Instagram story viewer> @downdirtroads> Tagged

Kim | Outdoor Adventures

@downdirtroads

87.6K

followers

1047

following

𓆟 hike | ski | packraft | camp 𓆟
꩜ environmental conservation researcher in Canada
ᨒ [email protected]
gear list + group trips ↓

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Day 7 of 7. Genuinely one of the best trips I’ve been on. Being in the backcountry can be uncomfortable, exciting, scary, and beautiful. Especially in the Yukon which felt so far out of my comfort zone. But where else can you become this close with a group of people you just met 8 days prior to the end of the trip? You are mostly wearing the same clothes for 7 days, sharing meals and stories, tripping or falling on rough terrain, going to the bathroom in a literal hole, dealing with illnesses, hearing noises throughout the night, and having your tent collapse on you (lol) and you’re still planning on your next trip together before you’ve even left this one. See you soon Yukon and new friends! Located on the traditional territory of the Carcross/Tagish First Nations. @yukonalpineadventures #backpacking #hiking #floatplane #getoutside #theyukon

53

7

Day 6 out of 7 in the Yukon backcountry. We did a little exploring up to the waterfall we saw on the way down to the lake (on the other side.) Along the way we spotted wolf, moose, bear, lynx maybe? unsure, and some large bird tracks. Ended the day, and the trip, with some fajitas and strawberry rhubarb crisp?! In the backcountry? Craziness. This was our last night and as someone who had previously backpacked only 3 nights max, I was surprised how good I felt after this long of a trip. Helps when you’re with a group like this ❤︎⁠ Located on the traditional territory of the Carcross/Tagish First Nations. @yukonalpineadventures #backpacking #theyukon #camping #getoutside

52

6

This day we ventured onto our third campsite. It was my favourite hiking day because it was so beautiful and varied so much! We started off in a valley, did a river crossing, climbed up next to alpine lakes, walked across endless boulders, tried not to sink in the wetland area, and then ended up in this beautiful area in front of a mountain. Definitely a heavy bear activity area, but no sightings! Just caribou bones and antlers found at one of the alpine lakes on our journey. Located on the traditional lands of the Carcross/Tagish First Nations. @yukonalpineadventures #backpacking #theyukon #getoutside

First river crossing! Freezing cold.

River beauties 🌸

🌸

To show respect to shashchō (grizzly) you walk around its scat rather than walking over it.

This day we ventured onto our third campsite. It was my favourite hike day because it was so beautiful and varied so much! We started off in a valley, did a river crossing, climbed up next to alpine lakes, walked across boulders, tried not to sink in the wetland area, and then ended up in this beautiful area in front of a mountain. Definitely a heavy bear activity area, but no sightings! Just caribou bones and antlers found at one of the alpine lakes on our journey. @yukonalpineadventures #backpacking #theyukon #getoutside

This day we ventured onto our third campsite. It was my favourite hike day because it was so beautiful and varied so much! We started off in a valley, did a river crossing, climbed up next to alpine lakes, walked across boulders, tried not to sink in the wetland area, and then ended up in this beautiful area in front of a mountain. Definitely a heavy bear activity area, but no sightings! Just caribou bones and antlers found at one of the alpine lakes on our journey. @yukonalpineadventures #backpacking #theyukon #getoutside

This day we ventured onto our third campsite. It was my favourite hike day because it was so beautiful and varied so much! We started off in a valley, did a river crossing, climbed up next to alpine lakes, walked across boulders, tried not to sink in the wetland area, and then ended up in this beautiful area in front of a mountain. Definitely a heavy bear activity area, bu

58

10

Headwaters of the Takhini, pt.2

On the last night of my backpacking trip with @yukonalpineadventures I wrote in my notes: "I’m always so amazed at how quickly friendships form in the backcountry. It makes sense, after all, you learn who someone is by how they handle being tired, cold, hungry, attacked by bugs, and who shares their tape to heal your blisters. That tells you more in three days than a year of happy hours would. There’s something about struggling up the same climb, or huddling under the same tarp when the sky darkens. I love these strange, intense little friendships and the people I’d trust with my life after only knowing them for forty-eight hours. Literally.
I’m so grateful for my new friends who were willing to trade their sour candies for my melted chocolate almonds after six days because I didn’t pack my trail mix right."

