The Adventurous Reinvention

What if your life was the greatest adventure story you ever told?

In this reflective episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on how I live (and teach) an adventurous life, not just on the trail, but every damn day.

These are the 3 personal rules I come back to again and again, whether I’m navigating a rainstorm in Scotland, reworking a route mid-backpacking trip, or chasing a goal that is outside my comfort zone.

In this episode, I share:

• Why “Do it for the plot” is one of my favorite life mantras
• The mindset shift that helps me embrace plot twists on the trail and in life
• Real examples from my own adventures
• How chasing a wild climbing goal transformed my confidence, joy, and identity
• A reminder that your adventures are about trust—not control
• Why growth (not perfection) is the point of it all

Whether you’re craving more adventure in your life—or just want to feel more alive and self-trusting again—this episode is for you.

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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/bird

Where 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)

If you’ve ever packed for a backpacking trip and wondered, Am I bringing way too much food… or somehow not enough? Then this episode is for you.

I’m joined by Aaron Mayhew, registered dietitian and founder of Backcountry Foodie, to talk about what it actually takes to fuel your body well in the backcountry.

Aaron originally dove into backpacking nutrition while preparing to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail — including making a whopping 400 pounds of homemade backpacking food — and has spent years testing what works on trails across the country.

We talk about why backpacking nutrition looks different from how you might eat at home, what happens when you don’t fuel enough, how often you should actually be eating on trail, and how to balance calories, nutrition, food weight, and foods you’ll actually want to eat after several days in the backcountry.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why you probably need more food on a backpacking trip than you think
• What “bonking” actually feels like, and why under-fueling can become a safety issue
• How Aaron approaches calories, protein, and overall nutrition in the backcountry
• How to think about calorie density and getting enough energy without carrying a ridiculously heavy food bag
• Why food fatigue is real, and the lessons Aaron learned from eating the same kinds of foods for weeks on long-distance trails
• How your fueling strategy may change depending on your trip, mileage, conditions, and even your stress level
• Why you don’t have to make backpacking nutrition complicated to fuel yourself well

If planning your backpacking food feels like one more complicated thing you have to get exactly right, this conversation will help make it a whole lot simpler.

How to Connect with Aaron:

• Backcountry Foodie website — https://backcountryfoodie.com/
• Backcountry Foodie Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/backcountryfoodie

Where 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)

🥾 BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist): This is our signature program where women who are done waiting finally get the skills, the plan, the coaching, and the community to make backpacking real. You'll learn everything you need to get out there safely and confidently — and you'll do it surrounded by 2,000+ women who are right there in the trenches with you, cheering you on every step of the way. If you've been circling this goal for a while, this is the place to finally land.

Learn more and join our waitlists for these programs here:

• BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist)
• THE ADVENTUROUS REINVENTION EXPERIENCE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/are)
• ROCK CLIMBING RETREATS WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/climb)

What if you didn’t wait until January to get back into adventure mode?

Inspired by Karin Nordin’s “27 Before 2027” concept, I’m putting an adventurous spin on the challenge and creating my own list of 27 adventures, experiences, and future-self favors to help me finish 2026 feeling strong, energized, and excited about adventures ahead.

In this episode, I’m sharing what’s making my list—from climbing my first outdoor 5.12 and backpacking the Grand Canyon to planning future adventures, replacing old gear, and making time for smaller outdoor memories along the way. Plus, I’ll give you plenty of ideas to start brainstorming your own 27 Adventures Before 2027.

In this episode, we’ll talk about:

• How the “27 Before 2027” concept works and my adventurous spin on it
• Choosing how you want to feel heading into 2027
• Why Q4 doesn’t have to mean putting your adventurous life on pause
• Ideas for movement, outdoor memories, new skills, gear projects, and future adventures
• Why putting a 2027 adventure on the calendar now can create momentum all winter
• How to brainstorm your list without turning it into another perfectionist to-do list

Your challenge: Brainstorm your own 27 Adventures Before 2027 and make the last few months of the year wildly adventurous.

Where 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)

🥾 BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist): This is our signature program where women who are done waiting finally get the skills, the plan, the coaching, and the community to make backpacking real. You'll learn everything you need to get out there safely and confidently — and you'll do it surrounded by 2,000+ women who are right there in the trenches with you, cheering you on every step of the way. If you've been circling this goal for a while, this is the place to finally land.

