It's over when it's over.

The journal I used on the Wonderland Trail.

I write. A lot. Way more than it may seem, based on the frequency of my posts. I have 6 posts sitting in my drafts right now. Some are messy outlines of thoughts that will probably never amount to anything other than that, and some are fully flushed pieces with photos and everything. I used to think I was scared to post since I don't have an editor and often catch errors after I post them- no matter how many times I review it on my own- but I've realized that's not totally true. Sure, that's part of it. But I've realized that putting my experiences onto paper makes them feel final.

It's kind of silly. I go on plenty of adventures. And I write about them all the time. Writing brings more out of the adventure than just the action. It allows me to dig deeper into how I felt, what I saw and reflect upon it once I'm showered and in my bed. 

If I want to call myself a writer, I realized that I need to get over this silly limit I put on myself. 

Just because I put it into words and put it online for the world to see, doesn't mean it's over. The experience itself was over the moment I moved to the next. But part of the experience is the reminiscing that happens after, the words I write about it, the doodles I draw. It becomes part of everything I do, even in a subtle way. Sometimes even I don't realize it.

Once I leave the trail, the experience goes on. Other people can experience it through my words and photos.

And I think that's why I write in the first place.

For the past few weeks, I've been giving myself big goals. First solo overnight, first solo multi day, first solo 10+ mile day, first trip on the Wonderland Trail and lots of training. I love having big goals, and it feels awesome to complete those goals.

Sun set near Lower Crystal Lake

 
I gave myself a break this weekend and I headed up to Upper Crystal Lake (7 miles RT) with a fellow adventurer. The plan was to hike to Crystal, camp, and head out in the morning to cross country hike to Crystal Mountain and take the gondola down.

Wildflowers and alpine lakes at camp.

It was forecasted to be super nice, and I was excited for new adventures, and some off trail exploration through the backcountry.

Upper Crystal Lake

Waking up this morning, to the sun bright and warm through the tent, we scanned the ridgeline and reconsidered our plan. It would be warm all day, with little shade. We could try our luck, strap on our big packs and hit the dusty non existent trail to Crystal Mountain... Or we could drink beers and hang out in the gorgeous alpine lake that sat maybe 100 feet from our tent.

View from Site 2

 We chose the latter, and it was beyond rad.

Big goals can sometimes take the fun out of going to the mountains. I've always been in strong support of Type Two Fun -the type that you hate while it's happening, but afterwards you're like "hell ya, lets do it next weekend" - but this weekend reminded me that going to Trader Joe's and enjoying an easy hike (classic Type One Fun) is just as rad and fulfilling. Type One Fun is like hitting the reset button on your mountain mindset. I often need to remind myself that I don't need to be pushing my limits, climbing hard grades or hiking big miles to have fun and feel accomplished. Life is more fun when you don't kick your own ass all the time.

Sun setting over Upper Crystal Lake.

I often get asked how I still managed to play outside, despite having an office job. It's pretty simple. I chose the kind of job that give me the opportunities I want. Granted, I'm making a percentage of what minimum wage is, but I'm living in a National Park and getting housing paid for me. I'd say it's a fair trade off.

Since graduating college and getting thrown headfirst into adulthood, I've done tons of research on how to pick a career that will allow me to do what I love, without making me grow sick and tired of it. Here's a few of the opportunities that I've taken advantage of, plus some I hope to dive into someday.

Retail

I know, I know. Retail sucks. I'll be the first to tell you that. But picking the right retail job makes the suckage significantly smaller. I worked at a large outdoor retailer. The culture was awesome. The discounts were incredible. And the days off were often weekdays.

Having the opportunity to head into the mountains when your weekend is Wednesday and Thursday is amazing. Trails are empty, campsites are quiet, and traffic isn't bad.

Being the first of your adventure crew to hear about the newest backpack lift system or waterproof technology is fun. Testing out brand new gear and (if you're lucky) borrowing gear from either your stores stockpile or your equally adventurous coworkers is an added bonus.

Intern
If I could be an intern forever, I would. I've scored internships at Climbing Magazine, AMC Outdoors and now, I'm working as a media intern for the National Park Service.

