c/backpacking-routes

The Colorado Trail reroute near Twin Lakes is a downgrade, not an improvement

They moved a 4-mile stretch off the old jeep road onto a new singletrack last summer, claiming it was for sustainability. The new path is so exposed and sandy it's actually more eroded after one season, and you lose all the breeze that made the old climb bearable. Has anyone else hiked it and found it worse?

Shoutout to the worst trail I've ever been on, the so-called 'scenic' loop in the San Juan Mountains.

Honestly, I planned a 4 day trip on that loop last July and it was a total bust from day one. The map said 'moderate' but the first 8 miles were straight up a washed-out scree slope with zero shade. We ran out of water by noon because two marked springs on the map were completely dry. The worst part was the 'established' campsite at the end of day one, which was basically a muddy pit swarming with mosquitos so thick you could hear them. We had to hike another 2 miles in the dark just to find a flat spot. Has anyone else had a route completely mis-sold by a guidebook or map like that? I need to know what to trust for my next trip.

Unpopular opinion: I used to ignore established trails until a trip in the North Cascades last fall.

We tried to cut our own path to a lake and ended up wasting three hours in a dead end gully. Now I always check the Forest Service map for the official route first. Anyone else have a story about a shortcut that backfired?

My brother said the PCT is overrated and I think he's right

We were talking about our trip next year and he flat out said 'Everyone wants the Pacific Crest Trail because of a book and a movie, but you're just walking in a line with thousands of people.' He's done the Colorado Trail and the Wind River High Route. He said on those you actually have to plan, pick your own way, and you see maybe a dozen people a week. It hit different because I've been saving for the PCT for three years, but he's right. It's become a social media checklist item, not a real wilderness trip. The permit system is a fight, the popular camps are crowded, and you're never alone. I'm rethinking the whole plan now. Has anyone else switched from a famous long trail to something more remote and been happier for it?

Pro tip: skipping the John Muir Trail permit lottery might actually be a good move

Everyone says you have to win the JMT lottery for a good trip, but last August I just walked up and got a walk-up permit for the High Sierra Trail instead. It was way less crowded, the views were just as epic, and I didn't have to plan my whole year around a lottery date. Has anyone else found a classic alternative that worked better for them?

Just hit 500 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail section I've been doing weekends for a year. Always thought that number was for serious hikers, not me.

Appreciation post: My friend told me to skip the John Muir Trail permit lottery and go north instead

He said the Trinity Alps in Northern California had similar views with zero crowds, and he was right. I spent a week there last August and saw maybe three other groups the whole time. The granite peaks around Caribou Lakes were just as good as anything in the Sierra. Has anyone else found a killer alternate route to a super popular trail?

My 10-year-old water filter finally gave out on the Lost Coast Trail last month.

The ceramic cartridge just cracked open, so I had to boil everything for two days. Anyone have a reliable filter they've used for a decade plus?

Appreciation post: A ranger in the Wind River Range changed my whole trip plan

I was set on doing the Cirque of the Towers loop in Wyoming last August, but a ranger at the Pinedale office asked about my pace. I told him I planned 4 days. He pulled out a map and pointed to a 6-mile stretch I hadn't factored in, saying most people take an extra day for that section due to the elevation gain. I added a day to my plan, and it made the hike so much better, not rushed at all. Has anyone else had a ranger give them route advice that totally saved their trip?

Heard a guide in Moab say the only real way to see Canyonlands is on a 5-day loop

I was grabbing a coffee before my own 2-day trip and overheard him telling a group that anything shorter was just a 'drive-by'. My quick overnighter to the Needles district felt plenty immersive and saved me vacation days. Does anyone have other amazing short routes that prove you don't need a week to get the full experience?

Warning: The official map for the Lost Coast Trail is wrong about the high tide zone

Got caught by a rising tide near Punta Gorda because the map said the impassable section was 2 miles shorter than it actually is. We ended up having to scramble up a sketchy cliff face for an hour to get around it. Anyone know a better source for accurate tide charts on that stretch?

Finally got the right permit for the Enchantments after three tries

I kept missing the lottery for the core zone, so I tried for the Snow Lakes zone instead. It took me about two hours to figure out the recreation.gov calendar and find a mid-week opening. I booked a permit for a Tuesday in September after checking the site every morning for a week. Has anyone else had better luck with a different entry point for that area?

Showerthought: I think everyone is wrong about the Colorado Trail being a 'must-do' for beginners.

