Below you can find reviews from past participants of my beginner guided trips in Arizona and my intermediate guided trips in Utah and Alaska. Full details about my guided trips are here.

Bonnie says: I had an incredible time on Carrot’s Utah trip! I came in with some long-distance backpacking experience, but I wanted to get more confident using CalTopo and planning cross-country routes to explore beyond the well-known trails. I left the trip with so much more knowledge and confidence in those skills. Carrot is kind, funny, and endlessly generous with her experience—always teaching in a supportive, never-judgmental way. The scenery was breathtaking and the group was wonderful, great vibes all around. I’d highly recommend this trip to anyone looking to grow their backcountry skills and have an unforgettable adventure!

Kaiden says: I was nervous signing up for the trip as someone who had minimal backpacking experience and a lot to learn. The nerves quickly dissipated upon arrival. Carrot, KK, and all of the trip participants were so helpful, kind, and encouraging. I loved being surrounded by women, trans and non-binary people. The trip definitely pushed me physically! At the end, I felt so accomplished and empowered. A big motivator for going on the retreat was to prepare for the PCT— test my gear, test my limits, and hear firsthand experiences. I can confidently say that when I stepped on the PCT a month later, I was ready. I felt so grounded in myself and sure of my gear. It truly made all the difference! I am immensely grateful for the retreat!

Bridget says: Carrot’s trip was one of the best trips of my life. The Alaskan Arctic was absolutely beautiful in all directions at all times. Our group was so much fun to spend time with, and somehow it felt like the perfect balance between pushing ourselves outside our comfort zones and learning new skills, while also being so lighthearted and chill. We lazily lunched on alpine passes, we dipped in every freezing water-hole we found, we conquered tough slopes and solved puzzles in our planned route, and we laughed the whole time. Would jump at the chance to do another trip like this again!

Louise says: I’m so glad I went on this hike with the group and with Carrot. It was my first time on a multi-day hiking trip and I felt warmly guided and supported all throughout. This part of Arizona is insanely beautiful and special, with views I’ve only seen in dreams before. Carrot was attentive, responsive, patient and caring all through our days on the trail together. They truly bring a special presence to the experience and are as inspiring as the landscape we were in. Our group of women hikers held a positive, mutually supportive and safe space for new hikers like myself. A month later I am still integrating the deep wisdom and beauty the land and elements imparted to me on this trip. I’m now confident in my abilities to keep myself safe and on-track on my own multi-day hiking and camping adventure.

Nina says: Backpacking in the desert with Carrot was chill and peaceful. She is a warm and inviting person to be around with her sweet demeanor. Carrot stays calm, cool, and collected when times in nature are not and still have fun in the process.

Christine says: I LOVED this trip. You can’t ask for a better guide than Carrot. I 10/10 recommend her to anyone who is interested in learning backpacking skills in a supportive and fun environment. I had only done one overnight trip before this one, but now feel ready to do much longer trips, and turn my dream of hiking the AZT into reality.

Hannah says: It didn’t surprise me that the group of people Carrot brought together were amazingly kind and warm people. As someone who already has backpacking experience, this trip still taught me new things, introduced me to a beautiful trail, allowed me to meet some wonderful people who I hope to hike with again and grow friendships with. It was a great opportunity to not only backpack somewhere beautiful, but also do it with some great folks!

Michelle says: This trip gave me a safe space to experiment with backpacking and get a feel for whether or not I want to take longer trips in the future. It was the perfect amount of time to test my body, my gear, and my mental fortitude in a supportive environment while the stakes didn’t feel super high.

Erin says: Carrot is a superlative guide. Our group—mostly seasoned thru-hikers—was in awe of Carrot’s resourcefulness, technical skills, tenacity, and trip management magic under unlikely and challenging circumstances. It was an incredibly instructive expedition planning experience. More than that, hiking with Carrot was a joy. Rain or shine, talus or tussock, musk ox or no musk ox, Carrot brought together great people to enjoy what felt like backpacking at its best.

Jina says: I’ve always wanted to backpack but the idea of doing it alone was overwhelming to even think about. After enjoying Carrot’s writing and books for years, I knew I had to go hiking with them on their retreat. Carrot created an atmosphere that was lighthearted, challenging, and incredibly all kinds of type 1 fun.

Diane says: So refreshing to learn about a technical endeavor without any chance of mansplaining. Carrot was a great resource for expertise when needed while never stripping away opportunities for us to figure out the little things on our own. I felt both safe and engagingly challenged. Plus she’s a great conversationalist which can make the miles fly.

