c/backpacking-routes

Hot take: The Colorado Trail is overrated after a bad storm near Twin Lakes

Got caught in a sudden hailstorm near Twin Lakes last August. Trail turned into a muddy river in minutes. My cheap rain gear soaked through, had to bail to a lower campsite. Anyone else ditch a planned route because of weather?

The trail to Lake Serene is getting loved to death, and it's a real shame.

Hiked it last month and the amount of trash and widened, braided trails around the lake shore was just sad. Saw three separate snack wrappers within 100 feet of the water. Anyone know of a good volunteer group that does cleanup hikes out there?

So I accidentally followed a 'trail' made by a herd of goats in the San Juans

Last summer on the Ice Lakes Loop near Silverton, I saw what looked like a perfect side trail up a ridge. Turned out it was just a goat path that got steeper and steeper until I was basically scrambling on all fours. I had to backtrack for like an hour with my full pack on, feeling like a total fool. Anyone else ever get completely led astray by animal trails?

Just hit 500 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail and my feet are a different shape

Started at the Mexican border six weeks ago and my boots are now a full size too big. I didn't expect my arches to flatten out this much. Anyone have a good resupply spot in Oregon for wide trail runners?

Found a surprising stat about the Pacific Crest Trail water carries

I was reading the PCT water report from last year and saw that the average carry between reliable sources in the Southern California section is 4.7 miles, not the 5-6 I always planned for. This came from the 2023 hiker survey data posted on the PCTA website. It made me rethink my whole water weight strategy for the first 700 miles. I used to pack for a full 6-mile gap, which meant extra pounds. Now I plan for 5 miles max, which saves weight on most stretches. Has anyone else adjusted their water plans based on recent trail data?

Got completely turned around in the Smokies last fall after a creek crossing washed out the trail.

Spent 4 hours bushwhacking with a paper map before I found a fire road. Anyone have a go-to method for staying on route when the path just disappears?

Showerthought: I used to pack my bag like I was moving out for a month.

On my first solo trip to the Smoky Mountains, my pack was over 40 pounds and I was miserable. After that, I switched to a lighter setup and started planning my routes around water sources. Now I can do a three-day loop with under 25 pounds and actually enjoy the hiking part. Anyone else have a specific trip that made them cut weight for good?

Heads up about the trail to Lake Serene near Leavenworth

I hiked it last weekend and saw at least five groups making the same mistake. They followed the main trail sign for the lake but missed the smaller turnoff for the winter route about a mile in. The main path right now has a huge washout and is super dangerous. I only knew because a ranger told me at the trailhead. Has anyone else run into bad trail conditions they wish were marked better?

I finally looked up the actual mileage for the John Muir Trail

I found out it's 211 miles, not the 'roughly 200' everyone says, which makes planning food drops a lot different. Has anyone else had to adjust their resupply because of a small stat like that?

The obsession with mileage over everything else on the John Muir Trail

I keep seeing people post their JMT plans focused only on hitting 20 mile days, skipping side trails like the Half Dome spur. I did the trail two summers ago and almost missed the view from Clouds Rest because I was rushing. The debate is speed versus experience. Do you think pushing big miles is missing the point of being out there?

Serious question, has anyone tried the new trail app that costs $40 a year?

I paid for the premium version of TrailFinder last spring before my trip to the Smokies. It was about $40 for the year. The offline maps saved me when I took a wrong turn near Clingmans Dome and lost cell service. I could see exactly where the actual trail was versus the game path I'd wandered onto. But the campsite booking feature through the app was totally broken and I almost lost my permit. Has anyone found a better app for route planning that actually works for permits too?

Warning: The last mile into Tuolumne Meadows almost broke me

I was pushing hard on the John Muir Trail last August, trying to cover 18 miles in a day to beat a storm. My pack felt fine until that final climb, where a loose hip belt buckle gave out and all the weight shifted to my shoulders. What's your go-to gear check before a big push like that?

