Trailey

Just Released: a trip report from my backpacking experience in the Superstition Wilderness!

I went on a 4 day/3 night backpacking trip in the Superstition Wilderness right before thanksgiving. I loved this place so much, so I wanted to share it with y’all!

There’s beautiful desert scenery all around with some big, open views and plenty of cactus! There’s canyons, cliffs, and little sneaky watering holes. The weather was quite nice in November, so it’s a great area to explore in the spring or fall!

My friend did a lot of the leg work and planning for this trip, and I would not have any of this information with out her.

The pdf of the trip report is linked in our bio and is on our website. The trip report includes gpx coordinates and routes, a day by day breakdown, and my packing list.

Happy Trails!

P.S. This wilderness area is part of the Tonto National Forest, even though there’s no tree!

📍on the land of the Akimel O’odhem, O’odham Jewed, and Hahakam

So…. Hi! Just wanted to remind y’all that I’m still around. I just finished my season at the end of October, so I’ll be doing some more posts and things throughout my off-season.

BUT in the meantime, I just wanted to give you a little recap of my work season. It was my second season working in Monticello, UT on a fire crew. I started off the season by shaving my head, and having short hair has been a game changer!

It was a slower year for me, but I still got to travel to northern Utah, Idaho, and California. I learned more about fire behavior, fire effects and monitoring, helicopters, chainsaws, and prescribed burning.

I also learned more outdoor skills, tips, & tricks that I will be using in my personal life for recreating. I’m looking forward to sharing some of thing with y’all in the future!

Get outside, start exploring!

Happy Friday! 🌞

We just added a new trail to our Trailey Routes. This one is a favorite down in Southeast Austin.

This trail is on the Water Quality Protection Lands of Austin Water. It is a smooth trail with little elevation gain, making it great for an easier day. You can also cut the loop a little short to shave off a mile. The trail is closed during and after most rain storms to preserve the trail. Runners and walkers must follow the loop in a counter clockwise direction (by taking a right turn as shown in the Strava Routes), and bikers must follow the trail in a clockwise direction.

Hope y’all are able to get out and enjoy the lovely weather this weekend!

📍on the land of the Jumanos, Lipan Apache, and Coahuiltecan

Lookin for some new trails in Austin?!

Don’t worry we got you! We started a spread sheet (with links) to some of our favorite trail runs around Austin! We’re starting small, but hope to add on more, so let us know if there’s one you want us to add.

Check out the link in our bio for the spreadsheet!

📍on the land of the Jumanos, Lipan Apache, and Coahuiltecan

Bandera Runner!

I’ve got something for you! I made a little guide to the Bandera Trail Race that’s coming up this weekend. I wanted to share it with y’all at our coffee chat, but the weather wasn’t cooperating. You can now find it in our linktree or on our website.

And as always, feel free to reach out to us with any running related questions you might have!

📍on the land of the Jumanos, Lipan Apache, and Coahuiltecan

Hi friends! 👋 I’ll be running with this Saturday at the Violet Crown Trailhead. After the run, I’ll be co-hosting a coffee hour with a chat about Bandera at the trail head! Bring your own coffee cup and bring all your questions!

This chat will be focused on Bandera, but will be good for anyone with a trail race in the spring.

Hope to see you out there!

📍on the land of the Jumanos, Lipan Apache, and Couhuiltecan

Hello! 🌵🏜🏕

I know we’ve been MIA for a while, but I’ve been trying to figure out how to juggle Trailey things with a new job, life, and training for races. BUT, I am done working for now and have left Utah.

I’m back in Austin and planning a few little fun things for the next couple of months. Hopefully, I’ll get to see some of y’all out and about.

Stay tuned for more updates!

📸 cred:

📍on the land of the Southern Paiute, Pueblos, and Ute

Change 💫

Navigating change can be difficult. It brings new challenges and may force you to facing issues of the past.