The north has a way of making you feel appropriately small, and it’s the best feeling in the world. I already miss the wind, the caribou, the rocks, the lichen, the labrador tea, the cranberries and all the little flowers of the tundra.

After 7 days of silence, the planes came back.

📍Traditional lands of the Carcross/Tagish First Nations

677

46

Headwaters of the Takhini, pt.1

The echoes of the float plane’s motor on the rock walls went silent. And that was it, we were alone, deep in The Yukon’s wilderness.

On the first night I wrote in my notes "For the next 7 days, we will only have each other, our gear, and Olivier and Loreena’s extensive knowledge of the area, to rely on. No trails, no signs, no names on maps, no cell reception. The immense beauty of the north will never cease to amaze me. The silvery light is beautiful. There is nothing here, and it’s everything to me. I could not be happier."

I think I can say that it was the most magical backpacking trip I have ever been on!
So here are a few frames from the first few days with @yukonalpineadventures

📍Traditional lands of the Carcross/Tagish First Nations

628

40

In less than a week I’ll be flying to Qaqortoq in South Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) to spend 3 weeks kayaking around icebergs in fjords, backpacking on the tundra, visiting small fishing settlements, learning more about Kalaallit culture, exploring glaciers, swimming in Baffin Bay (if I’m brave enough), and so much more. 🇬🇱⛰️🧊🐋
Summers in Greenland can still be harsh, and the weather can change very quickly on the Arctic tundra 🌨️

I need to make sure that my gear is ready!
As always, I used the @nikwax products to clean and re-waterproof what needs to be re-waterproofed. I’ve trusted their products for years to help keep my gear performing in all conditions 🫧
I restocked my first aid kit, backflushed my filter, and did other little things like replacing the duct tape on my trekking pole. 🩹🧵🧰

A little bit of maintenance now can make a big difference when you’re relying on your gear every day, far from roads, stores, and easy solutions.

Remember:
➡️ "Take care of your gear, and it will take you farther"

One thing I’ve learned over the years is don’t wait until gear fails in the field to take care of it!

What’s one thing you always do to prep your gear before a big trip?
What’s a gear-prep lesson you learned the hard way?

351

49

A few small habits can make a huge difference in the backcountry: carrying the 10 essentials, checking and double checking the weather, telling someone where you’re going, knowing the terrain, bringing proper layers, understanding bear safety, and wearing footwear that actually matches the conditions.

I know it can feel easy to skip things on a "short" hike or a familiar trail, but conditions can change really fast in the mountains (please don’t ask me how many times I’ve made that mistake), especially during shoulder season when snow and ice are still lingering up high! Every year, we see more and more search and rescue calls because people underestimate how quickly things can go sideways in the mountains.

That’s why @gowhistler and I wanted to share a reminder to build good habits so you can keep exploring safely all summer long ☀️

What’s one backcountry safety habit you never skip before heading out - And you think more people should know about?

470

29

I’m 30.
I’d been thinking about this day for a while, and about the big celebration I wanted to have. But the closer I got to my birthday, the less I wanted that big celebration.

I have been so happy these past few years, it honestly feels like we’re constantly celebrating. I didn’t want to do anything different this weekend from what we do every single other weekend. And I think that says a lot.
I just wanted to be outside, in the mountains, with Will and Chinook and my camera and any wildlife that would grant us the privilege of their presence. (Thank you to the bear, the bunny and the deer who came to my birthday party!!)

I loved my 20s, even if they were hard at times. I got my Bachelor’s degree and my Master’s, lived in Sherbrooke, lived in Montreal, left Montreal, moved back to France, left France, moved to Vancouver. I started hiking, and spending time outside more than ever before in my early 20s.
I followed my dreams of working for myself, both in environmental conservation research and as a photographer. I had always just wanted to write, and take photos.
I am proud to say that I have successfully avoided working in an office this entire time!

