Into The Wilds -> Exploring The John Muir Wilderness, CA
“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”
John Muir, circa 1913
Anyone who’s ever come to the Sierra Nevada’s knows the name of John Muir. A dedicated naturalist he spent much of his life campaigning for the preservation of the Sierra’s. Although best known for his work in Yosemite, his name is forever immortalized by 651,992 acres (2638.52 km2) of remote Eastern Sierra peaks designated in 1964 as the John Muir Wilderness.
This is where we’ve been hanging out….
Before you can understand what it’s like here, you need to understand a bit about the way these crazy mountains are shaped. The Sierra Nevada Mountain Range runs for about 400 miles through Eastern California.
On the West side the mountains slope gracefully towards the central valley, providing lush deep forests and encompassing a multitude of well-developed National Parks. On the East side it’s a totally different story. Here they are drier, parched by the heavy rain shadow of the peaks. They are also much more dramatic, dropping from heights of over 10,000 feet into the Owens Valley over a mere span of 10 or so miles.
This provides an incredibly sharp and rather raw perspective which is unique to the Eastern side. In the foreground you have what’s essentially a high, arid desert, bounded in the background by snow-capped peaks of staggering steepness. It seems almost impossible to get up there, and in fact it almost is.
Because of sheer inaccessibility there are only seven paved roads that branch off US 395 and climb into the mountains south of Mammoth Lakes, CA. They stretch like extended fingers from each of the main towns and curve & swerve up to ~8,000 feet. They’re the only way to get into the wilderness area.
The drive itself is a already a bit of a thrill, steep as it is, but once you’re up in the mountains it gets even better. Dry desert landscape falls behind and you are enclosed in snow-capped peaks, pine trees, glaciers and alpine lakes. Hundreds of miles of trails criss-cross the mountains covering 57 peaks over 13,000 feet (~4,000 m) and hundreds (thousands?) of alpine lakes litter the spaces between. As you can imagine most of the trails are rather steep, but they’re also incredibly scenic & (usually) beautifully isolated. If you want you can lose yourself for weeks up there, backpacking from lake to lake, peak to peak.
It’s totally our kind of wild place!
In our past trips we’ve explored several of the more well-known trails around Lone Pine and Bishop, but two areas we’ve never touched are the access points at Independence & Big Pine. A comment in my last blog post from buddy Clark alerted me to some rather interesting hiking, especially in the area known as Onion Valley. Given the snowpack is shockingly weak this year (which is great for Spring hiking, but bodes very, very badly for CA) most of the trails are clear so we decided to explore both areas as part of our journey north.
We hit the first spot from our boondocking location in Lone Pine and moved northwards to a new campground (review coming) in Big Pine for our second adventure.
Onion Valley (Independance, CA)
Onion Valley is accessed by driving ~13 miles west on Market Street from Independance, CA. The trailhead starts at an elevation of ~9,185 ft (~2,800 m) and provides several options both to the backside of Mt.Whitney and over Kearsarge Pass into Kings Canyon. For us fair-weather (= wimpy) hikers the biggest attraction is a series of easily-accessible lakes starting at ~1.5 miles on the Kearsarge Pass trail in and continuing past ~5-6 more lakes before you get to the pass.
We attacked the hike on a fine Sierra morning with buddies Todd, Russ & Frances. The hike started in a broad open valley and ascended up the channel through pine and rock to the snow-capped peaks of the John Muir Wilderness. Once here a series of switch-backs climbed up the mountain to the first lakes.
We took our fine time on the trail, deserted as it was, chatting and photographing at leisure while the doggies ran back and forth amongst the pack. We passed patches of brilliant snow, mini-waterfalls cascading down the rocks and streams dripping with two-foot-long icicles. When we hit the first deep-blue lake we all gasped and spontaneously stopped.
This was our spot and we passed at least an hour lounging about and eating lunch before we headed back. It…was…awesome!
Big Pine Lakes (Big Pine, CA)
The area of Big Pine Lakes is accessed by ~11 mile road, starting at West Crocker Street in Big Pine, CA. Once at the ~7,700 foot (~2,350 m) trailhead you gain access to a fork of trails, the south side of which climbs to the Palisade Glacier while the north side starts a ~15-mile loop through a series of ~6 glacial lakes many of which are aqua-blue. It’s a pretty serious hike and the day we went just happened to be during a major wind-storm (yes, we’re savvy hikers). This time around the Wandertopia boys, being obviously waaay smarter than us, declined to accompany the trip.