I spent $250 on a shuttle from Denver to the southern terminus last year, and it felt like a huge waste because the first 50 miles were just a dusty, crowded slog. Has anyone else found a better intro route that's actually worth the hype and expense?

Vent: My friend said he only hikes loops because he hates seeing the same thing twice

We were talking about the Timberline Trail and he was so against the idea of an out-and-back. It made me realize I've been avoiding point-to-point hikes for no good reason, just because they need a shuttle. Has anyone done a good long one-way route in the North Cascades?

Serious question, has anyone else had a perfect weather window just vanish on the Lost Coast Trail?

We had a solid forecast for 4 days of sun starting last Tuesday, so we drove up to the Mattole River trailhead in Northern California. Woke up on day two to a wall of fog so thick we couldn't see 50 feet, and it never lifted for the next 48 hours, making the rocky sections a total slip hazard. What's your go-to backup plan when the coastal weather just nopes out on a long trek like that?

DAE have a trail marker just completely vanish on them?

I was on the second day of the Lost Coast Trail in California, and the painted blazes on the rocks just stopped at a big slide area. I had to backtrack half a mile, find a high spot, and match the coastline to my paper map to get back on route. Has anyone else had to navigate a section where the trail just seemed to disappear?

Everyone pushes the John Muir Trail, but my best trip was a quiet loop in the Wallowas

I did a five day solo loop in the Eagle Cap Wilderness last August, and it was perfect. I saw maybe four other people the whole time. The popular opinion is that you need to bag the famous trails to have a real experience, but I disagree. I camped by a lake called Mirror Lake for two nights, caught small trout for dinner, and just sat watching the stars without a single headlamp in sight. The quiet let me notice things, like a family of mountain goats on a cliff face I would have missed in a crowd. It wasn't epic in the social media sense, but it was deeply good. Has anyone else found a less famous route that just clicked for them in a way the crowded classics never have?

Just hit 500 miles on the same pair of trail runners, mostly from the John Muir Trail last year... that number really surprised me.

The day a marmot stole my entire bag of trail mix on the John Muir Trail

I was about 8 miles in near Thousand Island Lake, taking a break on a sunny rock. I set my open food bag down for maybe 30 seconds to grab my water filter, and this bold marmot just waddled right over, grabbed the whole 2-pound bag by the corner, and started dragging it toward a crack in the rocks. I had to chase the thing, yelling, while it held on tight like it had won the lottery. Anyone else have a wilderness thief completely ruin their snack plans?

I used to think the John Muir Trail was the only 'real' long hike in California

I was reading a trip report from someone who did the Big SEKI Loop instead, and they said the views in the Tablelands were 'like the JMT but with maybe five other people all week.' That got me. I always pictured the Sierra as just that one crowded corridor. Now I'm looking at the High Sierra Trail for next summer. Has anyone here done both and can compare the crowds?

Met a guy on the Wonderland Trail who thought he was being followed by a 'very quiet bear'

I was hiking near Mowich Lake last summer and this guy kept stopping to look behind him. After the fifth time, I asked if he was okay. He looked me dead in the eye and whispered, 'There's a bear back there, but it's being really polite about it.' Turned out it was just another hiker in a brown jacket about a quarter mile back, walking slowly. Has anyone else had a trail encounter where someone's imagination totally ran wild?

Just saw a map that shows the original John Muir Trail was 30 miles shorter than the current one

I was reading an old guidebook at the library and it mentioned the initial 1915 route from Yosemite to Mount Whitney was only about 210 miles before they added more scenic sections.

Showerthought: My worst day on the Lost Coast Trail was because of a single tide chart.

We started the 25 mile stretch thinking we had a 4 hour window, but a buddy misread the chart and we got pinned against a cliff by the surf for almost two hours near Shelter Cove. What's the closest call you've had with a tide or river crossing on a route?

My old way of packing for the John Muir Trail was a total joke

I used to bring a full roll of duct tape and a giant lantern, thinking I needed to be ready for anything. Last summer, after my pack felt like it weighed 50 pounds, I switched to a tiny headlamp and a few strips of repair tape. Anyone else have a silly gear habit they finally ditched?

Changed my mind about needing a guide for the Sawtooth loop

I spent $450 on a guided trip last summer, thinking I needed help with the route. The guide basically just walked in front of us for five days and pointed at the map we already had. I could have saved all that cash and just gone with my friends. Has anyone else found a trail that was way easier to follow than people made it sound?