For winter 2015, Outdoor Research added the Essence Tights to their lineup of women’s base layers. As a merino wool fiend, I was extra stoked when they sent me a pair to test as a part of #ORInsightLab.
Google Mono Lake and the first thing you’ll see is the South Tufa. Some would argue that if there was one thing you absolutely had to do here, it’s visiting the tufa grove. Is it a must do? I’m not sure; the Black Point Fissures were pretty cool. But if you’re hard pressed for time, visiting the South Tufa will only take you about an hour or so.
I’m a pretty particular person when it comes to things that go on my head. I had a bunch of beanies accumulating around my house from years past, but none of them were quite right. One 20% off REI coupon last winter had me trying on every cold weather hat in the store. That’s when I stumbled across the Arc’teryx Bird Head Toque. This has been the best beanie I’ve tried yet.
When I signed up for #HellHikeAndRaft, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I imagined long, strenuous days climbing mountains with an epic group of people more fit than me. I’d been rocking the Ahnu Sugarpine Waterproof Boot when I said yes to the adventure. They’re still my go-to shoe for a good chunk of my hikes.
I’m the type of person that sprains an ankle while standing still. I wanted something a little sturdier for the unknowns of Idaho, and eventually Mt. Whitney that fall. That’s where the Salewa Alp Trainers came into play.
A few days prior to my Eastern Sierra birthday trip I poked around the #easternsierra hashtag on Instagram looking for some ideas and inspiration on what to do. I was pretty stumped and so over planning a detailed itinerary at that point. My friend, Sarah, suggested the Black Point Fissures at Mono Lake.
After soaking for a bit at Travertine Hot Springs, we made our way down to Lee Vining and Mono Lake. We’d originally planned to drive down to Mammoth that night, but after brief stop at the Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore (visitor center is closed in the winter) we decided to try some dispersed camping in the area to maximize our time at the lake.