Just realized I've hiked over 500 miles on the same pair of boots

I was cleaning my gear after a trip on the Lost Coast Trail and noticed the soles were getting thin. I checked my trail log and added up all the trips since I bought them. It came to 512 miles. That's a lot of dirt, rain, and sun. These boots have been through the Sierra Nevada, the Oregon coast, and a muddy week in the Smokies. I never expected a single pair to last this long without a major issue. It makes me think about how we talk about gear lasting maybe 300 miles. Has anyone else had a piece of gear far outlive what you thought it would?

Had to choose between the standard High Sierra Trail route or a new detour last August

The ranger station said the usual bridge over Lone Pine Creek was out, so we had to pick: a 12 mile detour adding a full day, or trying a risky, unofficial ford upstream. We went with the long detour, which was tough but safe. It added an extra night's food weight and we had to camp at a higher, colder spot than planned. The views from the detour were actually amazing, but it messed up our whole schedule. Anyone else faced a major route change like that in the Sierras? How did you handle the resupply math?

Vent: My map got soaked and I had to guess my way out of the Sawtooths

I was three days into a loop in Idaho's Sawtooth Wilderness when a sudden downpour hit. My paper map, which I'd left on a rock, turned into a soggy mess in about 30 seconds. I had to rely on memory of the ridge lines and a general sense of west to find the main trail again. Has anyone else had a map fail and what's your backup plan now?

My old map showed 800 miles of trails, but I only walked 200 of them

I was looking at my map from a trip in the Sierra Nevada last fall, and I counted all the marked trails. There were over 800 miles of options on that one map. I thought I had seen a lot of it, but when I added up my own trips from the last five years, I had only covered about 200 miles of that total. It hit me how big these places really are. You could spend a lifetime in one mountain range and still not see half of it. On one hand, it feels good to know there is so much left to find. On the other hand, it makes my usual 30 mile loops feel pretty small. Has anyone else done the math on their own local range and been shocked by how much is still out there?

Choosing the Highline Trail over the Boulder Pass route in Glacier

I had to pick between the two for a 4-day loop last August, and went with the Highline for its easier water access. Carrying only a 1-liter bottle instead of my usual 3 saved a ton of weight. Has anyone else done the Boulder Pass section and found reliable streams later in the season?

Showerthought: A bear can in the Sierra changed my whole food plan

I was on the John Muir Trail near Tuolumne Meadows last fall and my bear can was so full I had to sit on it to close it. A ranger saw me and said to pack my food in ziplocks first, then press the air out before putting it in the can. Now I can fit almost two more days of food in the same can. What's your best trick for fitting more food in a bear can?

Got told my 3 day loop in the Smokies was too aggressive for beginners, so I cut it down to 2 nights.

Posted my usual route from Clingmans Dome to Newfound Gap, thinking it was a solid intro. A guy from Asheville messaged me saying the mileage and elevation on day two would wreck someone's first trip. He was right. I looked at my old logs and that middle day was 14 miles with 3,000 feet of climb. Swapped out a section for the quieter Fork Ridge Trail to spread it out. What's a better way to judge if a route is truly beginner friendly?

Cleaned out my gear closet and found my 100th trailhead parking pass

It was from a trip on the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier back in 2019. I kept them all in an old coffee can. Made me realize how many miles I've walked without really counting. Anyone else hold onto weird little trip tokens like that?

Looking for a 3-4 day route in the Sierra after a brutal week on the Lost Coast Trail last month.

I finally stopped planning my trips around the big name trails in Colorado

After a ranger in Buena Vista suggested a 4-day loop in the Collegiate Peaks wilderness last fall, I realized the quiet routes are often better. Anyone have a favorite lesser-known path in that area?

Got caught in a surprise whiteout on the CDT in Montana last spring, had to dig in for 36 hours.

Heads up, that misleading fork on the High Sierra Trail cost me an hour.

I sorted it out by checking the sun's position against my compass, which pointed me back on track.

I finally told my hiking group why I choose paper trail guides over apps.

Relying only on apps can make you miss the good stories and advice in printed guides.