All of my internships have given me opportunity to play in new places and get others excited about the outdoors. Sure, the first two were unpaid, but they have given my resume a step up, as well as given me incredible experience and insight into what working in journalism is like. Not only that, but I get to write and take photos of the stuff I love - the outdoors and people who love the outdoors.

I've been fortunate enough to be able to travel to Colorado and Washington for my internships, as well as one at home in Boston. Some internships will paid for your relocation expenses, housing and give you a small housing stipend. Plus, if you land an AmeriCorps eligible position, you might qualify for an education award, which helps with your student loans. 

Being a weekend warrior has it's perks.

Get sponsoredYou might be passionate about accounting or basket weaving or real estate- something that might not necessarily allow you to be outdoors when you want to be... and that's okay. You don't need to be outdoors 24/7. But the important thing is making sure that when you do have your days off, that you're getting after it in the woods. And documenting it.

Do you know how easy it is to score free/discounted gear, just by asking? Super easy. You don't even need to have 180k followers on Instagram. Good content and an even better personality is all you need. I sent out almost 80 letters when preparing for a big outdoor venture. Most were ignored. Some responded with a no. But I did get lots of positive responses.

Even if they couldn't provide a true sponsorship, many companies were stoked to send out samples to me. Some sent gift cards (thanks, Chacos), some sent t shirts and ball caps (you rule, Backcountry Ninjas) and some offered a 6 month supply of meal bars (ProBar, I'm looking at you).

It never hurts to ask. Companies want people who are enthusiastic about their product and are willing to put themselves out there to prove it.

Mountain naps are the best naps.

Freelance

Oof. This one's tricky. And I have no real advice on how to do this, as I haven't gotten to this point, but if you're motivated and skilled enough, you can work for yourself. There are lots of bloggers and photographers who get paid to travel and do their work.

Some live out of their trucks or airstreams. Some have a home base and travel internationally taking photos for big name brands and publications. 

Freelance isn't for everyone- you have to be extremely motivated, self sufficient and creative. Not having a boss telling you what to do can be hard, but the benefits and flexibility freelancing provides far outweight the negatives if you want that lifestyle.

So now what?

The bottom line is that if you really want to get outdoors, you can. Getting paid to play might ruin the fun of it- I've definitely found that with my photography. When I'm out on my own, I rarely want to take my camera out. It feels like work. And I try to avoid bringing my everyday life into the mountains with me. That being said, it takes discipline, heading straight to the mountains after the work week and those always fun late Sunday night drives can be a total bummer. If you want to turn your passions into your career, or even use it to bring in a little spending cash, I can tell you that it's totally worth it.

Let me guess... you've heard at least one of these before:

"Did your boyfriend drag you out here?"

No... I dragged him out here.

"This trail is easier, you might want to take this one."

I chose this trail. I can read a map. Plus, you look like you're struggling more than I am. There's a road that goes to the summit, why don't you take that?

"I could climb that too if I weighed 100lbs."

No. I climbed that because I train and because I am strong. My weight has little to do with it.

"Well that was rated 5.9, but you climbed it without much effort so I'll downgrade it."

I don't even have words for this one.

Working in and being a part of the outdoor community is amazing. I've meet some of my closest friends through climbing and playing outdoors. I've held roles at different outdoor companies and publications. For the most part, I absolutely love it. There definitely were times where I wasn't taken seriously as a woman (looking much younger than my true age doesn't help either), which can be a total downer when you're living your dream.

I've worked at two major outdoor stores. I cannot tell you how frustrating it can be to approach a customer who is clearly looking for a sales associate, just for them to turn down my help and find the closest male employee. Or when hiking and climbing, getting asked where my boyfriend is or being told that I'm hiking really fast or climbing really hard for a girl.

I struggled with this post. I want this series to be full of tips and tricks and fun stuff that us ladies can use outdoors. But I had a hard time with coming up with a way to combat the sexism I often see in the backcountry. I wanted to find a solution that would stop, or at least minimize this culture that says only men excel in the outdoors. Then I realized, we don't have to fix it. Sure, we can use it as an opportunity to prove ourselves... But we don't need to.

