Navigate remote canyons and sleep on warm sand under the moon with a group of other women, trans and non-binary people. Learn to make cross-country routes in caltopo! The trip of dreams!
Are you a backpacker who wants to practice using caltopo for cross-country navigation (hiking off trail) in southern Utah, as well as get one-on-one coaching beforehand? I’m offering two six day trips (with five days of backpacking) in April of 2026. Read below for full details!
Read reviews from past participants of my trips here.
Dates:
Session one: April 11-17, 2026
Session two: April 18-24, 2026
5 spots available in each trip
Cost: $2,250 (paid all at once or via payment plan- $225/month with the remainder due before the start of the hike)
These trips are for women, trans and non-binary people.
After you apply, I’ll email you within a few days with the link to register.
Itinerary:
In the months before the trip: I’ll have two one-hour zoom calls with each hiker, helping you put together your gear and food and answering your questions about the trip, and I’ll also teach you to make cross-country routes in caltopo, the app we’ll be using to navigate on trail.
The first evening of the trip: The trip starts at 6pm on day one. The group will meet in Escalante, Utah at our motel, and go through all of our food and gear, making sure we feel good about everything. I’ll take everyone to dinner at a local restaurant.
The next morning: I’ll take us all out for breakfast and then drive everyone to the trailhead. We’ll start hiking by 8 am. We’ll spend five days and four nights hiking, traveling cross-country (without a built trail) through sandy washes and beautiful slickrock canyons and across sagebrush plateaus, using caltopo to stay on our route. We’ll walk 8-10 miles a day. There will be water at camp every night, plus extra water sources during the day.
On the evening of day 6 (day 5 of backpacking) we’ll arrive at our ending trailhead, where our van will magically appear (a shuttle will have moved it while we were hiking). I’ll take everyone out to dinner again and we’ll head to our motel. The trip ends that evening.
FAQ:
What’s special about these trips? the goal of my guided trips is always to help you feel more confident in planning your own trips of this style in the future; to this end, I include as much education as possible (in the zoom calls, in the evening before the trip, and while on the trip itself). Before the trip, I help hikers put together their own gear lists consisting of modern long-distance hiking equipment, so that everyone’s base weights (what you’re carrying besides food, water and fuel) is 15lbs or less, preventing injury and maximizing fun- this is backpacking in the style of long-distance hiking, so if you don’t already backpack in this way you’ll now be prepared for whatever trail, long or short, that you decide to tackle in the future. I also help you figure out your trail menu, and teach you to make routes in caltopo, so that you can use it on your own in the future.
Is previous backpacking experience required? A bit of backpacking experience of some sort is helpful, but if you have other outdoors experience I can help you fill in the gaps. Good running/walking/hiking fitness also counts for a lot. If you’re having doubts about your gear or the way you’ve backpacked in the past we can use the zoom calls to help set you up for success, as well as help you figure out a training plan to get your body ready for the trip if that is something that’s helpful as well. If you’re still not sure if you’re a good fit for this trip, email me at carrotquinn4@gmail.com and we can talk about it!
Where will we stay the two nights we’re in Escalante? We’ll stay at a comfortable local motel- each person will have a private room.
Can I leave things in Escalante while we’re hiking? You can leave things in our shuttle van while we’re hiking.
Do you provide gear for this trip? I have wonderful lightweight packs from Superior Wilderness Designs to loan out, but you will be responsible for acquiring the other lightweight gear you may need to get your base weight (everything you’re carrying except food, water and fuel) down to 15lbs or less. We can use our zoom calls to put together a gear list for you, if that’s helpful.
How do I get to Escalante? You can fly into Las Vegas or Salt Lake City- from there it’s about a five hour drive to Escalante. I’ll connect everyone in the group before the trip starts, so that people can coordinate sharing a rental car if they’d like.
How many people will be in each group? There will be five hikers and me, the guide.
What will the temperature be this time of year in the Escalante area? Nights can be cool, and days can be sunny and warm. Occasionally a storm will blow through. I’ll help you build your gear list so that you’re warm and comfortable on the trip in all possible conditions.
How far will we hike each day? 8-10 miles
What does a typical day on trail look like? I’ll wake everyone at 6:30 am, and we’ll start hiking by 8 am. We’ll take frequent breaks to rest, eat snacks, gather water and tape blisters if needed. We’ll take an hourlong lunch break. We’ll arrive in camp by 6pm.
What will the terrain be like? The hiking will be cross country, along sandy canyon bottoms and small creeks and across slickrock and sagebrush plateau.
What about water? We’ll camp at water each night, and there will be water during the day as well.
Do you offer a payment plan for those who can’t pay all at once? Yes! The payment plan is $225/month with the remainder due before the start of the trip.