Learn more and join our waitlists for these programs here:

• BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist)
• THE ADVENTUROUS REINVENTION EXPERIENCE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/are)
• ROCK CLIMBING RETREATS WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/climb)

Ever wondered what it’s actually like to try rock climbing for the first time—or join a women’s rock climbing retreat?

In this episode, I’m joined by Kate, our longtime Team Alpine coach and certified AMGA Single Pitch Instructor, to talk all about our Joshua Tree Women's Rock Climbing Retreat and why this kind of guided outdoor experience can be a total game-changer.

Whether you’re climbing-curious, craving a new challenge, or just looking for a supportive space to try something new, this episode pulls back the curtain on what really happens during one of our favorite annual retreats.

In this episode, we cover:

• What it’s like to go from “I’m not a climber” to actually climbing outside
• Common fears women have about trying outdoor climbing—and how we help you through them
• Why guided experiences are such a powerful first step (and no, you don’t need any gear!)
• A full breakdown of what our Joshua Tree retreat includes: climbing, camping, yoga, s’mores + more
• Real client stories, identity shifts, and what makes these retreats so damn special

If you’ve ever been even a little bit curious about climbing… this is your sign to explore it. 🎧

👉 JOIN OUR ROCK CLIMBING RETREATS WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/climb)

Where to learn more about Kate:

• Instagram: @camera_kate
• Website: headoverheelhooks.com

Where 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)

🥾 BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist): This is our signature program where women who are done waiting finally get the skills, the plan, the coaching, and the community to make backpacking real. You'll learn everything you need to get out there safely and confidently — and you'll do it surrounded by 2,000+ women who are right there in the trenches with you, cheering you on every step of the way. If you've been circling this goal for a while, this is the place to finally land.

Learn more and join our waitlists for these programs here:

• BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist)
• THE ADVENTUROUS REINVENTION EXPERIENCE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/are)
• ROCK CLIMBING RETREATS WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/climb)

In this episode, I sit down with my client Jeanna, a traveling nurse who lives out of her van between assignments, to talk about the trip that changed everything: her solo thru-hike of the entire John Muir Trail. Here's the wild part. This wasn't just her first solo thru-hike. It was her first solo backpacking trip, period.

We get into the real, unfiltered story: the spreadsheet she painstakingly built to plan every campsite, the journal she cut in half to save weight, the night terror she had at what she's now convinced might have been a haunted campsite, and the moment on trail where she seriously considered quitting, plus the mental tools she used to talk herself back into it.

We also talk about what it's really like to be alone out there (spoiler: you're never quite as alone as you think), and what it felt like to finally stand at the finish line after 200+ miles solo.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why Jeanna decided her first-ever solo backpacking trip would be the entire JMT, no smaller trips first
• How she planned her permits, resupplies, and a 30-day permit for a 21-day itinerary (and why the extra buffer mattered)
• Her night terror story and the "haunted campsite" she still thinks about
• The mental tools, including the 50-50 and "what if I just…" technique, she used the moment she wanted to quit
• What it actually felt like to cross the finish line, and why she ended up sobbing alone for 20 minutes
• Why solo doesn't mean lonely, and how trail community carried her through

If you've ever wondered whether you're "ready" to do something like this, then you're going to love this episode with Jeanna.

How to Connect with Jeanna:

• Instagram at @jeannasch
• Or connect with her directly inside the Backpacking Badass community

Where 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)

🥾 BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist): This is our signature program where women who are done waiting finally get the skills, the plan, the coaching, and the community to make backpacking real. You'll learn everything you need to get out there safely and confidently — and you'll do it surrounded by 2,000+ women who are right there in the trenches with you, cheering you on every step of the way. If you've been circling this goal for a while, this is the place to finally land.

Learn more and join our waitlists for these programs here:

• BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist)
• THE ADVENTUROUS REINVENTION EXPERIENCE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/are)
• ROCK CLIMBING RETREATS WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/climb)

In this week's episode of The Adventurous Reinvention Podcast, I'm bringing back one of your favorite series—Hot Topics in Our Backpacking Badass Community—with my teammate Kellie.

