The High Sierra Rambler: Reno's latest independent outdoor culture magazine

By Hannah Truby

Just over the Sierras, a new independent magazine dedicated to outdoor culture and adventure was launched earlier this month. Run by students at UNR’s Reynolds School of Journalism, The High Sierra Rambler will publish stories that editor Kat Fulwider says will dive to the heart of the Reno-Tahoe community.

“There’s so much information coming at us from the internet about what’s happening in the world, but I don’t always know what’s happening with my neighbors,” Kat tells me over coffee. “I don’t know about the adventures people in my own community are having, or the changes happening in the landscape around us. Plus, we live in such a special place, and so many don’t even know how cool their own backyard is.”

A Love Letter to Nevada

If Nevada had a number-one cheerleader, Kat might be it. She can tell you exactly how many mountain ranges it’s got (314 named ranges), knows where to find the best hot springs (boasting more than any other state), and if you so much as suggest that the Silver State is just neon and desert? She’ll quickly set you straight.

For Kat, The Rambler is a love letter to the state that raised her. But it’s an invitation for others, too–to chart their own stories, to look closer, to celebrate the land, and relish in what it offers to those who step outside. 

If an independent magazine dedicated to outdoor culture, adventure, and the environment sounds familiar, it’s no coincidence.

“When I first came to the journalism school, Mike Rogge came and talked to our class,” Kat recounts. “And I thought, Gosh, I wish there was a place for students to have an outdoor adventure journalism outlet. But this was at a time when a lot of publications were getting cut. To see an example that print wasn’t dead—and that you can actually make it in print media—I was really inspired. Eventually, I was just like, Shit, let’s make this happen.”

The first time I met Kat was two years ago, in a journalism class at the Reynolds School. It was a documentary course, and Kat already had the idea–a great one, at that. 

Kat Fulwider | Photos by Hannah Truby

Our semester was split between long hours in the editing room and the high alpine meadows of Monitor Pass, between the little town of Markleeville and US Highway 395, a few miles south of Topaz Lake, where we followed the region’s last remaining sheepherders. Having grown up in Carson City on the eastern slope of the Sierras, Kat had known the family that employed the herders for years, and said she always knew there was a story to be told there.

During one of our outings to the Pass, I remember standing in the meadow. It was sunset, and I had wandered off to capture some last-minute b-roll while Kat interviewed the herder. One of the sheepdogs—a beautiful Pyrenees—kept me company. I’d walked far enough that the herd of sheep behind me had become a cloud of gray. It was beautiful up there, serene and quiet, and I remember thinking: I picked the right documentary partner.

Community-Led Journalism & The Dirtbag Spirit

The written version of The Last Sheepherders is now published in the The Rambler’s debut issue, alongside photo essays, poetry, and personal stories from local writers and adventurers. But of course, The Rambler isn’t just about adventure—at its heart lies a simple message: explore what’s right in front of you.

Community-led journalism, Kat attests, could very well be the craft’s saving grace. But it also has a way of fortifying the community it serves. By publishing stories and themes specific to Nevada, she hopes The Rambler will encourage more outdoor participation and spark appreciation for the landscape—perhaps even among those who never realized what it had to offer.

“When people know about and care for the landscape, they’re more likely to become stewards of it,” she adds. “And I hope this magazine inspires people to go outside and interact with the place that’s basically their backyard.”

Beyond its community focus, The Rambler is also deeply rooted in dirtbag culture—and Kat, a proud dirtbag herself, wants that spirit to shine through—in a gritty, unpolished way, of course.. She envisions future issues of the magazine as down-to-earth, uncurated, and nitty-gritty—true to the essence of Nevada’s outdoor scene.

“I want it to capture the soul of what it means to really feel and interact with your environment in an authentic way. And that can look like a lot of things—poetry, artwork, comedic misadventures, short-form stories, even travel guides.”

Launch party for The High Sierra Rambler | Photos by Hannah Truby

Launching a Mag–A Print One, At That

In an era where digital media dominates, why launch a print magazine? It’s a question we get asked a lot–and one Kat is sure to get for years to come. But Kat agrees: there is something irreplaceable about something tangible.

“Having something tangible is so important,” Kat says. “I think people are craving that now. Bookstores are packed. People are overwhelmed by screens, social media, everything coming at them. With The Rambler, you can hold it, sit down with it, bring it to the river, throw it in your backpack for a hike. This medium fits the outdoors way better—because you don’t have to be plugged in to read it.”

The hardest part of launching a magazine? For Kat, it’s learning to delegate. The most rewarding part? Seeing how much people want to be a part of it.

“When students hear about it, they’re like, Oh my God. I’ve been wanting something like this to be a part of,” she says. “There’s this girl on our team now, Cassie—she’s from Elko, a firefighter, grew up in rural Nevada, and is now in journalism school because she wants to tell stories about Nevada. And she is so stoked. That’s the kind of people I want.”

Pictured above: The High Sierra Ramblers staff

Kat hopes The Rambler will serve as a platform for Nevada’s Indigenous voices, honoring the Washoe, Shoshone, and Paiute people, who have called this land home for generations. She also aims to highlight stories that amplify underrepresented voices in outdoor media.

“I want to showcase people who’ve always been outdoors but don’t fit the traditional outdoor ‘mold’—you know, the expensive tech gear, the lingo, the whole image. No. You can literally just walk outside your house and stare at a bird in a bush for a long time. That’s nature too.”

The Future of The Rambler 

Kat originally envisioned The Rambler as a legacy publication for the journalism school, something that would be passed down to new students each year. Now, she’s not so sure.

“I’m kind of leaning more toward starting it as a business, hiring students as interns, and continuing to work with them. That way, it looks better on their resume, and I can actually pay them—because right now, nobody is getting paid. We just do it because we love it.”

Mountain Gazette has long celebrated the spirit of independent outdoor journalism, tracing its roots back to the late 1960s when it emerged as a free-form, free-spirited publication capturing the essence of mountain life. Today, we see this spirit alive and well in new ventures like The High Sierra Rambler–and we’re here for it. 

It’s still early days for The Rambler, but if Mountain Gazette’s story has taught us anything, it’s that independent outdoor publications—when driven by passion and place—have a way of enduring, and finding the right readers at the right time.

The High Sierra Rambler website is now live! Follow along for updates at https://highsierrarambler.wixsite.com/highsierrarambler