Questions that Real People Ask Frequently

When I start planning a trip, I usually have a general area in mind or at least a good idea of what I want to see or do.  I start doing research on the area, usually order one or two trail guides, and use Google Maps to zoom in and find other spots.  Google Maps is usually the biggest contributor and before long, Facebook spies on my search history and starts suggesting pretty pictures of things in the area that I might like to click on.  It's usually spot on, and before I know it, I have a list long enough to keep me busy exploring for months.  I then start narrowing the list down based on how much time I have.  If I'm road tripping, I follow the same process to find interesting things along my route, and sometimes my route is defined by what I stumbled across earlier and really want to see.  When I start this process, i have a timeline in mind and it usually ends up being about twice the original length because I just can't make myself eliminate that many things from my list!

I would be lying if I said I know what I'm doing when it comes to photography.  I'm a complete novice and take hundreds or thousands of pictures and get really lucky with a few of them.  I've been going through the photos on my phone because it's constantly out of storage and there are 15,483 of them, mostly from 2023 excursions.  I have very little knowledge of photo editing and usually only crop images or use the Magic Eraser on my Google Pixel 7 to remove people in crowded locations.  Otherwise, I don't know how to do much else regarding editing.  I also use a Canon SX70 HS, which I bought because of its superzoom lens and because it was in my price bracket (about $600USD).  The downsides are that it's not waterproof or dustproof, so it doesn't always come with me.  It connects to my phone via Bluetooth and can be controlled through the Canon app, which is how I get photos of myself.  I used to bring its tripod, but found that it was extra weight and balancing the camera on top of my backpack or a rock usually works just fine.

Not really, I've always been a pretty independent person.  When it comes to my longer trips, I spend months planning it to make sure I get it right (my hubby says that my Google-linked, color-coded itinerary is the most OCD thing he's ever seen).  When I'm by myself, I make it a point to not do anything stupid and save those fun, stupid things for when I have an experienced adventure buddy around to help save me.  Yes, this means that I may have to pass on a few things that I would love to do, but I'd rather make it home alive.  

I select lodging and campsites carefully (Google reviews rarely lie) and use the satellite view on Google maps to look at the parking lot and surrounding neighborhood.  If I'm going to have a lot of gear in the back of my truck, I make sure the parking lot isn't visible from main roads.  I also usually don't stay in the same place for more than one night, so no one is going to be able to sit around and scope out my routine.  I always have a very detailed plan that I give to my husband and my mom, and I check in with them if any part of the plan changes.  I use a Garmin inReach that tracks my location via satellite and has an SOS button that will send emergency services to my exact location if I push it, regardless of whether or not I have cell service.  Hubby and Mom can look at the satellite tracking at any time to find me and can text me directly on the inReach, so there's always a way to communicate.  

Although I prefer complete solitude on the trail, I stick to somewhat travelled trails on my solo adventures just to make sure I'm not totally isolated if something happens.  I'm much more likely to encounter creepy people in populated areas and hiking trails tend to be occupied by people with the same mindset as me, so I'll stick to the wilderness any day.  I also always carry bear spray.  If it works on a bear, it'll work on anything, and it's completely legal in Canada whereas regular pepper spray isn't.