We recorded this one together in person in LA, so you're getting our real, unscripted takes on what's been coming up with our students lately.

Here's what we cover:

• Big Trip Season: Why we're seeing so many students tackle bucket-list trails this year: from the John Muir Trail to Mount Whitney to an O-Trek in Patagonia, and what it takes to go from your first overnight to your dream adventure.
• Talking About Your Goals: How Kellie's Havasu Falls trip came together after simply telling people what she wanted to do, and why sharing your goals (even before you're ready) can change everything.
• Gear Talk: Our honest take on sports bras that actually work for backpacking, plus how we organize gear in small spaces without a dedicated gear room.
• Fall Transition: What our training and trip planning looks like as we shift out of summer programming and into fall backpacking season.

Whether you're planning your next big trip or just trying to figure out your gear setup, you'll walk away from this one with plenty to think about.

Where 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)

🥾 BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist): This is our signature program where women who are done waiting finally get the skills, the plan, the coaching, and the community to make backpacking real. You'll learn everything you need to get out there safely and confidently — and you'll do it surrounded by 2,000+ women who are right there in the trenches with you, cheering you on every step of the way. If you've been circling this goal for a while, this is the place to finally land.

Learn more and join our waitlists for these programs here:

• BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist)
• THE ADVENTUROUS REINVENTION EXPERIENCE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/are)
• ROCK CLIMBING RETREATS WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/climb)

This week we're publishing an MVP episode where I’m joined by outdoor writer and long-time mountain adventurer Meg Atteberry for a raw, behind-the-scenes look at what really happens when you have to hit the SOS button in the backcountry.

On day six of a seven-day high route in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, Meg and her friend found themselves in a true emergency — an injury miles from any trail, shifting weather, complex alpine terrain, and a 20-hour Search and Rescue operation that forced them to rely on every ounce of their experience, preparation, and mental steadiness.

This conversation is honest, gripping, and packed with trail-tested insight. If you’ve ever wondered “How would I actually handle something like this?” — or you want to feel more prepared and self-reliant on your own trips — this episode is a must-listen.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• The exact moment Meg realized they needed Search & Rescue
• How she made the call early and why that decision mattered
• What the terrain, weather, and rescue logistics were really like
• How they chose a safe camp to overnight during the emergency
• The mental rollercoaster of staying calm when adrenaline crashes
• Why preparation beats “toughing it out” every time
• The gear, systems, and decisions that made a real difference
• What most people don’t understand about wilderness rescues
• Meg’s biggest takeaways now that she’s had time to reflect

How to Connect with Meg:

• Connect with Meg Atteberry on Instagram and TikTok @megintheforest

Resources Mentioned:

• YouTube Video: I hit the Garmin InReach SOS Button and here's what I learned
• YouTube Video: How I Was Rescued by Helicopter on the Wind River High Route (4k)
• YouTube Video: I hit the Garmin InReach SOS Button and here's what I learned
• YouTube Video: What Happens When You Push the SOS Button on Your Garmin InReach Mini

Where 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)

🥾 BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist): This is our signature program where women who are done waiting finally get the skills, the plan, the coaching, and the community to make backpacking real. You'll learn everything you need to get out there safely and confidently — and you'll do it surrounded by 2,000+ women who are right there in the trenches with you, cheering you on every step of the way. If you've been circling this goal for a while, this is the place to finally land.

Learn more and join our waitlists for these programs here:

• BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist)
• THE ADVENTUROUS REINVENTION EXPERIENCE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/are)
• ROCK CLIMBING RETREATS WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/climb)

In this episode, I'm breaking down something that showed up over and over again across our entire 2026 ARE trip season: two women can do the exact same hike — same trail, same weather, same physical challenge — and come home with completely different experiences. One depleted and complaining about the bugs. One lit up and already planning her next trip. Same conditions. Different lens.

Every single season, without fail, we watch this play out — the women who set their mindset before the trailhead have a fundamentally different trip than the women who just show up and hope for the best. So I want to break down why that happens, and what you can actually do about it.

