Welcome!
Rachel and Sarah work as backcountry mountain guides for San Francisco-based Sports Basement Outdoors on the weekends, while juggling full time day jobs and home duties. Our passions for all outdoor activities and environmental health have brought us here together to bring you informed articles and reviews. We are not endorsed by any company or group and only share our opinions based purely on our experiences.
FUTURE: We plan to interview badass women in the outdoor community, make a YouTube channel, share failed and successful backpacking cooking recipes, and gear how-to’s.
Mission
Inspire people to get outside and connect them to the tools and resources to do so safely and responsibly.
Vision
A place for all ages to find information, resources, contacts and inspiration.
Values
- Sustainability
- Gender equality
- Leave No Trace
Rachel
I am happiest when I’m on my way to an alpine summit, winding through the urban jungle on my cargo bike, or feeling the salt spray on my face from a sailboat. I am originally from SoCal, but I have lived in Colorado, New England, and on a sailboat in the Caribbean. I have degrees in Anthropology and Linguistics which led to a brief career in museums. I am now fortunate to be able to pursue my passion for the outdoors by working for Sports Basement as a mountain guide and retail employee. My husband and two sons (4 and 6) share that passion and we try to get outside as a family as much as possible. We currently live in San Francisco and regularly enjoy sailing, hiking, biking, mountaineering, and skiing in the playground of the West.
Activities: hiking, biking, sailing, skiing/snowboarding, mountaineering.
Passions: Humans and how they interact with their environment
Upcoming 2021 trips: Who knows!
Sarah
I was born and bred on the Central Coast of California with my roots running deep in west coast native history. Obtained an undergraduate degree from UC Davis, conducted research in Bodega Bay, lived in rural East Coast states and Tanzania, Africa before landing full time in the lovely East Bay of San Francisco Bay Area. I grind a full time job as an Environmental Scientist for the state of California during the weekdays and tear off the white collar on weekends to guide backpacking trips for Sports Basement Outdoors. I’m currently in the process of waiting to train to become a Search and Rescue Volunteer for Contra Costa County Sheriff Dept.
Activities: hiking, running, biking (road and mt), surfing, xc skiing, fishing, hunting,
Passions: Gender equality, environmental health, and photography
Upcoming 2021 trips: Mt Shasta, HST, Mt Ritter
get in touch!
Do you have any questions or comments? Send us a message to the right or by grit@gritoutside.com. We both love places without cell service, so we will get back to you as soon as we’ve finished packing our bags for the next trip.
