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Brie

@queso_on_trail

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Aka Yard Sale
🥾 Backpacking | hiking
📍 Reno, NV (Oregon-bound in 2027!)
⛰️TRT ‘25, TCT ‘26

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I’m hiking about 170 miles around Lake Tahoe starting TOMORROW!

I got the idea to do this in 2023 and being the type A girlie I am, made a 2-year plan. This plan included swapping from heavy weights to functional training at the gym, getting my wilderness first aid certification, and upping my hiking milage/elevation capabilities. ✅✅&✅.

I spent the last 6 months meticulously (and anxiously) upgrading and fine tuning my gear, route planning, and talking to A LOT of long distance hikers for advice. All of that got my base weight (backpack weight without food, water and fuel) down to 15.84 pounds so that I could be kind to my troublesome knees lol.

For context, the second photo is from a program called lighterpack.com that helps you calculate your gear weight by the piece. I titled them in a fun way, breaking up gear types into rooms you have in a home.

SO pumped for tomorrow! Cheers to the 2 weeks in the wilderness ahead! by @queso_on_trail

Journal entry of a caption:

I’ve been feeling the weight of the NV/CA chapter of my life closing soon for a few months now. It wasn’t until my lunch break today that I realized what I was feeling was how a Friday feels. It feels like the end of the week & I’m excited for the “weekend and week to come” but reflecting on what I experienced the past few “days.”

Nevada & California raised me. The bustling city of Vegas taught me to be tough, the forests of Mount Charleston taught me adventure, the shores of Dana Point taught me exploration, the move to Reno taught me independence (& the 4 seasons), Point Reyes taught me how to heal, and the ridges of Tahoe taught me endurance, friendship, love & heartbreak. This has been home for about 24 years.

But in just a few months, I’m leaving to see what “Saturday, Sunday & next week” holds for me. I’m so excited. It’s a joy I’ll get to explore the PNW. It’s a joy to return to the region I was born in but never got to remember. What’s ahead is unknown and what is soon to be behind is what makes me “Brie.” I can’t wait to add to what makes me “Brie.” by @queso_on_trail

Epic views from pretty much any spot in this little town 🌋 by @queso_on_trail

10 things you can experience near California’s 5th tallest mountain…

The story of this historic alpine base camp just a few miles below Shasta’s summit

Carving pumpkins while leaf peeping 🍂

The photo wall in this saloon. Please comment if any of you know what I’m referring to 😅

Eating at the first-ever black bear diner!!

Soaking in some fall sun rays for hours and hours with some lunch & a yoga sesh on the shores of this lake. Fun fact: it was created by damming the Upper Sacramento River.

Biking from the lake to the town of Mount Shasta. Taking the road, there is no bike lane most of the way but wow are the fall colors popping right now!

No caption needed.

The sunsets…OH MY LORD THE SUNSETS.

LOOK AT THIS. Fun fact: Shasta is the only mountain in a list of California’s 10 tallest that is not within the Sierra Nevada. It’s in the Cascade Range!

If you’re creative, you can also have a few meals in this mountain’s most lovely spots.

Experiencing the colors, culture & beauty of this town is such a gift. We came in April of this year and revisiting in October gave two unique memories, both so so special to us. by @queso_on_trail

Having a million & 1 hobbies has its perks…

It sucks to have to think about how predictable your routine is. It sucks to need to be so aware of your surroundings all the time. It sucks not knowing if the man you passed on trail is one of the safe ones or not. BUT! It does inspire some exciting plans! by @queso_on_trail

“I was never going to go if I waited for someone to come with me.“ - @snarkshark4

Go alone. It can feel scary, but it’s the best thing you can do for your self confidence. You’ll be surprised what you learn about yourself when there’s nobody but yourself there to appreciate what you’re experiencing. Also, you never know who you might meet with your energy more open without a familiar face already there. That’s how I met @_lindsayholland & @morg.summers on the Tahoe Rim Trail! What started as a solo thru hike for me turned into forming a tramily (trail family)!

This post is dedicated to @snarkshark4 who just finished the Appalachian Trail, a journey she started alone. by @queso_on_trail

Imagine walking the wrong way on an escalator up 2,500 feet of elevation and then having another 1,000 feet of gain on a scramble. (Not to forget the other ~500’ of gain you tackle at the start) That’s this hike.

It was epic, but I got super dizzy & couldn’t finish the last 500’ of gain. I was also still recovering from Covid but made it to 12,600’ which is 1,600 higher than I’d ever been on foot. Super cool experience! Miles and miles of off-roading to the trailhead made this one feel extremely desolate. I felt both on top of the world and in the middle of nowhere. What a cool thing to feel! Although I did have 3 bars up there lol by @queso_on_trail

In real-time, it took 20 minutes to pack. Not bad! by @queso_on_trail

Did you know you have cell service on a lot of the Tahoe Rim Trail? (varies by carrier)

Backpacking is for getting away from screen time but I can’t lie…it was pretty nice being able to chit chat with my loved ones from this viewpoint lol by @queso_on_trail

I backpacked after work to spend a night with a completely open view of Tahoe and it was a dream!

I raced up 4 miles to catch the sunset in time and it was so worth it. I’m glad I did it…I was feeling iffy about being able to get to the viewpoint on time. Coming home the next day, I saw a huge cloud of smoke from a fire near my house and I evacuated. So I’m happy I went before the crazy weekend I had! by @queso_on_trail

A couple miles of bushwhacking, a couple miles of actual trail, lots of swimming and a mountain peak. Lovely day.

@sunshine_in_the_alpine by @queso_on_trail

Go play outside today!

Backpacking, trail running, biking, walking, kayaking, swimming, hiking...the options are endless!

Getting to play outside in my backyard (Lake Tahoe, Truckee & Reno) is so enriching 🥰 by @queso_on_trail