Dear reader- I have not posted on this blog in a bloggy way in a long time. That’s because I’ve been writing weekly for my newsletter here– you should definitely subscribe if you don’t want to miss any of those. My newsletters have been about my life in Alaska, the daily wonders and horrors of embodiment, the speculative fiction novel I’ve been working on for the past three years, and my guided backpacking trips. I started a backpacking guiding business! I have an LLC, general liability insurance, commercial permits, a bookkeeper, and I got my Wilderness First Responder certification. I didn’t mean to start a business, I just needed another job and then next thing I knew (after months of research and paperwork), here I was- and it’s been so awesome so far! I take women, trans and non-binary people backpacking, both on beginner trips where I help you build your gear list and menu with the goal of preparing you to thru-hike a long trail on your own in the future, and more advanced trips where I teach you how to make routes in caltopo, we make a route together in the Alaskan Arctic, and then we hike it!

My February beginner trips were fantastic– here are a few reviews from participants:

Cayce says- This was truly a gem of an experience shared with incredible community that I will hold close forever. Carrot offered so much support before and during the trip and thoughtfully guided us throughout the experience without taking over in any way. I was never made to feel silly for any and all questions ranging from poop to hiking-related medical issues to on-trail meal triumphs and disasters – it was always a fun and incredibly supportive environment all around. Aside from the practical knowledge acquired in terms of gear and logistics, I gained the confidence to plan + complete long-distance hikes and developed friendship with a group of extremely special people in the process. Thank you Carrot!

Megan says- Carrot is a wonderful and patient guide. I feel like this trip was thoughtfully planned out and there was support from Carrot months prior to getting to Arizona. It was helpful to have space to ask questions about hiking in the desert, gear and food. Once we got to Arizona, we had plenty of time to come together as a group, get to know each other, write together, eat together and go over gear/food for the hike. It was a magical trip and just what I needed. I was able to tap back into my creative self, walk miles in the dirt in both silence and conversation. I was inspired by others in our small group, I learned from Carrot, I had individual and group experiences that have stuck with me after returning home. I am so grateful Carrot has carved out space for womxn and queers to be in nature together.

Haley says- I feel very prepared and sure of myself in the backcountry after this trip. Carrot is so kind and knowledgeable, accommodating and understanding of others. I felt the culture and spirit of the Arizona trail shine alongside the sun, being surrounded by positive souls and fresh air in the magical desert.

Dianna says- If there is a part of you feeling called to go on this trip, I say do it! I love to day hike, but before this trip I had very little backpacking experience. Now I feel confident about backpacking and am already planning my next adventure. Between the zoom calls and the trip itself, I learned so much about gear and how to use it, asked a million questions about thru-hiking and literally had the time of my life. Carrot and KK are such rad, warm and thoughtful people who make the whole experience feel really amazing.

Marcela says- If you are someone who has a little voice in their head / heart telling you to Go Outside, but you’re nervous you might not have the skills / gear / confidence to do so — sign up for this trip! Carrot provides the ideal learning environment where you feel guided and safe, but also encouraged to figure things out yourself and gain some independence. I left this trip with new friends, more confidence in my outdoor skills and an eagerness to thru-hike! Truly can’t recommend this experience enough.

Julie says- Signing up for a guided trip with Carrot is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for myself. I’ve dreamed of long-distance hiking for a long time, and yet there were certain skills I didn’t have that prevented me from taking that leap sooner. Carrot helped me to bridge that gap and feel confident in doing a solo hike. Everyone on the trip was so easy-going, kind, funny, cute, and cool — making the experience so fun and meaningful.

One of the biggest feedbacks I got from participants is that I had undersold Kelly Kate’s cooking (KK prepares all our meals for the two days we spend at the rental house, going through our gear and doing preparation activities together, before the backpacking part of the trip). So I am here to tell you today- KK’s cooking is phenomenal. For example, one of our breakfasts was a fluffy Japanese omelette, a lunch was banh mi sandwiches, and our dinner was ribs with spinach and artichoke mac & cheese, with sticky toffee pudding and icecream for dessert. And the truly incredible thing was that KK made these meals while taking everyone’s dietary restrictions into account- imagine these meals but with vegan, gluten-free and nightshade-free options- and not sub-par options but really, really good versions of everything! KK’s cooking was like a dream I didn’t want to wake up from, and is probably the best I’ll eat all year.

I’ll be offering these beginner trips again next year, and registration will open in a few months- so subscribe to my newsletter if you want those updates!

And if you’re looking for something more advanced, there are still a few spots in my summer 2024 Brooks Range Trips- I’ll teach you how to make a route in caltopo, we’ll make a route together in the Arctic and then we’ll hike it! It’s going to a phenomenal time. Details and the application are here.

And that brings us to updates on my other current project, which is the speculative fiction novel I’ve been working on for the last three years. You can read the first chapter here, and you can listen to a chapter from the middle here. The book is five drafts worth of done, I’m just still tweaking and editing parts of it, and looking for a publisher. If you’re a publisher and want it please reach out.

That’s all for now, check out my newsletter if you want a lot more yammerings!

-Carrot