LAAF Travels

09/08/2021

And that’s a wrap!!

We finished the season strong with a 15-mile round trip along the beautiful shoreline of Ross Lake.

Thanks to these ladies for coming prepared and ready to get some miles under their belts. 🤸🏽‍♂️

We were all loving the cooler fall temps and quieter trails, as did the many toads we saw. 🍁

One of our participants on this trip is meeting a group of friends on the Wonderland trail to test out her new skills, and that’s what we love to hear! 🧡

Stay tuned to hear about our plans for the coming year. Until then… Happy LAAFing!

09/08/2021

And that’s a wrap!!

We finished the season strong with a 15-mile round trip along the beautiful shoreline of Ross Lake.

Thanks to these ladies for coming prepared and ready to get some miles under their belts. 🤸🏽‍♂️

We were all loving the cooler fall temps and quieter trails, as did the many toads we saw. 🍁

One of our participants on this trip is meeting a group of friends on the Wonderland trail to test out her new skills, and that’s what we love to hear! 🧡

Stay tuned to hear about our plans for the coming year. Until then… Happy LAAFing!

08/31/2021

Our last Backpacking Basics Course was not shy of inspiration, storytelling and laughter! 🥰

Our participants were well prepared and ready for anything with their great attitudes! The weather teased us a bit but was mostly rain-free. 🌦

To our LAAF peeps: Whether you were backpacking for the first time, building on some prior experience, or checking a goal off the list, it was a pleasure to be a part of each of your journeys. ✅🥾⛺️

A special shout out to who did her first backpacking trip since being an amputee! 🙌🙌🙌

Until the next trip…Cheers and Happy LAAFing!

-Katie & Megan

08/02/2021

Our last Backpacking Basics Course took an incredible amount of grit and determination from our participants to complete!



A big round of applause to them!



This was a challenging hike with over 2000 feet elevation gain within the last 2.5 miles. They persevered! It took everyone's encouragement, support, sense of humor and patience to make it to the top and when we did…it was totally worth it!



The views from Fourth of July Campground were stunning. We had a front row seat to snow-capped peaks and cascading waterfalls.

As per usual, we rounded out the trip with a refreshing dip in Diablo Lake to soak our hard working muscles.



Thank you participants for your AMAZING attitudes! It was an absolute pleasure going on an adventure with you and learning about your passions and motivations in life.



Until the next trip…Cheers and Happy LAAFing!

07/20/2021

We had a wonderful second LAAF trip thanks to our adventurous and adaptable group!

Over our one-night trip in the North Cascades, we had some great conversations and learned about each others backgrounds. 😆🏞 🥾

This group went with the flow and still appreciated every moment when we had to adjust our camping plans. It goes to show that you sometimes have to let go of even the most thought-out itinerary!

And as a reward to wrap up the weekend, we jumped in the turquoise waters of Lake Diablo and picnicked by the shore.

We do this for the community that's created through outdoor experiences, and this crew was an awesome example of that 🧡

07/14/2021

"Non-binary people have existed for centuries and they show us every day that knowing one’s self and identity is a powerful thing that no one can strip away." - the staff at the Human Rights Campaign

July 14th is International Non-Binary People's Day, which give us an occasion to validate and celebrate different identities.

We know posting about days of awareness like this only goes so far. But we learn in the process and hopefully plant the seed of awareness for others.

To get more insight, the Human Rights Campaign wrote up a wonderful interview of non-binary Youth Ambassadors. Read here: (https://www.hrc.org/news/international-non-binary-day-2021-interviews-with-three-of-hrcs-youth-ambassadors)

We welcome people who identify as non-binary femmes on our LAAF trips, and work to be inclusive and honor intersectionality as a business.

07/07/2021

Wanna feel as laid back as this gal looks in the backcountry? 😎

Well, she's got the gear.

💰But that doesn't mean you need to drain your savings account to be comfortable!

Read our latest blog to find out clever ways to source and to find deals. And if you have some extra money to spend on important items, learn which ones you should prioritize. 🥾🎒⛺

Then you can chill and soak in the views.



Photo by ROMAN ODINTSOV from Pexels

Read our backpacking adventure blog written for adventurous women and femmes. From what to cook in the backcountry to how to handle your period in the woods, we cover it all!

06/25/2021

Have you ever thought about how you take up space outdoors and your place in it? 🤔

That's a good thing.

Our latest blog dives into white gatekeeping, which is "when people with power and privilege assume they have the right to decide who does or does not belong to an identity, a community, or a place."

Writer Alicia Aguilar gives us useful tools on how to make the outdoors feel more welcoming to more people, as well as...

🥳 how to celebrate Pride OUTside! 🌈



Read it on our blogs page.

While building the LAAF Travels community, co-founders Megan and Katie prioritized joining the movement to make the outdoors more inclusive. LAAF’s goal is to help make the outdoors a safe and welcoming place, where women and femmes from marginalized identities are safe, have equitable access to q...

06/22/2021

All play, no work this weekend! 😎

We got out in the Chuckanuts with a friend and our mascot Lou to chill by a lake, play a competitive game of Farckle and eat pasta.

♣️ 🍝🐶🎲🏕️

Where did you adventure this weekend?

📍Nooksack and Nuwhaha land

06/17/2021

In celebration of Juneteenth, we’re offering a 15% percent off all backpacking trips for Black women and femmes! 🥳

Just book any Backpacking Basics Course by June 30th using the discount code Juneteenth21 when you go to pay.

If you've been wanting to learn how to backpack but don't know where to start, here's your chance! We designed our Backpacking Basics Course to give you a running start so you can embark on your own adventures. 🏃🏿‍♀️🏃🏽‍♀️

Part of the reason why we started a women’s adventure company is to get more women and femmes out on the trails with us.

Click the link in our bio to book one of our summer backpacking trips!

🍻And cheers to Juneteenth being an official federal holiday!! 🥂

06/16/2021

"Part of embracing our freedom is reclaiming our connection to nature and empowering ourselves by traversing the lands that were taken away, or that our ancestors didn’t have access to." 🌿

That's an excerpt from our latest blog by Seychelle Thomas, who writes about how BIPOC can get out on the trails safely. 🌅

She also covers how white allies- who make up the majority of outdoor recreationists- can use our privilege to promote safety and break down barriers. 🙋‍♀️

As she says, no one owns the outdoors. And that's a beautiful thing!

Honor by reading this insightful piece. ✨

Black and Indigenous POC have learned to fear the outdoors for the very real threat of violence. In many cases our families were of the understanding that if you went into the woods, you might not come back out. Part of embracing our freedom is reclaiming our connection to nature and empowering ours...