Being outdoors as a women isn't uncommon. There's a huge community of us and we all share in these experiences. We don't need to prove ourselves. But we can educate others. There's a whole community built around women in the outdoors. Next time someone downplays your outdoor achievements just because you climb or hike like a girl, direct them to organizations like the Outdoor Women's Alliance or SheJumps, both of which aim to provide opportunities to get women outdoors. Tell them about Ashima's killer V15/8c climb or Anish's record setting thru hikes on the AT and PCT. Show them the instagram pages of Becca Skinner, Jillian Lukiwski or Anela Ramos. These are all totally badass influential outdoorsladies who crush on and off the trail.

There are always going to be people who don't think you're fast enough, strong enough or good enough... Those people are wrong. The best climber/hiker/skier/runner/etc, is the one who's having the most fun. And us ladies know how to have fun on the trail. Next time someone makes a snarky comment about how messy your trail hair is, or tell your that you're not hiking fast enough or logging enough miles. Just smile and keep on moving.

Or you could just invite the skeptics on a backpacking trip with you and totally kick their butt.

Over the years, I’ve primarily hiked with dudes. As a women, I have often found myself using hiking with the guys as an excuse to not carry my own weight (literally and figuratively). But one of the things I’ve learned is the importance of being self reliant. Nothing feels better than finishing a solo trip and knowing you totally kicked ass and you did it all on your own. As women, we are often made to feel weak or otherwise less than. I want us to feel empowered, everyday and especially in the woods. In this series, I’ll cover some fun topics, like backcountry cooking, as well as some more important skills, like first aid and defending yourself against unwanted advances, from both animals and other people. If you’ve got comments, questions or ideas for upcoming posts, email me at carolinemeleedy@gmail.com! Happy trails, ladies!

In the first installment of the series, I’m covering two questions I’ve been asked hundreds of times: What do you do when you need to pee? What do you bring with you?

Perfect your pee technique

Vulgar start to the series, but lets face it- when you’re in the woods and you gotta pee, you gotta pee. It doesn’t matter if you’re a squatter, a sitter, a leaner or a go girl user- just perfect your technique. I am very proud of the fact that I can literally pee anywhere. Probably too proud. There’s few things worse than getting drip in your boots. Gross. 

There’s a few things we need to talk about first, to help you decide what works best for you, and honestly, it’s a lot of trial and error.

First, make sure when you get down to business, you practice Leave No Trace principles. No one likes going into the wilderness just to find toilet paper littering the landscape.  Leave no trace, ladies! Below I’ve given LNT technique directly from the source. For more information, visit leavenotrace.org.

“Use the privy for human waste only (feces). Do not add trash. If there is no privy, dispose of human waste by burying it in a "cat-hole," a hole 6-8 inches deep, 4-6 inches wide and at least 200 feet (80 steps) from campsites, water sources and shelters, and well away from trails. Add dirt to the hole, and stir with a stick to promote decomposition. Push toiler paper to the bottom of the hole, and leave your stick in the hole. Don't hide your waste under a rock - this slows its decomposition.

...Disperse dishwater and toothpaste, and urinate well away (at least 100 feet) from shelters and popular campsites. In this way, wildlife is not attracted close to camp. Animals sometimes defoliate plants to consume the salt in urine, so urinate on rocks or bare ground rather than on the vegetation. Where water is plentiful, consider diluting the urine by adding water to the site” (appalachiantrail.org)

Now, there’s a few ways of going about this. Don’t worry, I’m not drawing any diagrams or linking any how-to videos. One option, is a device that allows you to pee like the dudes. There’s a few options, and you’ll have to decide which works best for you. Two popular devices I’ve seen out there are the Go Girl and the Freshette. I’ve heard great things about both of these, my only reservation would be clean up and storage. I have yet to try one out, but I definitely plan on it at some point.

The best way I’ve figured out is what I refer to as the lean. This involves leaving your pack on, using it to lean against a tree while semi squatting. It allows you to keep you pack on, which saves a bit of time, as well as using it to balance yourself, all while avoiding rubbing your back uncomfortably on a tree.