As the world starts to reopen, many of us are going to face changes in our day to day life. Over the past year, the Covid lifestyle became the new normal. And now, what will it look like as we try to return to the old normal?

I know I am going through some big changes in my life, and I’m trying to get used to what my new life is going to be like. And that, on top of figuring out how I feel about reopening, has been a lot to handle the past few weeks!

How are y’all feeling with everything reopening and more socializing going on?

💫💫💫

PS this place is beautiful!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the great moms out there! We appreciate everything that you do!

Especially this one! ♥️

It’s Friday!!

We’ve been out exploring some trails and hope you can get out this weekend, too!

Happy Trails!

Trail Tip Tuesday!

APPS or MAPS?!

Which do you prefer? They each have their pros and cons so we wanted to go through and list some differences here!

💫💫💫

MAPS
✨ You will have the map even if your phone or gps dies.
✨ You have to learn how to read topography and how to use the map.
✨ There’s no peer reviews or comments with extra trail info.
✨ If I’m going out for a longer trip, I really like having a map with me.

APPS
✨ If you have gps signal, you can usually see where you are on the map.
✨ You can read other trail users comments or advice before you get on the trail.
✨ You will have to download map information to your phone before leaving service.
✨ Some apps feature waypoints that can have important information.
✨ Depending in the app, you may have to pay for certain features or maps.

Here’s our opinion on some of the apps we use:
✨AllTrails - This is my go to. I have the paid version, so I can download map layers, and see the trails around me. I like being able to read the comments, and how easy it is to research trails.
✨Avenza - I’ve used this app for work mostly, and it’s not the most user friendly but it has some free maps you can download that work well.
✨TrailRun Project - I haven’t used this app often, but it seems to be user friendly. It’s good for finding a route that fits what you are looking for, and it has the trail names if you zoom in far enough.
✨Guthooks - If you are thru-hiking a trail, this is the app you want. You pay per trail, but there is a lot of information that comes with the trail information, like where you can find water and etc.

Hope this information is useful. Happy Trails!

📍Chiricahua Apache

Thanks to everyone who attended our Backpacking Webinar Series this month!

We hope you learned some new skills and gained knowledge from it. All of the slides are now available on our resources page, so you can check them out there. As always, you can reach out to us with any questions!

Happy Trails!

📍Chiricahua Apache

Trail Tip Tuesday ☀️

Stay on the trail!

Whenever and wherever you are hiking, you should stay on the trail for the following reasons.

👣 Going off trail can cause erosion.
👣 You can impact sensitive ecosystems and habitats.
👣 Others might see the path you took and follow, which can creat a user trail.
👣 People worked really hard to create those trails for you for a reason.
👣 If you go off trail and get lost, it can be difficult to locate you.

Stay Safe!



📍on the land of the Pueblos & Ute

It’s looking and feeling like summer in Austin!

What are some of your favorite summer water spots?

I love Barton Springs, Blue Hole, Emma Long Metro, but always want to hear about new ones.

📍on the land of Tonkawa, Sana, and Comanche

Trail Tip Tuesday ☀️

Stay Hydrated!

It’s that time of the year again when it’s getting hot. This means you need more water during your regular day to day activities and during any physical exercise.

On an average day, you should drink about 2.5L to 3.5L of water. For every hour of exercise, you should drink an additional .5L or so liters of water.

It’s also a good idea to consume some type of electrolytes after workouts - I like regular Nuun or Vital Proteins Performance Recover drink.

Happy Trails!

Here’s some photos from Utah and some takeaways from my Wilderness First Responder course last week!

Photos 📸
The Confluence of the Green and Colorado -> Little Flowers -> Little footprints by my camp -> Sylvester Towers

WFR Takeaways ✨
-Wilderness settings can have very different protocols from urban settings.
-Understanding concepts is more important than memorizing techniques.
-Search and Rescue teams do A LOT!
-Always have a copy of your book in your first aid kit.
-Prevention is the best thing to keep you and your crew safe.