Can I get a refund if I change my mind in a few weeks? No full refunds, I’m sorry, although if you cancel your payment plan you won’t owe me the remainder.
What airport do I fly into? Las Vegas or Salt Lake City
I don’t think I have the right gear for this hike, and I hate the food I eat on trail. I also feel overwhelmed by the idea of planning around water in the desert. No worries! We can use our zoom calls to put together a gear list that makes better sense for you, and troubleshoot your trail menu, as well as talking about how we’ll plan around water on our hike, and anything else you want to go over.
What will we use to navigate? The caltopo app
I’ve never used that app before. It rules! And don’t worry, we can practice using it in our zoom calls, and we’ll also have plenty of time to practice using it together.
Should I get travel insurance? Travel insurance is helpful in case of an emergency, and I highly recommend it.
Gear you’ll need:
-I ask that everyone have a base weight (everything you’re carrying except food, water and fuel) of 15lbs or less, in order to prevent injury and maximize good times. If the gear you have right now is heavier than this, it may be necessary for you to buy or borrow other gear for this trip. I can walk you through all the gear options in our zoom calls, and help you find new gear choices that are a good fit for you.
-I ask that everyone carry a garmin inreach. You can rent one of these if you’d prefer not to buy.
-We’ll be using the caltopo app to navigate, and you’ll need the paid version so that you can use the maps on trail.
-I ask that everyone pack at least 3,000 calories a day of food. I can help you build your trail menu.
Dates:
Session one: April 11-17, 2026
Session two: April 18-24, 2026
5 spots available in each trip
Cost: $2,250 (paid all at once or via payment plan- $225/month with the remainder due before the start of the hike)
I’ll get back to you within a few days of when you apply, and then I’ll send you the registration link.
What’s included in this trip:
-Lodging in Escalante at a local motel the night before we start our hike and the evening we return- each person will have a private room
-Dinner the first night, breakfast the next morning, dinner the last night after we return to town (with options for everyone’s dietary restrictions and preferences)
-A ride from the rental house to the trailhead and back to the rental house at the end
-Two hours of one-on-one zoom coaching with me in the months before the hike, where we can talk about your gear, desert hiking, your meals on trail, cross-country navigation or anything else that would be helpful for you
-A siccc loaner pack from Superior Wilderness Designs
-FUN
What’s not included in this trip:
-Your transportation to and from Escalante
-Your gear and meals while we’re hiking (although I can help you plan your gear list and/or your trail menu, if that’s something you’re interested in!)
-A garmin inreach (I ask that everyone have one)
-The paid version of the caltopo app (you’ll need this for navigation)
Things we can talk about in our zoom calls:
- What gear to bring
- Pitching your shelter
- Choosing footwear
- Planning water carries in the desert
- The basic functions of caltopo
- How much food to bring and what sort of food (including meals for dietary restrictions)
- How to schedule your hiking day
- How to pack your pack
- Pooping, peeing and having your period while in the nature
- How to prevent and care for chafe and blisters
- Keeping your gear dry in the rain and preventing hypothermia
- Keeping cool in the desert and preventing heat exhaustion
- Campsite selection
- What clothing to bring
- So much more!
Here are a few reviews from previous participants of my Utah trips:
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 and interesting plants. 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! Yes, you do want to sign up for the next Carrot Quinn Adventures trip!
Renai 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.
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. Transportation from the airport, staying in the AirBNB, and having an itinerary made it non-stressful and allowed us to learn about navigation and also have time to enjoy ourselves. 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!
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.
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.
A few reviews from my February Arizona beginner trips:
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.
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!!
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: As a first-time backpacker and new-ish hiker, I thought it would be prudent to try out a group trip to learn before I ventured off by myself. This turned out to be a great adventure and opportunity to experience the Arizona desert with a group of folks who also hadn’t done it before. There was adequate opportunity to meet with Carrot in preparation for the trip. Hiking with a group of queer hikers felt like an inclusive and Safe way to try out something new. Although the desert and I will never be best friends, the night sky was breathtaking and worth the trip! I highly recommend one of Carrot’s trips!
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!
If you have any questions about these trips at all, please email me at carrotquinn4@gmail.com !
About me:
I’ve long-distance hiked eleven thousand miles, including the Pacific Crest Trail (twice, the Washington section four times), the Continental Divide Trail, the Hayduke Route, the Lowest to Highest Route (2.5 times), the Mogollon Rim Trail, the Kings Canyon High Basin Route, the Tahoe Rim Trail, the Arizona Trail, the Wind River High Route, as well as 40 days walking in the Brooks Range on routes I created myself. I lead guided backpacking trips in southern Arizona, southern Utah and Alaska’s Brooks Range. I have my Wilderness First Responder certification. I LOVE sharing my love of long-distance hiking with others.
CARROT QUINN 
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