The first mile or so is on a gorgeous, albeit hugely exposed face so the day of our hike gusts of jet-plane loud winds (with sub-zero windchill) were roaring down from the slopes and tunneling through the valley. At one point the wind pressure was so intense I thought my ear drums would burst and we seriously considered giving up ~1/2 mile in. Once we turned onto the North Fork however, we managed to find shelter and then it was a rather pleasant hike along a gorgeous creek, past a rather pretty waterfall, up ~1,800 feet of elevation and onto Lon Chaney’s cabin.
This latter is a rather interesting spot and the place (given the crazy weather) we decided to make our stop. The stone cabin dates from 1929-30 and is so solidly constructed the forest service decided they would do more damage than good if they tried to remove it. So, it remains the only man-made structure in what is otherwise pristine wilderness (read about it’s interesting history HERE). It turned out to be the perfect spot to hang and eat cheese and chocolate (the latter for emergency purposes, naturally) while listening to the sweet babble of the next-door creek. Next time we’re coming in still weather and we’re going for the lakes.
Post-Hike Tip ->Downtown Big Pine hosts Copper Top BBQ which was named Best Restaurant In the Nation on Yelp in 2015 (seriously, it was #1). I can’t say it’s the best BBQ I’ve ever had, but it’s a tasty post-hike stop.
With our alpine excursions behind us, at least for the moment, we’ve moved on to join our buddies in some city parking (or as “city” as it gets out here on Hwy 395). We plan to indulge in food and luxurious hookups while a cold front pummels the mountains and dumps a bunch of snow. Let’s hope I don’t undo all the calories I’ve lost hiking 🙂
Note/ Both trails listed above are 100% dog-friendly. There are campgrounds at the trailheads, but neither are “beast-friendly” (~25-foot max) and they typically only open up towards the end of April. For larger rigs you’re better off camping in nearby Lone Pine (for Onion Valley) or in the Big Pine/Bishop area (for Big Pine Lakes).
Related Posts:
- Land Of A Thousand Alpine Lakes – John Muir Wilderness, CA
- The Lure Of A Mountain Lake – Whitney Portal Trail, CA
- 5 Awesome Outings In The Eastern Sierra’s, CA
And off we go! Hiking into Big Pine Lakes.
All I can say is: Hmmmmmm! 🙂
Just finished reading the book “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed, about hiking in that area. Between that, and your writeup today we just know that we have to make it there someday!
You know back when I met Paul I was actually in the planning stages of hiking the PCT. Things got in the way and I never made the trip, but I still think about it, and whenever we can get close to the trail I love to do bits of it. The John Muir Trail (a large portion of which follows the PCT) is pretty darn cool too.
Nina
You get some really stunning shots!! I’m sure they end up on many FB covers!
Thanks! It was tough to shoot in the middle of the day out there, especially with that dark blue sky and bright white snow, but I’ve been pretty happy with the photos.
Nina
You’re so lucky. Thanks for your blog. It helps me get out there too.
Happy to hear it’s a inspiration 🙂 That’s part of my goal.
Nina
Such an amazing place. We are totally enjoying our hikes up the eastern Sierra Nevadas!
It’s been a hoot to have you along for the drive & hikes!
Nina
PS I wrote this comment from my phone. The site looks great on this screen!
Early Spring! you guys are at the right place and time — no bugs and no flatlanders. Fishing season opens soon!
It’s been nice so far. We saw a few skeeters in Lone Pine, but here in Bishop (our current location) we’re not seen any at all. A few of the lakes are already open for fishing too.
Nina
Ahhhhhhhhh, you’re making me miss the High Sierras! I did some backpacking in Cottonwood Lakes last year. Beautiful area. Keep heading North. The Devils Postpile and the Ansel Adams Wilderness are beautiful, too.
Indeed, both areas are AMAZING. We’ve spent past years around Mammoth/June Lake and absolutely love it there but it’s far too cold right now (yesterday the HIGH in Mammoth was 35!). We might try and stop for a few days this time around, but probably not more.
