outdoors | snippetswithalex

Have you ever said that you were something, such as a runner, artist, saxophone player, etc. when in actuality the most you’ve you get tired after 2 miles, the most you’ve drawn was a stick figure self portrait, or the most you’ve played was “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on the saxophone back in grade school? Yea, been there, done that. You’re more in love with the idea and are continuously striving to be that person, but when it comes down to it, you don’t have a lot of experience. But It’s ok! We all do that!

Yes, this is my relationship with camping and hiking. I actually hike a lot, but since I’ve moved back to the Bay Area, my hikes consist of the same trail because, like most human beings, I am a creature of habit so you can decide whether hiking the same trail over and over again justifies calling myself a hiker. And as for my camping experience, I would say it starts and stops at my 8th grade Outdoor Ed trip (which was actually intense — backpacking, rock climbing, the whole sha-bang). But I do love the outdoors and I would camp more if I had the opportunity to.

And this past weekend the opportunity came! I finally found a group of wonderful people to actually exercise my love of camping. We were able to snag enough permits for all of us to climb Half Dome!

Half Dome is about a 16 mile hike with a 4800 ft elevation. Yea, you read it. The hike was definitely intense and grueling, but oh so fun! My pictures definitely don’t do it justice since I didn’t want to lug around my nice camera, but hopefully these pics will inspire you to go on this adventure!

{at the very top!}

Half Dome Tips:
1. Hiking Boots – DON’T buy the cheap ones. You will be grateful for the extra grip. I was really happy with these.
2. Water / Hydration tablets – Average person needs 4 L of water during this hike. It’s helpful if you add to your water Hydration tablets (I used Nuun).
3. When climbing down the cables, go down backwards (like climbing down a ladder).
4. Bring good gloves.
5. Bring lots of snacks to munch and replenish your energy.
6. Train – Make sure you train on the stair master or go on other hikes. Strengthen your legs!
7. Backpack: Make sure your backpack has straps to support your shoulders and back to distribute the weight. I really liked the daypack that I bought from Mountain Hardwear.

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Initially this post was titled “Glamping without the Glam” and focusing more on what to wear while camping, but seeing that my photographer wasn’t with me and I didn’t want to be that weird new girl taking pictures of herself, I decided to veer away from the outfit posts. I hope you don’t mind.

And this is a real question…
How do single unmarried fashion bloggers get awesome pictures during vacation trips?

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I’d like to think I live an active lifestyle when I’m not cooped up in my classroom or a coffee shop working. So I would like to use this blog not just to document my outfits, but also my adventures and travel as I continue to explore. 🙂

I’ve lived in the Bay Area for most of my life, yet I am pretty oblivious to the wide variety of adventures that the bay has to offer. It’s kind of a sad thing when a newbie Californian has out-adventured you, a native to the land.

Last weekend, a couple of friends invited me on a hike to Alamere Falls which is a little north of SF. The weather was absolutely glorious — full of sunshine and bright blue skies. I wish you all could have been there with me to see it!

Hike Details:
1. It’s 7.5 mile round trip

2. Slope – The inclination of the hike is very gradual and not very steep at all. It’s a relatively easy hike.

3. TWO DIFFICULT PARTS – Once you reach the end of the trail, you have to climb down some rocks to get to the top of the falls which can be a little tricky. If you want to get down to the beach, you have to conquer another rocky area. It’s not too bad, just be very careful and make sure you’re holding on to solid rock and not slate-like rock that can easily break apart. Going back up may be a challenge, and so bring a male companion who can give you a hand if you have short legs like me. 😛

4. Plants – There is poison oak on the trail so I suggest you wear long pants and a long-sleeve shirt if you can.

5. Time: 5 hours (We spent a lot of time eating lunch and exploring the beach, so it could be shorter)

6. The View – (Look for yourself 😛 )