Whether you've got a big trip coming up or you're just tired of coming home from adventures feeling like you missed something, this episode will give you a practical way to shape your experience before it even starts.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why the lens you bring to a hike matters more than the conditions you hike in
• The real science behind it — how your brain's reticular activating system decides what you notice on trail
• Student mindset vs. investor mindset, and why one leaves your experience up to chance
• A real story from one of our trips where a freak storm could have wrecked the group's mood — and didn't
• The simple journaling exercise we have clients do before every trip to set their lens on purpose
• A 5-minute trailhead practice you can start using on your very next hike

Where 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)

🥾 BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist): This is our signature program where women who are done waiting finally get the skills, the plan, the coaching, and the community to make backpacking real. You'll learn everything you need to get out there safely and confidently — and you'll do it surrounded by 2,000+ women who are right there in the trenches with you, cheering you on every step of the way. If you've been circling this goal for a while, this is the place to finally land.

Learn more and join our waitlists for these programs here:

• BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist)
• THE ADVENTUROUS REINVENTION EXPERIENCE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/are)
• ROCK CLIMBING RETREATS WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/climb)

Today I'm joined by one of my closest friends, Charlie, who I met almost by accident in a local climbing league, and who's since become the person I train, plan, and chase big goals alongside.

We're pulling back the curtain on our friendship: how it started, how it turned into a full-blown climbing partnership, and how a casual "let's climb together" turned into a shared, audacious goal — sending our first 5.12.

This episode isn't just for climbers. It's about what happens when you stop trying to do hard things alone, and what changes in your belief system when you find someone who's willing to go there with you.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why finding the right partner can shift what you believe is possible for yourself
• How to actually go about finding a solid outdoor partner (and why proximity beats waiting for the "perfect" fit)
• The difference between wanting a goal and believing it's already happening
• Why leaving your ego behind is the real unlock in any partnership
• How tracking "micro progress" changes the way your brain sees a big goal
• What it looks like to go from "this could happen someday" to "this is happening"

Where 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)

🥾 BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist): This is our signature program where women who are done waiting finally get the skills, the plan, the coaching, and the community to make backpacking real. You'll learn everything you need to get out there safely and confidently — and you'll do it surrounded by 2,000+ women who are right there in the trenches with you, cheering you on every step of the way. If you've been circling this goal for a while, this is the place to finally land.

Learn more and join our waitlists for these programs here:

• BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist)
• THE ADVENTUROUS REINVENTION EXPERIENCE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/are)
• ROCK CLIMBING RETREATS WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/climb)

One of the most common patterns we see in Backpacking Badass and the Adventurous Reinvention Experience isn't a gear problem, a fitness problem, or an education problem — it's perfectionism, and it quietly derails more big goals than bad weather ever could.

In this episode, my team member Kellie is taking over the mic solo to talk about what she's learned from doing halfway check-ins with our biggest coaching group yet — 36 women training for a real backpacking trip while juggling life, work, and everything in between.

Every single year, without fail, we hear the same handful of messages back: I'm behind. I'm not showing up how I thought I would. I feel like I'm failing. So we want to break down why that happens and what to do about it.

Whether you're mid-training for your first backpacking trip or working toward any big goal that's started to feel messier than you pictured, this episode will help you keep going without needing everything to go perfectly.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why perfectionism, not gear or fitness, is the real reason most women stall out on big goals
• What perfectionism actually sounds like in real client check-ins (and why you've probably said it too)
• The "B-minus work" shift: why done imperfectly beats not done at all
• How to build an MVP (minimum viable) plan instead of chasing the fantasy version of your week
• Why tracking your wins (not just the gaps) rewires how your brain sees your progress
• The real skill that gets you to the trailhead, and keeps getting you to the next one

Where 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)

🥾 BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist): This is our signature program where women who are done waiting finally get the skills, the plan, the coaching, and the community to make backpacking real. You'll learn everything you need to get out there safely and confidently — and you'll do it surrounded by 2,000+ women who are right there in the trenches with you, cheering you on every step of the way. If you've been circling this goal for a while, this is the place to finally land.

Learn more and join our waitlists for these programs here:

• BACKPACKING COURSE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/waitlist)
• THE ADVENTUROUS REINVENTION EXPERIENCE WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/are)
• ROCK CLIMBING RETREATS WAITLIST (shedreamsofalpine.com/climb)