Courtney Rosiak-Quinto set out on her first solo thru-hike, following the 174-mile Tahoe Rim Trail around Lake Tahoe through high-elevation terrain, long water carries, unexpected challenges and the Sierra landscape that has helped make South Lake Tahoe feel like home.
Taking on the Tahoe Rim Trail Alone
The Tahoe Rim Trail—or TRT—travels through California and Nevada, connecting sections near Echo Lake, Big Meadow, Kingsbury Grade, Spooner Summit, the Carson Range and Desolation Wilderness. Because the trail offers frequent access points and occasional cell service, Courtney believed it could be a practical place to attempt her first long-distance thru-hike.
But accessible does not mean easy.
The journey came during a major transition in her life. After leaving the corporate world, Courtney saw the trail as more than another backpacking goal. It became an opportunity to trust her preparation, test her independence and discover whether she could solve problems when the original plan stopped working.
Courtney joins Sierra Rec host Charlie Pankey to discuss the difference between solo backpacking and solo thru-hiking, preparing physically and mentally for a long-distance trail, and the strength required to keep moving when the body is exhausted. She recounts an unexpected 25-mile day when she became so focused on reaching camp that the final four miles seemed to disappear.
Our Guest:
Courtney Rosiak-Quinto
For Courtney Rosiak-Quinto, getting outside has become about more than collecting miles or completing another trail.
The backpacker and founder of Wildly Becoming Collective has built an increasingly strong connection with the mountains around Lake Tahoe, using outdoor adventure as a place to challenge herself, develop confidence and navigate a new chapter of life.
Her first solo Tahoe Rim Trail thru-hike put many of those ideas to the test. Over consecutive days on the trail, Courtney had to trust her preparation, manage fatigue, adapt when conditions changed and ultimately decide that finishing every mile was less important than listening to her own judgment.
Today, Courtney uses her experiences to help other women plan meaningful adventures and develop the confidence to step beyond what feels familiar.
Knowing When to Change the Plan
One of the most important decisions Courtney made came near the end of the trip.
After traveling from Barker Pass toward Desolation Wilderness through dry conditions, deadfall and accumulating fatigue, Courtney chose not to cross Dick’s Pass. She no longer felt safe continuing.
Rather than allowing the desire to claim a completed loop to overrule her judgment, she listened to her instincts and left approximately six or seven miles for another trip.
That decision becomes an important part of this conversation—not simply how far Courtney traveled, but what she learned about preparation, independence and trusting her own judgment in the backcountry.
The Mountains Keep Calling Us Back
There is another theme running through Courtney’s story that will be familiar to many people who spend time in the Sierra: some places keep pulling us back.
Courtney talks about John Muir’s famous idea of the mountains calling and the connection she has developed with the Sierra around Lake Tahoe. The Tahoe Rim Trail gave her another way to experience a landscape that has become an important part of her life—not simply passing through it, but spending consecutive days walking through it.
That relationship with the mountains is part of what makes this story about more than completing a trail.
In This Conversation
Courtney and Charlie explore:
- Planning and training for a first Tahoe Rim Trail thru-hike
- Solo backpacking and backpacking safety for women
- Water availability and dry conditions along the TRT
- The mental challenge of consecutive long-distance hiking days
- Echo Lake, Big Meadow, Barker Pass and Desolation Wilderness
- Knowing when to change a backpacking plan
- Paper maps, FarOut and backcountry navigation
- Moving from corporate life into adventure travel coaching
- Building confidence through outdoor experiences
- Giving yourself permission to pursue something difficult
Courtney Rosiak-Quinto is the founder of Wildly Becoming Collective, where she helps women plan meaningful adventures, reconnect with themselves and develop the confidence to step beyond familiar limits.
This conversation is part of What Brings You Back, a Sierra Rec series exploring the places, experiences and personal transformations that continue calling people outside.
Follow Courtney
Wildly Becoming Collective: wildlybecomingcollective.com
Learn more about Courtney’s coaching, upcoming writing and newsletter.
Instagram: @They.Adventure.Slowly
Follow Courtney’s From Cubicle to Backcountry journey, her outdoor adventures and stories from the Tahoe Rim Trail.
Hosted by Charlie Pankey of Sierra Rec Magazine.
Featured Image Courtesy of Driftwood Photography and Courtney Rosiak-Quinto