Basically, what it all comes down to is what makes you comfortable. Doesn’t matter if you’re a leaner, a squatter, a privy only user or a hold-it-until-town kinda girl, just make sure you’re peeing responsibly and respectfully.

What to Bring When Going Into the Wilderness Solo

I’m sure we’ve all heard of the ten essentials. This is a list that you can find in nearly every guide book out there. Outdoor stores print up the list to give out to those wishing to get outdoors. Hell, there’s even a wikipedia page dedicated to it. It covers the absolute essentials someone should have when heading into the backcountry, even just for a day hike. Map, fire starter, extra food, knife, matches, First Aid supplies, headlamp/light source, extra clothing, sunglasses/sunscreen, compass... You get the idea. But there are some other items that you should bring along as well. We’ll call them the Semi Essentials

1) It goes without saying that water is super important. Hydration is key, and you don’t want to end up without water. Some sort of water purification system is key. You want to make sure that if you end up running out of water, you have a reliable way of replenishing. I have the Sawyer Mini. It’s lightweight and easy to use.

2) A cell phone is also a good idea to have on you, but most people don’t stray too far from theirs anyways. Getting cell reception in the backcountry isn’t a guarantee. It’s not even something you should remotely hope for. But sometimes, if you’re real lucky, you can get a little bit of service, usually at higher elevations. I always leave my phone on airplane mode while I’m on the move, but I’ll often turn it one once I reach camp or stop for lunch, just to let my person know where I’m at/if I’m on track. Which leads to my next point...

3) Always have a person. Your person should have you itinerary and know when to expect your safe return. They can contact the proper authorities if you don’t come back within a reasonable timeframe, giving you a better chance at a successful rescue if it were to come to that.

4) We know that food is one of the essentials. But what food is best? High calorie, low weight foods are my go-to. Protein bars, peanut butter, jerky and energy drink powders are a few of my favorites. Mess around with which foods you like best and throw a few extras in your bag before heading out.

5) Nalgene bottles. These are great. I absolutely love mine. I know they’re heavy and if you’re a true gram weenie, you might scoff but hear me out. Not only are they sturdy and hold a good amount of water (without the icky plastic taste that other bottle leave you with), but they’re GREAT for rolling out sore muscles. I use one on my IT band when I’m really sore and it feels amazing. I wake up the next day feeling just a little less sore.

6) Lots of people may disagree with me, but I love ear plugs. I am a very light sleeper and even the smallest rustle in the bushes wakes me up, and keeps me up. I like to sleep with an ear plug in whatever side is facing out when I’m laying down. I can’t get a good nights sleep without it, and when you’re hiking for days on end, you need your sleep.

7) Last but not least, coffee. I love my coffee. I’m sure you know this by now. It’s a great way to start your morning and it helps get me moving. The caffeine gives me a boost and I look at the world in a whole different light... Okay, that last one was an exaggeration. But in all honesty, days in the backcountry that start with coffee are often my best. 

Which is all of them. 

Because being outdoors is rad.

This morning I woke up around 7, like I normally do. I laid in bed for a while, trying to decide what to do with my day. It's my first full Saturday in Washington and I wanted to make the best of it. I planned on going for a hike around 12, when my weather app told me it would stop raining for a few hours. I didn't hear any rain outside, though. I rolled over and opened my blinds, still in the comfort of my bed. To my surprise, the sun was out- something I've barely seen since getting here. I could see a small sliver of blue sky through the trees. That was my signal. I (literally) jumped out of my bed, scrambling to get ready for the hike I had planned on doing later in the afternoon. It was 7:30. I got dressed and brushed my teeth, then wandered into the kitchen. I made my coffee and poured a bowl of cheerios and banana with soy milk. I opened up my park map and decided on what trail I wanted to do, all the while being grateful that I'm a morning person.

Perks of being a morning person: morning fog makes for great photos.

I haven't always been a morning person- when I was in high school and the early years of college, it wasn't uncommon for me to sleep until 10 or 11. Sometimes I still do. But there's something special about waking up while the rest of the world seems to be asleep. Here's what I've taught myself over the past few years to help me be more of a morning person.