For over a decade, Will and I have shared a love built on constant support, kindness and adventure, and at the end of it, we got engaged. Our love is everything to me.
I am endlessly grateful for the friendships in my life, and I know that my friends know how much I love them, and how much they mean to me.

The community we’ve built on Instagram has become one of the most unexpected and meaningful parts of this journey, and I’m so thankful for every person who chooses to be a part of it. I love you guys so freaking much!!

I hiked, thru-hiked, skied, paddled, traveled, learned, laughed, moved, struggled with my health, struggled with my mental health, got back up, saw polar bears in the wild, built a business, found my limits and pushed them, created, made friends, let go of expectations, trusted myself.

So here’s to my 20s,
and here’s to my 30s!🥂🏔️

669

94

Frames from a spring day with good horses, good dogs, and good people in the mountains - life is so good 🐴⛰️🤍

458

39

Fear often comes from not understanding something. Once you start learning about bear behaviour, their body language, their food habits, defensive behaviour, and how they move through the landscape, they stop feeling like scary unpredictable creatures and start feeling like wildlife you can respectfully coexist with. 🐻

I’ve never been afraid of bears, but I make sure to respect their space, their needs, and their land. 🌲🫐🐟

Most bears just want space, food, and a way to avoid conflict. Understanding that changes the way I hike and camp. I make noise in dense terrain, stay alert, carry bear spray where I can reach it quickly, and take food storage seriously by always carrying a bear canister. Not because I expect something to happen, but because good hiker behaviour helps keep both people and bears safe.

Bear attacks are also extremely rare, especially compared to how often people safely hike, camp, and travel through bear habitat every single year 🙂‍↕️

Don’t let others tell you that you should be scared of bears, learn about them 🥰

Learning how intelligent bears are, how they communicate, and how human behaviour shapes encounters completely changed the way I move through the backcountry. So if I can recommend you one thing, it’s reading books, listening to podcasts, and watching documentaries about bears 🐻‍❄️

1k

70

I went on quite the wilderness adventure this weekend 🌲⛺️🐻🌀 After hiking several kilometers, we blew up the packrafts and started paddling into the backcountry. We paddled, walked up a river (it was COLD), and made our way through a forest (or bushwhacked really) for a while.

Moving through trailless wilderness can be challenging in lower elevations, with dense forest and marshes. We tried to follow some beaver trails that the little creatures made while hard at work 🦫, but since they are not very tall, it was quite difficult and hilarious/ridiculous (crawling with big packs is not easy, I tried 🙂‍↕️).

I couldn’t help but wonder when was the last time humans saw this place in the summer months. It must have been years, if not decades, if not longer. We haven’t had enough snow or ice for anyone to have come here in winter either.

I had missed the feeling of falling asleep in my tent in the backcountry, when you know that other humans are many, many, kilometers away. 🌌

(Once again, if you want to go on good type 2 fun adventures, @gaiagps is my fav app to use for reliable topo maps and satellite images!!)

661

43

If there is one thing I love to talk about, it’s ways we can reduce our impact on nature, as people who are head over heels in love with it - and a key to reducing our consumption, is taking good care of our gear 🫧

Be honest, when is the last time you cleaned your gear and protected it from the sun?☀️ I know I didn’t use to do it, but it’s been an integral part of my spring routine for a couple years now.

My tent (Queen Aggy ⛺️ as you may know her) and my packs have taken me on the best adventures of my life and the 3 things I do to make sure they can take me on many more are:
- Storing them properly (in a dry place, away from the sun, and rolled or folded up)
- Applying the Tent & Gear Solarwash and Solarproof from Nikwax
- Being careful to not drag them on rocks (I admit that this one, I tend to do 🙂‍↔️)

I wanted to put together this little guide with @nikwaxna so that you can extend the life of the gear you already own and avoid replacing things before it’s actually necessary. 🥰

Oh and yes, the tent and gear DUO-pack is PFAS free of course! 🙌

489

69