Hi Reader!

We're in the thick of summer and I'm loooving spending time outside in the sun. It's been a wonderful escape from all my responsibilities and let me tell you -- I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed by how much I want to accomplish in the coming months.

In the midst of all the work I want to complete, I'm also on the hunt for a new apartment. It can be brutal trying to find a spot in Los Angeles that checks all the boxes, especially budget and location. Keep your fingers crossed for me that the right one will appear! 🤞🏻

For now, let's catch up and chat about my recent backpacking trip and a few books I read that reinvigorated my interest in the climate movement. Let's dive in! 🤿

Adventures

Last month, I set out to hike the High Sierra Camp Loop in Yosemite National Park — a roughly 50-mile backcountry route that links together five stunning alpine camps. My route took me through Glen Aulin, May Lake, Sunrise Lakes, and Merced Lake, with plans to include Vogelsang as the final stop.

I'm also putting together a full blog post with my itinerary and experiences at each of the five High Sierra Camps. Let me know if there's anything specific you'd like to see included in that guide!

Spoiler alert: I ended up skipping the last night due to relentless mosquitoes and a growing desire for a real meal and a shower.

Surprisingly, this trip was almost stopped in its tracks at multiple points, but I'm grateful I followed through and got out on the trail. It ended up being one of the most memorable and beautiful backpacking experiences I’ve had to date!

The view entering Sunrise High Sierra Camp.

After not taking any solo backpacking trips for a while, I was having doubts about my trip and started looking for reasons to cancel it. This was also the longest trip in terms of miles and days that I was planning to attempt and the weather during early season in Yosemite can range from snow to blazing heat.

I was mostly worried I'd end up trekking the 50 miles through ice, slush, or mud and camping in frigid conditions. What I was looking for at this particular time was a trip I knew would be comfortable, warm, and dry.

Calling the Yosemite ranger station in the days leading up to my trip helped ease some anxiety. They let me know there was approximately 10-20% snow coverage at that time, and it was shrinking rapidly each day.

Even though I didn't feel 100% ready, I quieted my fears and leaned into the feeling that everything was going to work out just fine. And I'm so glad I did.

It definitely still had its ups and downs throughout. There were moments when I wondered what the heck I had gotten myself into (like when mosquitoes were flying into my mouth 🥴), but also moments of pure awe and contentedness (like seeing fields bursting with vibrant wildflowers 🪻).

One of my favorite views from atop a hill at Sunrise Camp.

My top tips for anyone planning to do this hike would be:

🏔️ Spend a night or two in the area prior to your trip to acclimatize to the high elevation.
💧 Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate -- especially in the days leading up to your trip.
🦟 Bring bug spray. This was the one thing I forgot to pack, so I was beyond thankful to see one last bottle for sale at the Wilderness Center in the park.
🎟️ Remember to pick up your permit. You will be stopped by rangers wanting to see it. I saw rangers at least three times and was stopped on multiple occasions.
🐻 Review your bear safety and come prepared with a bear canister. Along with my permit, a park ranger on trail checked to make sure I had a bear can in my pack. And for good reason -- I did see a mama bear and her two cubs while in the backcountry!
💦 Lastly, pack your swimsuit and spend time in the water at Glen Aulin. I regretted not jumping in the water more at this swimming hole. The remainder of the lakes either don't allow swimming or aren't bodies of water you're going to want to enter.

And of course, if you're lucky enough to spend time in this fantastic area of Yosemite, be a respectful visitor and always Leave No Trace.

This trip left me eager to plan my next one, preferably one with fewer mosquitoes and more lake time. 😌 Would you spend five days hiking through the High Sierra to visit these pristine lakes?

If the idea of solo backpacking still freaks you out, check out this blog post on getting over the nerves (inspired by my last newsletter!).

& S'more

I didn’t plan on diving into a series of climate-focused books this spring — it just kind of happened. One book led to another, and suddenly I found myself on a reading path that started deep beneath the ocean, rose up into deadly heat, and landed in something unexpected: hope.

It started with The Underworld by Susan Casey — a beautifully written, slightly haunting exploration of the deep ocean. The kind of book that makes you realize how little we actually know about the planet we live on. It’s filled with mystery, pressure (literal and emotional), and the humbling reminder that there are entire ecosystems quietly existing in complete darkness — largely untouched, but not completely immune to us.

From there, I picked up The Heat Will Kill You First by Jeff Goodell. The title is a mood. It’s a hard but necessary read that digs into the harsh realities of rising temperatures and how heat is already reshaping our world — especially for the most vulnerable communities.

Reading it after The Underworld felt like surfacing from the quietest, coldest places on Earth into a world that’s getting hotter and louder and harder to ignore. I found myself feeling deeply uncomfortable — and also more aware than ever of just how interconnected everything is.

But then came What If We Get It Right? by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, and I highly recommend it for anyone experiencing climate anxiety. This book is like an exhale. It asks a powerful, underused question: what would the world look like if we actually rise to the climate challenge? Not in a perfect, utopian way — but in a grounded, joyful, practical, community-powered way.

After sitting with the beauty and urgency of the first two books, this one offered imagination and action. Not in a sugar-coated way — just in a “look how good it could be if we tried” kind of way.

If climate change feels too big or too heavy, I totally get it. But this little trio of books — unintentionally read in the perfect order — gave me something better than just facts or fear. They gave me context. Then urgency. Then direction.

And honestly, they reminded me why I love spending time outside in the first place. Because we protect what we care about. And because joy, wonder, and wild places are worth fighting for.

Friendly reminder to check out the Libby app for all your digital book and audiobook needs. It's free with a library card (which is also free)! This is how I read/listen to most of my books.

I hope you're having some fantastic summer adventures out there. Thank you for joining me here for my little month rewind and I'll catch you in the next one ✌🏻

Happy adventuring,

💚A