Stephanie says: Even now I vacillate in terms of how traumatized I felt by this trip 😅😭😵‍💫😀, but I really really am so glad I did it! It was really hard and in a way that I did not expect. I thought the weather would be challenging, but also manageable given that it was spring. I am really disappointed that I had so many issues with my feet and blisters and the heat, but glad I had the experience. Mostly my regrets are just about my own ability to acclimate which is also not my fault and I wish I could’ve enjoyed the company of the group more but it just took everything I had to complete the trip. I do appreciate how much I learned about backpacking and I do feel confident if I wanted to do something again on my own, which was my primary goal.

Katie says: I’ve been dreaming of the Brooks Range for years, but the unknown felt too intimidating to plan safely on my own—even as an experienced backpacker. Carrot, an Alaskan, created an environment that was both safe and fun, where I felt supported yet always capable of making decisions within our group. Although the trip was guided, it never felt restrictive. While I knew the terrain would be challenging, and the weather unknown, I admittedly never expected to have SO much fun. We spent our days laughing and singing over mountain passes, making silly stories, and being fully present with ourselves and each other.

One of the things I appreciated most was that Carrot doesn’t provide gear rentals or food services. It meant that each of us had to come prepared and truly dialed in, which made the whole experience more intentional. She gave me the skills and confidence not only to route plan in a completely new place, but also to stay flexible—rearranging the route in ways that felt approachable for our skill level while still adventurous.

This trip was a dream come true. For any backpacker or grand adventurer, I cannot recommend booking with Carrot enough.

Mina says: Carrot’s trip was all I had hoped for and then some. We hiked over slickrock uplands and passes, through canyons and, yes, in the creeks, an adventure in itself. So much geology, interesting plants, rock art. A bit of scrambling on creek banks and up and down rocks. Just the right amount of challenge. Interesting problems to work out–how are we going to reach that water source down in the pothole? Get past that water slide in the creek? Thread a route to that pass around the impassable pouroffs? Through it all, Carrot radiated an infectious joy, making even admittedly hard work feel like a kind of play. And Carrot and all our participants were so kind and accepting of one another. Plus, everyone had great stories!

Elisa says: I would highly recommend this trip for anyone interested in backpacking that feels overwhelmed and doesn’t know where to start in accessing entry level information to backpacking. The zoom calls before our trip covered gear, water, food planning and what backpacking app to use. I made reachable goals for conditioning my body before the trip so I felt strong and was less likely to get injured. I booked this trip without knowing anyone else and was a little nervous about that but I loved the tight, close community we formed and I feel like I have awesome lasting friendships with the other folks from my group. I appreciate Carrot’s openness and calmness. On our trip one of our hikers ended up getting sick with norovirus on the first night backpacking. Carrot was warm and calm and made sure they felt cared for and that everyones needs were met. It ended up being a good lesson for what to do in an emergency on a backpacking trip. In all, I would recommend this trip and hope I can join other trips in the future!

K says: Carrot does a great job helping you prepare for the trip, and the food you eat at the rental house is fantastic! I was a bit nervous before the trip since it was my first time backpacking, but Carrot is a kind, nonjudgmental, and genuine person and guide, so I felt comfortable and supported throughout the trip. I’m glad I challenged myself to join this trip, and I gained friends and confidence in the process. I definitely recommend signing up for one of Carrot’s trips!

Mere says: If you suspect that you might love backpacking but the idea of figuring it all out feels overwhelming, do not sleep on this guided trip. Carrot was unfailingly supportive, reassuring, encouraging, and incredibly generous with her knowledge. I learned so much just from talking with her for that first hour, after spending years spinning my wheels trying to jump-start my backpacking life on my own. She broke all the daunting planning down into manageable pieces, answered any and all questions and concerns, and helped us with practicing tent set-up and pack packing (while we got to eat KK’s *absolutely incredible* food and hang out with Danny the sweetest pup) – and then we got to hike through the breathtaking desert landscape! I loved hiking with a small group like this and I felt really safe knowing that Carrot was watching out for us – helping us tend our feet blisters and keeping an eye out for heat exhaustion, helping us get our tent set-ups just right, and keeping up our morale when the going got tough. Parts were physically challenging but I loved it – there is nothing like watching the sun rise over the desert where you are with the only people for many miles, and there are moments like that from this trip I genuinely will cherish forever. I’m so glad I did it because now I feel much, much more confident in my abilities to go out and do a longer trail on my own. So if you are nursing a secret wish to learn how to get out there yourself – this is it!!

Jen says: If you are even remotely thinking about going on a hiking trip/retreat with Carrot, stop dithering and sign up already! I learned so much about hiking and gear and built up enough confidence about thru hiking that I’m now planning a long trail for next year. Carrot is just as funny, warm, and thoughtful as they seem online and in their books. The other participants were beautiful people and I had an amazing time. I would love to do another hike with Carrot.

