out there.

I’ve got an upcoming guided Point Reyes backpacking trip with spots open.

Link in bio for details + signup.

01/28/2026

2026 guided backpacking trips are open!

Six routes across California’s wildest landscapes: the granite high country of the Sierra Nevada and the edges of the Pacific coast. Join a small-group adventure, from beginner-friendly essentials to week-long alpine expeditions. Whether you’re learning core systems or ready for sustained off-trail travel, I’m leading a trip that will help you do it with confidence.

New this season: Lost Coast Coastal Explorations and an updated Trip Levels system to help you choose the right adventure.

All trips include ultralight gear, small groups (max 6), and hands-on teaching. The goal is to help you learn better backpacking for deeper connections with wild places.

Swipe to see all six. Details at link in bio.

11/14/2025

I managed to spend 38 days backpacking this year!

In between, I guess I got a little quiet on here... which is kinda why I love backpacking so much. There’s no better way to get offline and experience nature’s nuances at walking speed.

Since getting back “online” I’ve been busy repairing gear, catching up on bookkeeping, dreaming about the 2026 season, and reflecting on some of this year’s most magical moments in the wilderness.

To kick things back off (and before I announce 2026 trips), here’s one scene from each of my nine trips in 2025:

1. Erica on a foggy June morning in Point Reyes... one of only two coastal wilderness areas in California, where the solitude feels like stepping back in time.

2. Matthes Crest in July, which is maybe my favorite place in Yosemite. You leave the trail and navigate cross-country to get here, which makes it feel like a true adventure.

3. Peter on the “granite superhighway” in Emigrant Wilderness... a pocket of the Sierra I know by heart, where skipping along those slabs still makes me feel like a kid.

4. My dad on a Yosemite scouting trip in August, the night two owls silently swooped through the trees about ten feet above our heads while we cowboy camped!

5. The Kearsarge Pinnacles at sunset with my brother on a Sierra High Route thru-hike. One of the most rewarding and challenging trips I’ve ever done, even though we had to bail early.

6. Looking down on Nelson Lake from atop Rafferty Peak in early September, finally climbing a summit I’d eyed for years with Kirk and Clay.

7. Obsidian in Yosemite (!) with the Wright family. We stumbled on a “knapping site,” where an Indigenous person likely sat here creating a tool hundreds (or thousands!) of years ago.

8. A classic view of middle and lower Young Lakes on year two of leading a group of college friends on what’s becoming our annual tradition.

9. Atop Half Dome with a courageous 13-year-old and her dad, taking the long scenic way up as part of their family tradition they call “Iconic Summits.”

10. Finally, a rare photo of me in my element, showing off my tasty backcountry burritos!

Stay tuned... I’ll be announcing my 2026 trip schedule soon 👀

05/14/2025

Have you ever seen a moonrise in the Sierra? It’s a magical sight to behold. 🌖

At first, it’s just a subtle glow on the horizon. City-weary eyes might mistake it for the distant lights of a metropolis. But then, brighter and brighter, it grows, until suddenly, like a spotlight flicked on, the moon crests the ridge and makes you almost squint.

The granite around you begins to glow, and as you walk to get a better view, it feels like you’ve landed on the moon itself.

This was one of those nights. I was with my brother in Yosemite, and we decided it was the perfect evening to lay our bags out on the cool granite and sleep beneath the stars, and the blinding moonlight.

05/10/2025

Do you know why we pitch our tents under the trees?
Sure, they help block the wind — but that’s not all.

Even small stands like this create a warmer, drier microclimate. Trees reduce radiant heat loss to the night sky and help cut down on condensation. Setting up on durable surfaces (like this one) helps too — fewer plants mean less moisture and less impact. Win-win.

🏕️Want to camp here and learn more tricks for sleeping comfier outside?

This is one of our go-to sites on the Yosemite Meadows & Muir Trail Loop — and I’m leading a small group there over Labor Day weekend.

Hit the link in my bio to learn more and grab your spot.

05/08/2025

The Sierra is a granite masterpiece — carved by ice, shaped by time. But can you tell which way the glacier moved across this slab?

See those crescent-shaped divots holding rainwater?

They’re called “chatter marks” — scars left when a rock trapped in glacial ice gouged the granite beneath it. The rounded side points the way the glacier flowed, thousands of years ago.

We found this patch deep in a remote canyon of the Emigrant Wilderness — where the story of ice is still written in stone.

Want to see it for yourself?
I’m leading a small group to this and other wild places later this summer.
👉 Tap the link in my bio to learn more and sign up.

05/05/2025

Join a five-day, four-night guided ultralight backpacking adventure summiting Yosemite National Park’s iconic Clouds Rest and Half Dome.

* Climb the cables and reach the summit of Half Dome
* Soak in panoramic views atop Clouds Rest
* Hike the famous John Muir Trail and Mist Trail
* Level up your ultralight backpacking skills in a supportive environment

This is the best bang-for-your-buck backpacking trip in Yosemite National Park, and it’s the most ideal itinerary for climbing both Clouds Rest and Half Dome. These are probably the most famous bucket-list summits in the entire park, and getting a permit to climb them has become akin to winning the lottery. Seeing these sights with Wilder Walks not only takes care of the logistics, but also offers an opportunity to to improve your ultralight backpacking skills and learn more about the natural history of the world-famous Yosemite National Park.

Our route is ideal because it starts in Tuolumne Meadows, one of the highest-elevation meadows in the entire Sierra Nevada. Since this trip is a thru-hike, it means we’ll get to head generally downhill and avoid the strenuous climb up and out of Yosemite Valley. It also means that we’ll get to experience all of the major ecosystems that define Yosemite National Park as we follow in the footsteps of the original Ahwahneechee people through lush meadows, towering pine forests, and other-worldly alpine zones.

Dates:
Wednesday, July 16, 2025 – Sunday, July 20, 2025

03/07/2025

This is Sky Camp, one of the four established hike-in campgrounds located on former ranch sites in Point Reyes National Seashore.

Perched along Inverness Ridge among towering Douglas firs, this site enjoys epic sunset views of Drakes Bay.

It’s also one of the possible campsites we visit on the Coastal Wilderness of Point Reyes guided backpacking trip. There are still a few spots available on this accessible introduction to one a rare coastal wilderness area — and backpacking! Check that link in my bio to learn more 🏕️

03/05/2025

On a scouting trip in Yosemite’s backcountry, we found ourselves scrambling up a pretty steep incline.

Thankfully I’ve put together a much more accessible, but still super adventurous, route for the Yosemite’s Remote High Country trip.

I can show you the way, and teach you to find your own (less sketchy!) off-trail routes if you join the trip.

There are still a few more spots available! Click that link in my bio to learn more and sign up.

03/05/2025