I went backpacking for the first time last week and it was incredible. I tagged along with J and her dad on their Sierra High Route adventure. This was definitely an ambitious route for a beginner backpacker like me, but I improved so much, gained a lot of confidence over those seven days, and had the best time. It was a great reminder of how much I enjoy living simply and camping and being away from my phone and all the little problems in my normal life. I also loved the challenge of walking all day and making it over passes! The Sierra landscape is absolutely amazing and inspiring– I feel so lucky to have been able to go on this trip.

I did some last minute sewing before the trip, making a stuff sack and a small pouch to hold my driver’s license, medical info, and other little things. The stuff sack was really helpful for organizing my gear in my backpack, and really easy to make too. Hoping to turn that one into a pattern. I think my version is much easier to make than other ones because it doesn’t have a circular bottom and only three seams need to be sewn to create it. Proud of that one. Also featured is a cosmetics bag (recognize the Lululemon fabric?) that I made a few years ago before my horsepacking trip. I’ve gotten great use out of that bag too. The small pouch was great. I’m a bit unhappy with how the zipper turned out; it’s a bit sloppy on the ends, and I would add zipper tabs next time for a cleaner finish. But that’s if I’m being picky. Function-wise, the pouch was great. Small enough to fit in the top pocket of my backpack, bright colors to make it easy to spot, and water-resistant fabric for ease of mind. And isn’t that view from Dusy Basin gorgeous? Got to love Sierra granite!