mendocino gourmet
trip details
Wahoo! We're so pumped you're registered for this camping adventure to one of California's most gorgeous areas: Mendocino and the Anderson Valley. You'll find most of the info you need to prepare for your trip on this page. We'll email you the week before the trip with final details about our meeting spot, carpools, and bios from the other rad ladies who'll be joining you.
our campsite
We'll be car camping at Van Damme State Park, just off Highway 1 south of the town of Mendocino. We'll pull our cars directly into our campsite, meaning you'll only have to carry your belongings around thirty feet (from your car to your tent). The park features potable water spigots and bathrooms with flush toilets and running water. You won't need to pee or poop outdoors...unless you want to.
Meals
Breakfast/lunch/dinner on Saturday, and breakfast/lunch on Sunday will be provided. We’ll eat tasty hot meals for breakfast and dinner, and this will be your opportunity to get hands-on practice using a variety of camp cooking techniques. The group will share in cooking and cleanup responsibilities, and you'll be on meal duty and dish duty at least once.
We'll stop for dinner at Whole Foods en route to wine country. Bring cash/credit to buy your dinner at the hot food bar!
Hiking
On Saturday, we'll hoof it around a local state forest in search of mushrooms. Our exact distance is unknown - it depends how much we forage - but we'll be out and about for around three hours, including lunch time.
In the evening, we'll hike about a mile while we wait for our cheese to firm up.
*Guides reserve the option to modify trip itinerary as necessary due to weather, injury, illness, or other unforeseen incidents.
Packing List
Each Trail Maven should plan on bringing:
- Health insurance card & ID
- Tampons/pads as needed
- Personal toiletries, including bug spray
- Personal medications
- Glasses/contacts with solution
- A pen
- Field Notes (Trail Mavens alumnae only)
- Optional: lightweight pillow, earplugs, lightweight sandals for hanging out at our campsite, camera, bandana or Buff to keep sun off your neck, small bottle hand sanitizer
- Sleeping bag rated at 40° or colder
- Sleeping pad
- Headlamp with fresh batteries/spares
- Sleeping bag liner (if borrowing Trail Mavens sleeping bag)
- Personal clothing (see below)
- Sturdy, broken-in walking/hiking shoes
- Sandals or flip-flops
- Small backpack for carrying your personal items
- Towel for hanging out by the swimming hole
- Sunscreen/sun hat/sunglasses
- Water bottles and/or hydration bladder with a minimum 2L capacity
Items in bold will be provided for those women who indicated they needed them during registration.
SHARED ITEMS, PROVIDED BY TRAIL MAVENS: Tents, lanterns, food and wine, stoves, fuel, cookware, camp chairs, utensils, firewood and basic First Aid.
Clothing
This trip is a great opportunity to practice your minimalist packing skills! We recommend the following:
- One pair hiking shorts or leggings (we prefer capri leggings for their versatility)
- One pair long pants for warmth at night (we love fleece pants as a warm layer over leggings)
- Two tanks/short-sleeved shirts (one for hiking, one for sleeping)
- One long-sleeved shirt
- Lightweight fleece or wool layer for warmth at night
- Fleece or down jacket for warmth at night
- Waterproof outerwear for warmth at night, and in case of rain
- Two pairs socks (one pair on your feet, one pair in your bag)
- Two pairs underwear
- Warm hat/lightweight gloves
Please use your own judgement when packing: if you’re always cold, pack heavier layers. Keep an eye on the weather forecast linked below!
Weather
We have two distinct climates to keep an eye on as we approach our trip: the Anderson Valley (generally warmer and dryer, where we're spending Sunday morning and afternoon) and Mendocino (generally cool and foggy, where we're spending the rest of the trip).
Leave No Trace
Trail Mavens is committed to following and teaching Leave No Trace principles. To get you started, watch this video on LNT Outdoor Ethics from the National Parks Service. We'll cover this material again on our trip!
Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking
Trail Mavens often enjoy wine or whiskey together around the campfire in the evenings. Participation in drinking is welcome but of course not mandatory. We ask that Trail Mavens leave recreational drugs at home. If you’re a smoker, please be respectful and partake in a manner that doesn’t bother other group members, and adheres to Leave No Trace principles.
Electronics
This is an internet-free weekend (plus, we won’t have cell service)! If you’d like to share your pics on social media, go for it, but only after we get backhome. Then, feel free to go crazy tagging @trailmavens on Instagram or Twitter.
Gear Care
Trail Mavens provides its adventurers with $800-1000 of fantastic camping gear. Read on for a couple tips on how to keep gear in fantastic condition:
TENTS
Your tent is your home for the weekend, so you want to keep it clean and tidy! Keep the door zipped shut unless you’re getting in or out to avoid six-legged visitors. Consume only water inside your tent to keep it scent-free, and store anything smelly, including toiletries, inside a car or food box (available at our campsite). High-end tent fabric is very delicate; keep shoes and anything else dirty or sharp outside.
SLEEPING BAGS
Set up your sleeping bag inside your tent to keep both your bag and your tent clean.
SLEEPING PADS
Our pads are inflatable, meaning they’re a) quite comfortable and b) can pop if they meet a sharp rock. Be sure to unpack, inflate, deflate, and pack your pad inside your tent, away from anything sharp. This will ensure a comfortable night of sleep for you, and a clean tent.