Nina
Amazing stops and hikes, thanks for sharing. My travels through the blogs of fulltimers seems to have found a homebase here. Your blogs (both) fit my interests and outdoor values. I doubt I will ever be a fulltime RVer, however, I have been camping, RVing, and enjoying the mountains of the west since I my first days of boy scouts in 1965.
I have been following your blog for a while now, and it has become my first stop. I hope to read for years to come.
Wonderful to have you along for the ride! We ourselves were avid backpackers before we went RVing. The call of nature has always been in my soul.
Nina
Oh man, Nina…we can’t wait to explore the Sierras again. Beautiful!
Living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, spring is late and the winter was incredibly cold. Your posts are fantastic, inspiring and a perfect tonic for my ever present wanderlust. Just wanted to say THANKS, your posts enrich my life.
Well thank you so much for the wonderful compliment! Hope it warms up for you soon!
Nina
John Muir passed away the day before Christmas in 1914. So the quote you started this post with was likely not from 1938. Great post, beautiful area.
Gah! You are correct. I messed up the dates. I think this quote actually dates from right before his death in 1913. I’ll research and little more and correct it.
Nina
Oh sure. Trader Joe’s chocolate – with just a dash of the amazing sierra’s… You really know how to cultivate a following:)!
Great area, great shots, great day for you and Paul… Just in front of some possible weather too.
Thanks for great shots, and location sharing.
Smitty
That Trader Joes chocolate was part of our emergency kit 🙂 today we’re well tucked in…it’s cold and snowing in the mountains!
Nina
You’re quote from John Muir is extremely interesting, especially since by 1938 he had been dead for 24 years. Otherwise, excellent article, love the High Sierras.
Yes, yes…I totally messed up the dates. I will correct 🙂
Nina
I so envy your trips and do appreciate your pictures. You do a wonderful job of sharing the information. I look forward to every blog. Thanks so much.
Thanks for reading along and being part of the journey 🙂
Nina
EXCELLENT Reporting Nina and Paul.
Thanks!!!
Perfect timing, my sources in Mammoth Lakes tell me it’s dumping wet sticky sierra cement, perfect for the water table. Good thing you’re below all the ruckus.
Yup, we saw it coming in the forecast and chose to stay low(er) and with hookups. Very happy with our decision today.
Nina
http://discovermammoth.com/mammoth_lakes_web_cam_links/
Thanks…it’s dumping ALL around here right now. They really, really need it!
Nina
Breathtaking moonset! Muir would be proud.
Thanks! I was thrilled to capture it…and it was an extra bonus that the sun was rising on the other side of the rig at the same time. Wonder how common that timing is?
Nina
New follower of your blog, reading some of your older posts & wondering what internet service you use? Read about Millenicom but they no longer exist. Getting ready to hit the road in about a month, headed for the hills, the Black Hills & Rushmore that is.
We currently have a mix of Verizon as our main internet provider and ATT (on our phones) as a back-up. We managed to get into both deals back when they were offering “double-data” signups last fall. Unfortunately no-one has stepped in to fill Millenicom’s shoes so the direct deals are the best ones out there right now.
Nina
Hi Nina and Paul, I’ve been following and enjoying your blog for some time now but never commented before. You happen to be in one of our favorite areas, so I just had to recommend “Little Lakes VAlley” just south of Crowley Lake off of 395. http://www.naturalbornhikers.com/LittleLakesValley/LittleLakesValley.htm
Spectacular area for hiking – you can take the trail or follow the stream with wonderful surprises around every corner, On the road to the parking area there is a cafe “Pie in the Sky” Serving the best homemade pies ever but they are only open in the summer. We plan to be in the area in June and can’t wait. Have you been to the ghost town of Bodie yet? You’re not to far away.
Ah yes, little lakes. It’s one of our FAVORITE trails! We have done it before and I linked to it in the bottom of my blog post:
Land Of A Thousand Alpine Lakes – John Muir Wilderness, CA
Totally agree this is a gem!
Nina
Love your stories and pictures Nina. Little Lakes is a gem, that whole area is. We took a 16 mile horse pack trip out of Mammoth into the back country years ago and words really can’t describe how beautiful and majestic it is. We look forward to the day when we can live the RV life full time too…happy trails!
Totally agree. We did the little lakes hike 3 years ago in the fall and I still dream about it. Just gorgeous up there.