Jina says: Not only are Carrot’s hikes a great adventure but I also learn so much from her about gear, techniques, and navigating stresses in the wilderness. I don’t have the courage to do trips like this alone (yet!) so this gives me a great place to expand my horizons for future hikes.

Lyca says: Carrot was extremely chill and steady, and helped us stay calm when things went sideways. Unlike other wilderness skills classes I’ve been in, Carrot was engaged but open to our perspective, leaving us with the feeling that we had made choices together. Instead of feeling like everything was mediated for us by a guide, I walked away feeling very capable to hike, and plan for a hike. The time with other queer femmes was unlike any other space I’d been in, completely transformative and lovely, without being overbearing. Our course ruled and I would recommend it to anyone.

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.

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.

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.

Renai 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.

Rebecca says: Carrot is a skilled leader and teacher. She is easy-going and always good-humored but she also knows her stuff! I enjoyed learning more about route finding from her in large part because she is so good at leading through suggestion, questioning, and answering questions when we made mistakes. The route was fantastic, just challenging enough to push me but not so much that I felt like I was not going to keep up. The varied scenery, off-trail route-finding, and a marvelous group of fellow hikers made for a week I’ll never forget.

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!

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.

Emily says: I think other folks from my trip are going to be more eloquent in saying what an awesome experience it was to go on your Arizona trip, however, I’ll do my best! Being a bit of an extroverted introvert who experiences social anxiety, I was more nervous about how I would do with people than I was about physically hiking. From the start, folks and you, and KK, were so friendly, welcoming, accepting, and wholly themselves that I felt comfortable, too. Superior is a quirky and beautiful place in Eastern Arizona. MJ’s house felt like an oasis and being in close quarters to the other group members helped kickstart getting to know each other. I had a few doubts in my head about hiking 14 miles a day for 3 days, so I was thrilled with my pace, my physical stamina, and how I felt after the trip was done. It felt sufficiently challenging (that last climb, anyone?). We had a gorgeous time to hike. Coming from the East Coast where it was cold, wet, and dark, and hiking through the warm, dry, starting to bloom Sonoran desert made a huge difference in my mental health. I learned so much from you, Carrot, and from the other folx on the trip. I’m not talking about just hiking, I mean about life and moving through the wilderness as a female identifying person in 2024. I want to do more desert hikes now. I’m also feeling solid about my plans to hike back home in the White Mountains. I used to feel scared about hiking alone, but now I know that I can hike alone and hike safely. Thank you!

Kai says: I had a great time on the Utah trip! Carrot made everything from gear to food very approachable and had great tips and suggestions when I did have questions. The vibes on the trail were so good and the hike was challenging but never pushed anyone beyond their limits – I always felt like we were very safe and where we were as a group was being taken into account to plan our mileage. I learned so much from the other hikers and Carrot and enjoyed the trip so much!

Megan says: I had such a wonderful time on Carrot’s Utah trip. The route was incredibly beautiful, and felt challenging in all the right ways. Carrot does a fantastic job of making sure that everyone feels safe, prepared, and capable. Truly a 10/10 experience.

Max says: Carrot made us a trip of rare and amazing beauty! She put together a group of really beautiful souls and took us to a really special place at a perfect time of year. When I had a trail accident, she and others heroically took care of me, hiking out with me and then all the way back in again. I would recommend Carrot as a guide for anyone, but on this trip I saw she is especially good at leading hikers relatively new to hiking. Carrot is rare mix of kindness, skill and teaching ability. Even though I couldn’t complete the hike, I can truthfully say I had a fantastic experience in a majestic place with some exceptionally dope people.

Meghan says: Carrot’s intermediate guided trip was phenomenal in every way. The route was fun, challenging, scenic, and provided opportunities for side quests. The small group size made it feel personable and we had a great group dynamic. I’m very familiar with backpacking, but the off-route navigation was new to me. Carrot has a laid back style of guiding which makes you feel supported and encouraged, and she’s endlessly patient. I felt like it was totally a safe space to be myself and I had so much fun!

Amy says: When I decided in July 2023 that I wanted to do a thru-hike of Vermont’s Long Trail (272 miles), I knew I’d have to learn a lot of skills to be successful. I’d never been backpacking before in my life, and I’m not the type to just buy a bunch of equipment and show up at a southern terminus and start walking. Plus, if I did that, my family (and my psychiatrist) would have been really freaked out.

