Ep 117. From Following Along to Summiting Mt. Whitney: Kara's Backpacking Story
You can have YEARS of backpacking experience and still not feel totally confident making your own adventures happen.And that's exactly why I wanted to bring my client Kara onto the podcast!When Kara joined our Backpacking Badass Program, she was far from a beginner. She'd been backpacking regularly for about 15 years, had been on some incredible adventures with her husband, and genuinely loved being out on the trail.But there was something she wanted to change. She realized she'd gotten pretty comfortable letting her husband handle a lot of the planning, gear, logistics, and decision-making on their trips. And while there was nothing necessarily wrong with that, she wanted MORE for herself.She wanted to be a stronger contributor. To know she could figure things out, make decisions, and confidently plan her own adventures.And I LOVE how her story has unfolded since then. Fast forward a few years, and Kara has tackled some pretty epic adventures, including Kilimanjaro, multiple trips in the Eastern Sierra, and most recently... summiting Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states! 🏔️And here's one of my favorite parts: she did it alongside another woman she connected with through our Backpacking Badass community!In this episode, we get into the REAL story behind her Mt. Whitney adventure. From the permits and training to unexpected mountain storms, a flooded tent at Trail Camp, and what it actually felt like to finally stand on that summit.But what I really love about this conversation is that it's about so much more than reaching the top of a mountain.It's about what becomes possible when you stop waiting for someone else to make the adventure happen and start building the skills and confidence to make it happen yourself.What you'll learn in this episode:Why Kara joined Backpacking Badass after 15 years of backpacking (and what she still felt was missing)How she went from relying on her husband to becoming a more confident, self-sufficient backpackerHow a connection inside our Backpacking Badass community turned into a real-life Mt. Whitney adventureThe behind-the-scenes planning, permits, training, and acclimatization that went into preparing for the summitThe unexpected storms, flooded tent, and challenges that made this trip an adventure to rememberWhat it felt like to finally summit Mt. Whitney, and how Kara's definition of what's possible for herself has evolvedWhether you're brand new to backpacking or you've been doing it for YEARS but still wish you felt more confident taking the lead, I think you're going to get so much out of Kara's story.Because you don't need to have it all figured out before you start going after bigger adventures.You can build that confidence along the way. 💕-----------Have you joined our Black Friday Early Bird Waitlist yet? From November 16-20, we’re opening enrollment for The Backpacking Badass Program — our signature online course, community, and coaching experience that teaches women how to become safe, confident, and self-sufficient backpackers. For so many of our students, this program was the difference between “maybe one day” and 👉 actually hitting the trail on their first (of many) backpacking trips.This is our final big enrollment of the year, and we’re going BIG with our best deals and bonuses. And day 1 is exclusively for our Early Birds!Here’s why you’ll want to be on our Early Bird Waitlist:→ 💰 BIG Savings on our Backpacking Course for Women→ 🐦 Day 1 is for Early Birds ONLY: you shop a full day before the public→ 🤫 A SECRET Day 1 deal + bonuses the public will never see→ 🎁 First shot at our limited gifts (only 25 available!)And the best part? You’ll wrap up 2026 already locked into your 2027 Adventure Era — so when January hits, you won’t just be dreaming about adventure… you’ll be living it.👉 Join the Early Bird Waitlist NOW: shedreamsofalpine.com/birdWhere to learn more about Allison:She Dreams of Alpine Blog (shedreamsofalpine.com)Instagram @shedreamsofalpine🎁 FREE GIFT: Grab the Outdoor Backpacker Starter Kit for FREE here to get started on your journey with backpacking. (shedreamsofalpine.com/adventure)