1) Coffee prep
This one is my favorite. It makes my mornings go by quicker. I grind my coffee the night before, throw it in the french press and put it next to my kettle. All I have to do in my sleepy state is turn on the burner. Bonus- not waking up any sleeping neighbors/roommates with a noisy coffee grinder at 6am.

2) Meal prep
I started doing this when I started grocery shopping for myself. Whenever I hit the produce isle at the market, I pick up extra veggies. I'll chop them, mix them, throw them in individual baggies and toss them in the freezer. That way I can just fire up the stove, throw them in a pan with a bit of oil and garlic and throw some fresh eggs over them- instant omelette. It's quicker AND there's less dishes. I love that it takes half the work out of preparing a healthy and filling breakfast.

Morning hikes are the best.

3) Breakfast with a view
Your view can be whatever you want it to be- your favorite morning news program, out on the porch, across the table from your significant other- whatever makes you happy and keeps you relaxed. I like sitting at my favorite seat in the kitchen, with my "Pretty Music" playlist playing, curtains drawn so I can see the world wake up while I enjoy my coffee and eggs.

4) Get dressed
Once I'm in my clothes for the day, there's no way I'm crawling bad into bed. Not just because sleeping in jeans is one of the most uncomfortable things in the world, but because once I'm dressed, I'm mentally prepared for my day. I try to do this as soon as I get out of bed- before brushing my teeth or making coffee. It helps me get into the "I'm awake and I've got shit to do" mindset.

Having the trail to yourself is a plus too.

5) Stretch!
I stretch every morning before breakfast- usually while I'm waiting for my coffee to be done or bagel to pop from the toaster. It wakes up my muscles and allows me to get my blood flowing. I usually stretch my legs and do a little bit of jogging in place- sometimes if I'm feeling real ambitious I'll throw in a quick ab workout. Depends on my mood really. Anything to get your heart rate going a little bit will help get you alert and awake.

6) Have a plan
The days I find myself sleeping in are the days I have nothing on my agenda (rare, but it happens). I try to give myself something to do in the morning- on days when I'm not in the office or otherwise booked up. This morning was a hike. Tomorrow is a haircut and a new coffee shop. It's easier to get out of bed when I have a plan and obligations for the day. It's all too easy to turn off the 8am alarm and fall back asleep. That being said...

7) Allow yourself to sleep in
I know I just gave every reason why being a morning person is awesome, but there's still a little love in my heart for sleeping in. There's something to be said for rolling out of bed at 9:30 or 10 and bumming around in your PJ's for a few hours while you drink your fourth cup of coffee. Even better is getting brunch at 1pm with your friends.

Sometimes making breakfast feels like more effort than climbing Rainier.

Waking up before 8am makes me feel productive and energetic. I love feeling like I got the most out of every day, even if I sat at my computer for hours, writing and editing photos after my hike. I love being a morning person.

This is a love note to all the climber girls. Not just climber girls- any girl who enjoys being outdoors.

Being a girl who hangs out with a lot of dudes, and in turn, a lot of girls who hang out with mostly dudes, I often hear the following sentence: 

"I don't have girl friends because girls cause too much drama."

Every time I hear this, I cringe. Girls are awesome. Dudes are awesome too, but hear me out. 

We love our guy friends, but our girl friends are a different kind of special. We're not the girls who say that we don't have girlfriends because girls cause too much drama. We love our girlfriends and there's nothing more fun than playing outside together.

We look out for each other. We support each other, and we will always give each other the best spot in the world. We have just as much fun and crush just as hard together, as we do when the guys are around.

We're fun. We like spontaneity. We like to get dirty and don't care how long it's been since our last shower.

We have girl talk, but it's often accompanied by cheap beer and a campfire. Our girl talk usually revolves around trip planning or beta on our most recent project.

I get the realest advice from these ladies. These ladies are the ones who are confident, not only because they know they're physically strong, but because they know they have a squad of badass ladies backing them up.

So, ladies, love your lady friends. They are your badass support system in the very male dominated outdoor culture. They get you. They respect you. They empower you.