And it all started…..
(in Greta’s best Lester Holt voice) 4 girls set of to backpack in the wilderness…lol.
Backpacking trip #2. Same girls. Minus 1.
In case you miss the first backpacking trip, you can read more about that adventure here: {weekend notes}
Almost exactly 2 years later, we hit the road again. This time 320 miles south of home.
Ojai, CA.
I can honestly say, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Although, Ojai is far AF!
A long off the beaten path to our trail head. In the middle of fucking nowhere.
Los Padres National Forest – Sespe Wilderness
Here’s a map to give you a better idea.
We met our fearless Treks + Tracks guide, Nick. He was wayyy more chill than our last guide. She was cool as shit, don’t get me wrong. I think Nick may have hit the bottle pretty hard the night before. (I am in no was shape or form hattin on homeboy, it happens to the best of us) Anyway, we had no eating utensils and missing tent poles…thank GOD not ours.
We divvied up all the gear. Sleeping bags + bed rolls + food + tents + polls, etc. Loaded up our packs.
Heavy AF, let me tell ya.
Maybe we had enough food? Maybe we packed too much booze? Nahh.
Oh, and you know I made the girls goodie bags. Bailey’s for our morning coffee…a MUST! That shit was Folgers instant shit. Which I’ve never had till that day. Tylenol for the headache after a night of drinking cheap bagged wine. Glow sticks so we didn’t loose each other. And power bars.
Take a Hike!
But first, let’s take a groupie ♥
We look so clean + happy. Because we were!
• YOU ARE HERE
And we were off. All 8 of us.
Single file.
for miles.
and miles.
at least it seemed 🙂
You could hike this trail about 40 more miles and reach the Grand Canyon. Crazy shit, huh?
We went in about 5 miles! Ha!
If only I could share 360 degrees. You could stand on the trail and turn and in every direction, this is what you’d see.
Through dense goves of oak + bay tress. Then the grassland plainds. Wide valley views. Alongside a creek. Swimming holes too.
This is backpacking southern california.
Our new friend, Nurse Rucci, between Sara + Nicole. Hi Rucci!
Sharing the trail.
Always stay to the left!
About half way to camp, we stopped for a lunch break.
We ate lunch.
These crazy b’s jumped in the cold ass water.
Umm…NO!
Camp
The view from our camp.
This photo does it no justice. It was breathtaking.
The shadow of the trees on the water.
Reminds me of Bob Ross painting.
We set up camp.
Chilled the chard.
#twinning
Then we took of for a night hike. Really just searching for the endangered Arroyo Toad. Which Nick, our guide, claimed we’d find in the miles of rocks we climbed.
Nicole was on a mission….
No toad to be found.
(photo cred: Nurse Rucci)
Did I tell you guys that this camp was the MOST roughing it camping I’ve ever done? Ever! Chairs? Nope! Grab a rock. Toilets? Haha, dig a hole. Water? Filter it from the creek.
Oh, and it was cold AF! It got down to 30 degrees!
Dinner. Red wine + dehydrated noodles & chicken. Honestly it wasn’t that bad.
But, remember we had no utensils? Luckily Nicole saved her tiny, I mean tiny, plastic spoon from lunch. And she was willing to share…lol.
We hiked through rocks for over an hour looking for the Arroyo Toad. He was nowhere to be found.
As we’re singing kumbaya around the fire, we heard something in the bushes.
The fucking Arroyo Toad!
Pretty sure he came to camp to meet Nicole.
He was friendly. Don’t trip! We only touched him for a sec then set him on his way.
Good thing Nick (the guide) remembered the cups. We would have been fucked. I may have even hiked back out! Only kidding.
I clearly hated the bagged wine. Can’t you tell?
Day #2
Rise + Shine bitches!
We hit the trail first thing. We had one thing on our mind….
And a shower.
And toilet paper.
We made it off the tail in record-breaking time.
Unbuckled the straps to the backpacks.
With the biggest smiles on our faces…
WE FUCKING DID IT!
AGAIN!
We survived a night in the wilderness. With everything we needed on our back. With each other. Side by side. So many memories made.
I couldn’t and wouldn’t have done it without this girls. Another amazing trip that we’ll be talking about for years + years. An experience I’ll cherish forever.
These chicks here are some bad ass bitches!!
Thank you Sara + Nicole + Greta for booking another one of my crazy ideas.
I love you B’s and can’t wait for our next backpacking adventure together ♥
Stay tuned for {Ojai // travelogue part #2}
Wayy too much Good Shit for one post!
xoxo stacyb