Here’s my post on that hike:
Land Of A Thousand Alpine Lakes – John Muir Wilderness, CA
Nina
Hey Nina and Paul,
So you’ve wintered in the desert, hit San Diego pretty hard, now here so I have to ask if acclimation to the way higher altitude is required beforehand. Y’all are young so I’m asking from a not quite geriatric body
How you handle higher altitude is SUCH an individual thing, but generally yes, I think some slow(er) acclimatization is a good plan whenever you’re traveling in the mountains.
We usually start our 395 travels at either Lone Pine (in the southern end) or Reno (in the northern end) which puts us around 4-5,000 feet. We spend a good few days in the campground before starting any hiking at altitude, and when we do hike we start with SHORT hikes (only a few miles) to get our bodies acclimatized. After a few weeks we’re generally completely fine and don’t feel the altitude at all.
Depending on how your body handles it you can go slower or faster than this.
Nina
Thank you for this most excellent blog post! I look forward to getting out West even more now.
Do you bring an SLR camera with you? Your photos are always so spectacular!
You know most of my pics are taken with my good old point and shoot pocket camera. It’s a Canon S100 and it’s just so easy to carry, especially when I hike. A few of the snazzier pics (e.g. The moonset and the lenticular cloud) are taken with my SLR a Nikon D7000, which I keep at home.
Nina
This reminds me of a joke someone told me recently.
“You take great photos, you must have a nice camera.” The photographer dines with the commenter. After the meal he/she says: “You make great food, you must have a nice oven.”
You have great skills! 🙂 I am so happy you share your photos with us!
We are so looking forward to being in that area for the first week in June. Hopefully before the crowds and the heat! More fishing than hiking is planned, but I would love to at least make the drive up to the Wilderness area. Love all the pics, most especially the selfie and the moonset.
There is so much good fishing around here, both in the creeks and up by the lakes. You might actually enjoy the campground we just stayed at (Big Pine, review coming). Convict Lake (which we stayed at a few years ago, review in the blog archives) is also fabulous for fishing, and since its higher elevation it should be nice and cool in June too.
Nina
Love the moon setting photo Nina–really I loved them all, what a gorgeous place–one we will not see if we don’t lose the 30 foot trailer we tow behind–California frowns on rigs as long as ours!
Ah yes, you guys are beast plus-size with that trailer behind you. Some of the campgrounds here will certainly take you, but I know many of the roads have legal length restrictions. I’m not certain about the exact limits on 395, but it’s probably 65 or 75 feet total, like most CA routes.
Nina
We never heard of John Muir till we started travelling after we retired in 2010. What an American Treasure! It’s amazing to think of the power of one man. We reflect on that often as we ramble.
We were visiting some National Park or other with our grown daughters, chatting with a ranger, as we often do. As he offered to take our picture I noticed his nametag. Larry Muir, it said. Yep, he was the great John Muir’s great (maybe two greats) grand nephew! I was glad my girls knew about The Great One and could appreciate meeting his relative.
It’s the little things…
Wow! What a thing to meet one of his descendants!
Nina
Hi, I remember reading a long time back that your husband recommended something called the lazy portfolio. I just turned 40 and was hoping to follow a path like you. After receiving a large lump sum, I think I can retire if we are careful and don’t get hit by a big crash. In this strange era of finance, is the lazy portfolio still his recommendation?
Thanks!
Congrats on the lump sum! There are lots of so-called “lazy portfolios” which are essentially buy-and-hold portfolios. The Permanent Portfolio is one example which Paul has mentioned many times in his blog. Which portfolio you pick really depends on which one you feel you can stick with…there are many personal aspects to it. You can check out Paul’s latest thinking on his blog http://investingforaliving.us
Nina
I recently watched a documentary on Netflix titled “Mile, Mile and a Half” about a group of backpackers making the 211? mile hike on the John Muir Trail southbound over 25 days and it inspired me to one day hike it, at least in sections. You may find it a very interesting and entertaining.
Your current location is high on my list for a stop and some hikes into the Sierras.
Thanks for producing such a great blog. I have been following for some time now.
Cheers for the tip! I always enjoy reading about and seeing documentaries for the place I’m visiting while I’m there. This will be perfect!
