BOULDERING DAY TRIP | Horse Flats + Brunch

*In partnership with REI and ShopStyle

The rain has finally stopped in LA (I hope I don’t jinx it) and I’m SOO excited for warmer days and more time outside!

Anyway, over the weekend, Nate and I decided to take a day trip to Horse Flats in Angeles Crest Forest to boulder!

The park is similar to Joshua tree with a ton of hiking trails but it’s waaay closer to LA (30 min drive from me) AND dog friendly, so we brought Juno and Simba along too. FAMILY DATE :D

We’re all about beating the crowd and traffic- so we packed up the car early Sunday morning with our favorite road snacks- oatmeal, granola bars, and soft-boiled eggs.

I was excited to wear all my outdoor gear from REI for the Spring! I paired my outdoor trail shorts with a striped knit tee and wore two comfortable outer layers: a cozy navy zip fleece and salmon anorak jacket which kept me SO warm while it was still chilly out in the morning.

I was geared up to hike and boulder in my Sorel sneakers too- they are optimized for traction so I knew I definitely had the support I needed. My entire outfit is from…dun dun DUN!!…. REI which I ordered online last week!

REI ‘s Co-op new spring clothing line is super cute and functional- definitely check it out!

I love that I can mix match my entire outfit and wear it in different ways all spring and summer long.

Our first stop of the day was Amara Cafe for brunch! Fun fact: this was where Nate took me on our first date after our hike and where the rest is basically history. The memories <333 We love ordering the purple and green eggs (YUM), a matcha for me and a coffee for the MR.

After brunch, we drove about 20 minutes to Horse Flats. You can read up on how to get to the trail here… we walked a short 1/2 mile to the boulder tucked away in the forest. It was pretty cool because we were the only ones there. We took turns trying different ways to climb the rock while the pups explored.

My first impression on bouldering is: IT’S HARD. You need finger/grip strength and the COURAGE to climb and not be afraid of heights >.< It helped that Nate was there to test out the boulder before I attempted to do it too, but either way - it was a super fun experience and I would definitely try it again!

After working up a sweat bouldering, we finished off with a 3-mile hike. It was so refreshing and nice to be outside with the dogs. I’m always looking for hidden gems and new activities to try- so if you have any suggestions close to LA, please let me know in the comments!

And as an REI member, you can enjoy many perks; such as dividends, members-only special offers, in-store garage sales and more! Also, until 4/8 they are having a special event where members can save 20% off one full priced item and extra 20% off one REI Outlet item, including their new spring collection I’m wearing with code MEMPERK2019!

Link to REI Membership Page: https://www.rei.com/membership/benefits

Hope you guys enjoyed this blog post!

Until next time