But how to learn? I picked up a lot from books, and from going out on my own for a night or two at a time. But thru-hiking is a whole different beast from a couple of days here and there. I looked into various training programs, but I don’t do great in formal training environments, and I didn’t really feel like spending more time with dudes telling me what to do. I didn’t want a wilderness leadership training program or an AMC this or an REI that.

Then I saw that Carrot was leading a women+ writing retreat/backpacking trip in Arizona in February, and that she advertised the trip as a way to learn to thru-hike from a woman who’d hiked 10s of thousands of miles. I signed up.

Carrot met with me over zoom twice before the trip, to help me choose equipment, plan my menu, and get ready in every way for the trip. I was a little scared, since I’m older than the average thru-hiker (late 40s), and because I’m kind of a scaredy cat. (okay, I have some issues with anxiety. Also, I’m afraid of heights.)

This is getting wordy! But —  I can’t say enough good things about my experience on the backpacking trip. Carrot was so helpful beforehand, the trip was so well-planned, the desert was breathtaking. The other women on the trip were amazing humans I’m so blessed to know now, and doing something so hard with such cool people surrounded by such nature — was really extraordinary. KK, our basecamp chef, made incredible food for us all before and after we were out in the desert. The house we stayed in was comfortable and welcoming. KK’s dog was silly and wonderful.

Before we went into the desert, we had a couple days at the house to get to know each other and try out our equipment. Carrot looked at everything each of us had and advised us what we could leave behind to save weight. She showed us how she liked to pack her own pack. She helped us learn to pitch our shelters. (I had a brand-new single wall trekking pole tent I’d bought on her advice, but it was winter in Boston so I hadn’t had much chance to test it out yet.). She checked out the food we’d brought. She helped us figure out how to use our satellite messengers and how to use the navigation app.

On the trip itself, Carrot continued her same low-key style of guiding. If she saw someone struggling with something, she’d ask if we wanted help rather than jumping in and showing us The Right Way. She’d make suggestions if we wanted them, but she was also cool stepping back and letting us figure something out for ourselves. She often gave advice in the form of “I like to do x“ or “I find that y works best for me; but other people do a or b”. She never made anyone feel silly or slow or dumb. She answered every question we asked her, including of course the ubiquitous poop-related ones. Okay, not every question — invariably my “are we there yet papa smurf?” questions were answered with some variant of ‘you tell me’ — a chill way to make sure we were all building our navigational and planning skills.

“How far to the next water source?” she’d ask, and we’d look on the app. “So how much water do you want to carry?”

I hiked at the back of the pack for the entire time, usually about 20 minutes to half an hour behind the rest of the group. I especially appreciated how Carrot kept an eye out for me but, as with the rest of her guiding, in as low-key a way as possible. She never made me feel that I wasn’t going fast enough or that I was a burden because I was at the back of the group. Every so often I’d turn a bend and find her chilling in the shade of a saguaro, or see her across a canyon and wave at her, so I felt safe knowing she was keeping track of me, but it never felt overbearing or infantalizing. She always reassured me that my pace was just fine and that she could see I was making good choices for myself.

I learned so many little things from Carrot over the course of that trip: about the early signs of heat exhaustion (the Umbles), about how to pitch a tent on rock or sand, about how to travel with a group but also hike alone, about what can distract the mind from scary heights, and how to pick a good tent site. I learned so much too from the other women on that trip — we learned from each other. One woman had a brand new Jetboil stove she wasn’t sure yet how to use — I was so proud that I had a Jetboil I DID already know how to use — so I could help her.

On the third day out, I developed a couple blisters and a couple more hot spots. Carrot pulled out her bag of tape and taped my feet, explaining what she was doing as she went along. SHE TAPED MY GROSS, DIRTY, BLISTERED FEET. I was so grateful. The feeling was very like my experience with birth doulas.

Actually, that’s what a backpacking trip with Carrot feels like: like traveling with a backpacking doula. A doula knows you can do the thing and she’s there to help you through it while making sure YOU know you can do the thing too.

At the end of the trip, Carrot said I was “durable and competent” and I knew she meant it, and I FELT THAT WAY TOO. I know my upcoming thru-hike will be a difficult journey and that I have a lot more to learn, but I also know that I’m about as prepared as someone relatively new to backpacking could be. I took “durable and competent” back to my family and friends and that’s helped so much with THEIR anxiety for me, too.

I know I wouldn’t have learned as much or had so much fun in a more formal training environment, or, frankly, in a group with men. Carrot combines professionalism, warmth, respect, a light touch, deep experience, humor, and great planning to lead what I’m sure must be the best newbie “learn to thru-hike” backpacking trips on the planet.

PS. KK’s cooking rules.