I would definitely recommend this course or a Wilderness First Aid Course to anyone who spends a lot of time in the backcountry.

📍on the land of the Pueblos & Ute

Hi friends! I’ll be off the grid for the next few days doing a Wilderness First Responder Course with 🙌🙌

I’m really excited to learn some news skills and have some more knowledge from this course - but I do hope I never have to use them.

In the meantime, I’ll be slow to respond to any messages, texts, or emails. I’ll be back in service next Wednesday!

Happy Trails!

📍 on the land of the Pueblos & Ute

For this weeks Trail Tip, I want to highlight some of my favorite games and activities I play on the trail. These games and activities have gotten me through many miles! Here they are:

🌺 Twenty Questions
🌸 Contact
🌼 Scavenger Hunt (LNT style)
🌻 I Spy
🌼 The Alphabet Game
🌸 Question of the Mile (like question of the day but every time you hit a mile)
🌺 Man or Monster

Comment with any trail activities you like to partake in!

PS - these game can also be great on a road trip!

📍Tonkawa & Bidai

I’m missing Texas right now, but I hope y’all have been enjoying the weekend!

Just a lil reminder that our backpacking webinar series takes off this week. The link to register is still in our bio!

Happy Trails 🦎

📍On the land of the Tonkawa & Camanche

We’re back with Trail Tip Tuesday!

This week, we want to talk a little about trail etiquette:

⚡️Hike single file.
⚡️Bikes yeild to hikers, hikers yeild to horses.
⚡️Downhill hikers yeild to uphill hikers.
⚡️Say "Hello" or "On your left" to let someone know you are going to pass from behind.
⚡️If you are running or biking with a group and you are passing a hiker, let them know how many more people are behind you. Ex. "Three back"
⚡️If you listen to music on the trail, use headphones, and keep the volume low, or only use one airbud.

Happy Trails!

📍On the land of the Jumanos, Mescalero Apache, and Manson

Here’s a little glimpse of the Gila National Forest!

The Gila is located is the Southwest corner of New Mexico and covers about 2.7 million acres of public land. It has three different wilderness areas within it - one of them, the Gila Wilderness, was the first designated wilderness area.

This forest is also home to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, a large network of trails, and several hot springs. It’s a bit of a drive from Texas, but is definitely worth it!

Prime times to visit are March to May and September to October.

✨✨✨

PS: What is a wilderness area?

A wilderness area is an area where the land is left in its natural state. Activities are restricted to research and non-mechanized recreation. This means no cars, no bikes, no chainsaws, and etc. Horses and hand tools are still allowed, but nothing that is motorized.

We are doing a double giveaway with our friends at the Kammok Gear Shop! They are located in East Austin and have a great selection of gear. They will be giving away a Roo Double with Python 10 strips and we will be giving away a Nathan Hydration Vessel!

If you’re in need of a hydration vessel, enter to win a Nathan Hydration Vest of your choice by:

1. Like this post

2. Follow

3. Send us a short blurb to [email protected] about your running history, running goals, and why you would benefit from having a hydration vest.

If you’re in search of gear to hang with enter to win a Roo Double and Python 10 straps by:

1. Like this post

2. Follow

3. Tag 2 friends in the comments below

**Giveaway ends Wednesday 3/24 at 6 pm CST! You must be located in the Austin Area to pick up your prize ** We'll randomly select and DM one winner for each giveaway. Good luck!

P.S. If you want to share this with friends who are not on Instagram, they can sign up for Trailey’s newsletter and Kammok’s Outsider Rewards.

I’ve been dreaming of the Gila National Forest for years now and I’m finally here!

We’ll be a little MIA this week, but we’ll be back around Friday with a little surprise for you!

Happy Trails!

📍Chiricahua Apache

I’m heading out West, and my first stop is Franklin Mountains State Park! It’s my first time visiting and we’ll only be there for a day. I’m excited to see some new trails next new places!