Nina
Such a beautiful area. Thanks for the info on the excellent hikes. We look forward to visiting there again and can’t wait to get out on those trails. Loved your photos, especially the moonset. The selfie is a darling pic of the two of you, but it makes me appreciate the warm weather here in Arizona! Bet you were glad to be snuggled in with hookups during last nights snow fall.
We were very happy to have hookups! I love boondocking, but we are totally fair-weather boondockers. If the temps are extreme we go to hookups!
Nina
Mike wanted to know if you pull in your slides when it is snowing on you?
Only if the forecast is bad. We actually didn’t get dumped on here yesterday, and we’ve been in light snow a few previous times (where we left the slide out). If it looks bad though we pull it in.
Same for wind. Those few days with the big wind storm last week we were living in “bus mode” with all slides in.
Nina
We didn’t make it to those trails when we did our 395 trip, but will have to try them next time. There is such an incredible amount of hiking in that area. I think we would have passed on that last one, though, with the cold and wind!
Gayle
The cold and wind almost got us in that last hike. I think it was just sheer stubbornness on my part that kept us going. Soooooo much hiking up here!
Nina
This just makes me want to pack up and leave tomorrow for the Sierra Nevada range! What would be the latest month of the year, weather wise,that you would recommend taking a trip to the John Muir Wilderness area? We are thinking about planning at least a 30 day trip or longer to the area from Texas. Thanks for sharing.
Well it all depends if you want to hike in snow or not. During the winter season many folks snow-shoe up there. But if you want snow-free trails then you might want to target fall. Exact month is impossible to give you since the weather is very fickle in the mountains and they sometimes get early snow (or late snow). We’ve been here in October and November and seen both! If you want warmer temps then target a little earlier, say around August. It’s high elevation in the Sierra’s.
Nina
Hi! My husband and I have been following your blog for the past year. The places you go are absolutely beautiful! ! We are planning on being full time RV-ers in 3 more years. I have a slight fear of being mulled by wild animals. As much boon docking that you do, have you ever had the pleasure of running into a pack of wolves or surprising a bear? I know there are safety tips that I will be sure to read up on. We’ve. Actually had the chance to see a wild grizzly bear in Glacier NP but we were with park rangers and i know there’s safety in numbers. How often have you guys had run ins with large carnivores and how did the animals respond to you??
Thank you for your input!
Becky
We’ve certainly come across coyote packs and the occasional bear, but no more than if we’re out hiking trails. Most animals will stay away from you, especially if you make noise. While you’re outside hiking you are most likely to cause an issue if you surprise a wild animal and/or corner it and/or get between a mother and her cubs. So, making a bit of noise while hiking will usually do the trick. While you’re around your rig your biggest potential gotcha is leaving food outside, especially in bear country. As long as you don’t do that, you are unlikely to attract attention.
So, we’ve seen them, but never had any major run-ins.
Nina
Beautiful area; thanks for the info and BBQ review. I hiked around there many YEARS ago when dogs could go anywhere – are they still allowed on the trails?
YES, dogs are allowed on all the trails. The only part they cannot go is the National Parks. So if you hike far enough into the Wilderness and pass the NP boundary you cannot bring doggie. But all the wilderness areas are OK for dogs.
Nina
YAHOO!
Another very interesting post! Great pictures and very informative. Had no idea Lon Cheney was an outdoors person. Don’t know that much about the John Muir Wilderness so learned a lot.
Love the way you write!
Glad you liked it! I really didn’t know much (at all) about Lon Chaney before that hike. The local ranger suggested the area, and it was really fun to discover it. Interestingly enough there’s no signs to indicate that the house was Lon Chaney’s (or had anything to do with him) once we got up there. Not sure why, but perhaps the forest service wants to keep it low-key? The LA Times article (which I linked above) was a great find since it told me way more than anything else.
Nina
History of the Eastern Sierras is all about water. The names and places along the way are well researched in the book; Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water, Revised Edition by Marc Reisner. Very timely and prophetic. Not to mention well written.
Yes, water is SUCH a big part of the history here, especially when you talk about LA Department of Water, their land-purchases and how this valley has essentially been drained over the years. Limited resources used in ways they were never meant to be….ugh!
Cheers for the tip on the book! I’m going to look it up.
Nina
Fantastic! Hard to say anything better. I love all the pics, as I so deeply appreciate the high elevation areas in the mountains. These are my kind of hikes.
