moments from bora bora 🌴 turquoise water, reef sharks, overwater bungalows, and some of the most unreal sunsets I’ve ever seen. also still thinking about the fresh tuna and fruit every day…probably always will be french polynesia, you were a dream 🫶

After “I Do” — (2/2) This was the part we’d spent a year imagining. For the better part of a year, every conversation somehow found its way back to the wedding. Florals, seating charts, signage, playlists, welcome bags—you name it, I probably had a sketch in my journal for it. Every weird little idea that started as a note in my phone somehow became a real thing. The photo wall. The sticker machine. The trail signs. The flowers. The tiny details that occupied far too much space in my brain. With a lot of dreaming, and the help of some incredibly talented people, it all came to life. Then Yosemite decided to show off. Golden light filtered through the pines, dinner stretched late into the evening, and the dance floor stayed full all night. Did we blow the breaker three times because the party was so lit? Yes. Did our group absolutely demolish 60 servings of tavern tater tots after multiple people told me, “Sierra, nobody needs that many tater tots”? Also yes. It felt like summer camp, a family reunion, and the best party we’ve ever been to all at once. If I could bottle up a feeling and keep it forever, it would be this one. May 16, 2026 🫶

Before “I Do” - (1/2) For over a year, we dreamed about this day. Not just the wedding itself, but what it would feel like to stand in Yosemite and finally see it all come together. Along the way, the details became a labor of love. Every sign, every table, every little idea that lived in my head for months somehow became real. Watching an entire weekend that we had imagined for so long come to life was incredibly special. But the best part was getting to share it with the people who have shaped our lives and relationship over the years. The hugs. The happy tears. The laughter. The feeling of looking around and being surrounded by love. Somehow, it was even better than we imagined. May 16, 2026 🫶

The easiest yes, every time 🫶 One more month until I get to marry my favorite person in one of my favorite places. Photos by the incredibly talented @nicholsphoto

(pt.ii) The kind of last day on trail that’s made of pure magic ✨

(pt.i) This one has been sitting on the very top of my backpacking bucket list for years, and it lived up to every bit of the hype. 4 days, 34 miles, and 6 friends (who all trusted me to put on my “camp counselor hat” again and plan every detail) through the magic of Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park in Canada. The weather held out for us, the larches were starting to glow, and the mountains showed off at every turn. If you ever get the chance to rally your friends for a trip like this- take it.

Yosemite has my heart 🫶 . . . #yosemitenationalpark #halfdome #nationalparks #yosemite #yosemitebackpacking

30 for 30 🎉 Last weekend, I spent my 30th birthday doing exactly what I wanted- sweating profusely and hauling myself up granite in Yosemite. The goal? 30 miles for 30 years from Tuolumne to the Valley, linking up some of my favorite sights along the way. We hitchhiked from the valley to Cathedral Lakes trailhead and spent one night at Upper Cathedral Lake. Day 2 was our biggest push- 15 miles across snowy sections of the JMT and up to Clouds Rest via the Sunrise Lakes Trail. We navigated by melting footprints like alpine detectives and eventually hit the well-traveled superhighway to Clouds Rest. As we made our way towards the summit, thunder and lightning began to crackle overhead, forcing us into an unplanned (but very welcome) siesta underneath some trees. We kept one eye on the sky, and the other on the view, soaking in the panoramic views from Clouds Rest for as long as we could before descending down the backside. Day 3 started before sunrise, with our sights set on my first-ever summit of Half Dome. Somewhere on the quiet, steep staircase of Sub Dome, I got unexpectedly emotional- a mix of nerves, anticipation, and awe. There was a surreal feeling of arriving at a moment I’d imagined for so long, paired with a sense of turning a new chapter of life. We made it to the cables before the crowds, and when you’re face to face with them- it’s hard not to stare. I did my best to clear my mind, gripping the steel so tightly that the leather on my gloves turned black from the friction. By the time we reached the summit, the morning light had spread across the valley and the weight of it all hit me- in the best way. I FaceTimed my parents, ate my celebratory gummy bears, and took it all in before heading down. If you told my younger self that one day I’d be out here, chasing summits and finding so much joy in the tough stuff- she probably wouldn’t believe you. But here I am. 30, a little sunburned, a little weepy, knees still recovering over a week later, and deeply grateful. Here’s to the next 30 being just as wild. 🎉