If y’all have any recommendations for the Franklins, or other spots in West Texas or Southern New Mexico, send them my way!

📍This photo was taken in Big Bend Ranch SP on the land of the Jumano, Pescado, Mescalero Apache, and Chiso tribes.

We will be hosting a Backpacking Webinar Series throughout April!!🏕

Here are the dates and topics of the webinars:

Trip Planning 📔
April 7th, 2021 at 7pm CST

Do you want to go on an adventure? But, you don't know where to start? In this webinar, we will be going over the basics of Trip Planning, We will go over how to plan a backpacking route, where to find maps, how to find campsites, and how to prepare for before and after your time in the backcountry.

All Things Gear ⛺️
April 14th, 2021 at 7pm CST

In this webinar, we will talk about all things gear related. The topics will include what gear you need for different backpacking adventures, where to buy gear, and how to buy used gear.

Camp Kitchen 🍲
April 21st, 2021 at 7pm CST

What food do you bring for your backpacking trip? We will discuss how to plan your meals for different length trips, how many calories you should have for each day, how to get your veggies in, and affordable backcountry meals. We will also talk about LNT when it comes to cooking and how to cook in the backcountry.

Packing Your Pack🎒
April 28th, 2021 at 7pm CST

This is our final webinar of the series! We will go over different methods of packing a backpack and demonstrate with different types of backpacks. After this episode, you should have the skills and confidence that you need to go backpacking.

You can sign up for them all at once, or you can sign up for each individual webinar! The webinar series will be free and is open to everyone. It will also be recorded, so you will be able to rewatch it at a later date. You can RSVP on our events page or using the link in our bio!

Happy Women’s Day!

We are so grateful for all the women that continue to inspire and encourage us! Thank you for being yourselves!

Stay rad!

PS - we’re also very grateful for our dogs!

Hey friends! 💥

It’s Kelly here - just wanted to share a little life update with y’all!

As many of y'all might already know, my time at Texas Conservation Corps came to an end about a month ago. Since it was an Americorps position, it had a term limit, and I was already lucky enough to overstay my term by a few months.

I learned a lot from my time in the conservation world, and I hope to do more work in conservation in the future! As for now, I will be TEMPORARILY leaving Austin to work on a wildland fire module in Utah. I'll be leaving Austin in another week, and will be doing what I do best - bumming around, camping in some beautiful places, and seeing my family until my new job starts in May. I should be back in Austin sometime in October or November.

💥💥💥

What does this mean for Trailey?

Right now, it means nothing! I am still planning some webinars for April and this summer. And, I will still be present online during our time away, but won't be as responsive.

Later on, it means I will have more time to focus on Trailey when I return to Austin. I'm hoping Covid will be more in control by the time I return, and I will not be working full time, so I will be able to host more in-person events!

Trailey will still remain Trailey!. We are going to keep this account focused on the same things. If you want to follow me on my fire adventures, you can follow my personal account 🔥

Cheers!

Trail Tip Tuesday ✨

Here’s a lesson we seem to learn and relearn time and time again.

Be flexible and have a back up plan!

✨✨✨

And, here’s the story...

This weekend, Gretchen and I went out for a trek on the Lone Star Hiking Trail. We originally wanted to hike the whole trail, but we just weren’t feeling it. So, we decided to hike a 31 mile loop instead.

About 5 miles into our hike on day one, we stopped for a little break. The trail was very swampy, and there were plenty of water sources. The water would’ve been fine to filter, but it had weird smells and colors to it, so we decided we didn’t really want to drink it. When we stopped, I also found a few ticks on my dog.

We kept going, but very quickly decided we only wanted to stay out one night. We though we would still finish the loop, but we’d just do two long days. Then, we realized we could take a little short cut and make a 20 mile loop, so that’s what we did!

We had our maps, and we were prepared for everything that happened. Our plan changed several times within the span of a day, and that’s ok!

Happy Trails! ⚡️