I was really drawn to the photo of the stop one cabin. That is really interesting. And the craftsmanship with which it was constructed is amazing.
Here’s to hoping the weather cooperates so you can get some more hikes in before moving on.
The workmanship on that cabin is AMAZING. I can see why the forest service decided they couldn’t remove it. It’s so incredibly well-built. I’m actually amazed something that big & detailed was able to be constructed up there. Quite the achievement.
Nina
The view out my Imax Window looks much the same 🙂
I love people who love mountains… people who aren’t afraid of a little snow.
Bravo!
Well, I can’t claim to be the snow bunny you are but I’m certainly OK with a bit of chill 🙂
Nina
A lifetime of hikes down there.
I don’t know how far you want to hike, or what the snow level is like down there this spring, but you may want to investigate the Hoover Wilderness. Not widely known about, pup friendly, area with N.P. quality scenery. If you do decide to backpack, you may have to carry a bear canister though.
Have fun and safe travels, Steve
Now that’s an area I admit I know nothing about! I’ll look it up. Cheers!
Nina
Beautiful hikes! Thanks for the great leads. We’re looking forward to getting on the trails in the Sierras — trying to keep our edge with daily hikes in San Diego, but as you know, we’re at an elevation disadvantage here. Glad to see you’re not saving your chocolate for emergencies only. 🙂 p.s. Awesome moon photo!
My wife and I absolutely love this area. We did stay at the private campground there near Glacier Lodge with our Class C. I noticed a 35ft 5th wheel in there. The power is hydroelectric and it is perfectly situated near the Big Pine North Fork trailhead. The Palisades Glacier is the southernmost glacier in the U.S. – John
Good to know. All the campgrounds were closed when we were up there, and I admit I only looked at the size limits in the National Forest ones. For some reason the private one escaped me. Cheers!
Nina
Just a quick follow-up. Hard to find info or reviews on that campground anywhere, but it sure looks intriguing:
http://www.jewelofthesierra.com/rv.htm
It’s quite a thrilling drive to get up there, so I’m still thinking it’s a better spot for smaller rigs. I’m not clear that we would even drive “the beast” up that road (although she could probably manage it). Still, it’s good to know there’s another option. Thanks again!
Nina
wonderful post…love the moon shot….thanks for all the sharing you do…can not wait to get there this spring/summer
You are going to love this area!
Nina
Great shots, excellent writing. Jealous as hell…
I am a bit behind on my blog reading…too much stout sampling going on here in San Diego! 😉 But as much fun as I am having sipping the suds here, your photos are where I long to be. Those pics just make me weak in the knees! (I just adore the top one of you and Paul, BTW!)
Your photos are beautiful!! Describing the majesty of the Eastern Sierras with a photo or words is almost impossible, yet you definitely do that. Those mountains must speak to your spirit as they do to us. In truth it is not us that capture them, it is them… those rugged peaks, quiet streams, mirrored lakes, lush meadows… they captivate us and lure us to return time and again. Fun running into to you at the Alabama Hills. We made it up to La Grande, picked up our trailer and drove south to meet friends for some boondocking in the Kelso Dunes (Mohave Preserve). It was fantastic …now back to school (teaching)…8 more weeks to Refirement!
ps. If you are still in the Bishop area check to see if the Thai restaurant by the airport is still open.
Beautifully said! The Thai place is still open here. We usually go every time we drive through, but this past fall (our most recent visit) the food wasn’t as good as our previous visits…I wondered if they’d changed ownership? We’ve been eating ourselves silly in Bishop for the past week. Blog post coming….
Nina
Wow Nina, are you giving us some great ideas when we head out in a few weeks. We have been taking good notes as we are also heading up 395. Thanks so much for these posts. Love that moonshot you captured.
You’re going to be spoiled for choice and hikes here. I could easily spend several months just traveling the stretch between Lone Pine and Mono Lake.
Nina
I seriously doubt John Muir made that quote in 1938, since he died in 1914. But he was born in 1838.
Technicalities, technicalities. . .
Yes, I made a mistake. It was caught, thanks to my readers, and I updated the quote date on the blog last week.
Nina
Great hiking! The Sierra is my favorite! I can’t wait to be back home after our first year fulltiming and getting back on some of my favorite trails next month. Thanks for my preview 🙂