c/backpacking-routes

Not all trail apps agree and it almost ruined my trip

Last month I hiked the southern section of the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier and had two apps open the whole time. One said the total was 93 miles, the other said 88. That 5 mile gap meant my food and water plan was way off, I ran out of snacks a day early and had to borrow granola bars from some hikers I met at a camp near Box Canyon. I learned the hard way that apps calculate distance differently, some use GPS tracking along switchbacks and others just use the official trail mileage. Now I always check the park's printed map and the trailhead sign before I start, not just my phone. Anyone else ever get burned by trusting one app's distance over the real markers?

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evan_wilson18•5d ago

The day the PCT handed me my own butt, and the day it didn't

Last July I did a 5 day stretch on the PCT near Trout Lake, Washington. Day 2 was brutal, 18 miles with 4,000 feet of climb, and I bonked so hard I actually sat down and cried for 10 minutes. My water filter clogged up from a silty creek and I had to drink untreated water, which gave me the runs for the next 24 hours. But day 4 was the exact opposite, a lazy 9 miles through wildflower meadows with a cold breeze and zero bugs. I hit every water source perfectly and even found a trail magic cooler with sodas at mile 2,142. It got me thinking, is a route only as good as the worst day, or is the balance between the ugly and the amazing what makes it worth it? Has anyone else had a stretch where one day nearly broke you and the next made you forget it ever happened?

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seanlee•6d ago

My GPS track said 9 miles but my legs said 14

I did the Lost Coast Trail section near Shelter Cove last month and my watch logged 9.2 miles on the map, but the tide tables forced us onto the bluff path for most of the day. That extra 400 feet of elevation gain up and down those gullies turned a chill coastal walk into a quad killer. Has anyone else found that timing your start around low tide actually saves more energy than just slogging through the rocks?

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gavin_kelly91•9d ago

Debate: Should seasoned backpackers still use paper maps on long routes?

Last month on the John Muir Trail I met two groups, one swore by downloaded GPS tracks and the other carried only topo paper maps. Both got lost within the same afternoon near a creek crossing. Which do you trust for a 200+ mile trip, and has anyone else seen tech fail when the weather turns?

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derekjenkins•10d ago

The hiker who gave me a lecture about my trekking poles

Last month on the PCT section near Snoqualmie Pass, this older guy walked up to me while I was adjusting my poles and said real serious, 'You're holding those wrong, son.' He then spent 10 minutes showing me how he straps his wrists and plants them at a 45 degree angle. He wasn't mean, just very sure of himself. I tried it his way for the next 3 miles and my forearms felt like jelly, so I switched back as soon as he was out of sight. Anyone else get unsolicited gear coaching from strangers on trail?

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dakotawood•10d ago

Swapped bear canister for an Ursack on the JMT, half the weight gain

Used to haul a hard canister for every Sierra trip. 2.5 pounds of plastic I hated. Switched to an Ursack Major last season before the Rae Lakes loop. My back thanked me but I still hang it every night out of habit. Anyone else ditch the canister and deal with ranger pushback?

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jamie_white•10d ago

Beware the bolted cables on the North Umpqua Trail right now

I hiked the section near Susan Creek last Saturday and found two of the steel cable handrails completely snapped at the anchor bolts, looks like a tree came down over winter. The trail crews haven't posted any closures, so if you're planning that stretch, definitely bring trekking poles and scout each crossing before you trust the cable. Has anyone else run into this kind of trail damage that wasn't flagged anywhere?

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troy832•10d ago

Finished the PCT section through Oregon in 9 days, first time I stuck to a schedule

Three years ago I bailed at Crater Lake with a busted ankle, so last month I came back with lighter shoes and a daily mile target, and I'm wondering if anyone else finds planning campsites ahead of time actually kills the fun.

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ray363•11d ago

Hit 500 miles on the AT this season and I'm over the 'ultralight or bust' crowd

Tbh I've been seeing so much pressure online to cut every ounce and carry nothing. I just finished a 500 mile stretch on the Appalachian Trail through Virginia and my pack weighed 32 pounds with water and food. People act like that's insane but I slept great every night, ate real food, and didn't get a single blister. Sure I moved slower than some folks but who cares? I passed a guy at a shelter who bragged about his 8 pound base weight and he was hiking out with a foot infection from shoes that were too flimsy. Anybody else feel like the gear shaming is getting out of hand? What's your pack weight and do you actually care anymore?

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ben_ross51•11d ago

Paperback maps beat my GPS on a rainy stretch of the AT in Virginia

Last month I hiked a 40 mile section near Roanoke and my phone died on day two. The rain got into my battery pack, so I had no navigation app and the trail markers were sparse through the rhododendron tunnels. I remembered an old trick my uncle used: I carried a waterproof paper map and a small compass as backup. Pulling it out felt absurd at first, but I could trace the ridgelines and creek crossings faster than any app load. Turns out the map had better detail on the side trails and shelter distances than the digital version I used at home. Now I always throw a paper map in my hip belt pocket, it weighs under 3 ounces. Has anyone else ditched the phone for paper on a tricky route, or is this just old-school stubbornness?

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grayc27•12d ago

Sawtooth reroute cost me 6 hours, check the trail closures before you leave

Headed out on the Redfish Lake loop last month and hit a washout near Alpine Creek that's not on any recent map. Google said it was a 2 mile bypass, took me 6 hours of bushwhacking and losing the path twice. Anyone know if the Forest Service actually updated their signs since then?

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derek656•13d ago

Mapped a 40 mile stretch in the Smokies and still missed a turnoff

Spent a full Saturday plotting a route around Cades Cove using my phone and a paper map, thought I had every junction locked down. Got out there last Sunday and the trail marker for the Chimney Tops cutoff was basically hidden behind a fallen tree, took 45 extra minutes to backtrack and find it. Turns out the old USGS map I had was from 2011 and they rerouted that section after a landslide. Now I always cross-check with recent trip reports on here before I trust a map, has anyone else gotten burned by outdated trail data?

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nancyw97•15d ago

The Uinta Highline Trail humbled me after I swore it was overhyped

Spent 4 days out there last June thinking the elevation charts were exaggerating, then hit the stretch past Dead Horse Lake and realized my 35lb pack was pure arrogance. Anyone else get caught off guard by a route they dismissed as 'just another forum favorite'?

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troy832•15d ago

The Lake Tahoe loop in 2019 vs 2024, which version do you prefer?

I hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail section near Desolation Wilderness back in 2019 and again this past June. The difference in trail conditions is wild. In 2019, the path was mostly soft dirt with some rocky sections, but now it's packed down like asphalt from all the mountain bikers and trail runners. Also, the campsites that used to be hidden little spots are now marked with wooden posts and have bear boxes installed. Some folks say the improvements make it safer and more accessible, which I get. But part of me misses the rougher, quieter feel where you had to scout for a flat spot. I'm curious, have others noticed this on routes they've done twice? Do you think the added infrastructure helps or takes away from the wilderness experience?

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the_avery•16d ago

That creek crossing in Yosemite nearly took my whole pack

Last month I was doing the North Rim Trail out of Tuolumne Meadows and hit a crossing on the Tioga Road side that looked shallow from the bank. I got mid-stream and the water came up to my hips, current was way stronger than it looked. My pack slipped off one shoulder and dunked under for a good few seconds before I grabbed it. Everything inside got soaked, my sleeping bag felt like a 20 pound brick for the next two nights. I had to stop and dry out at a camp near Snow Creek, lost about 4 hours of hiking. I should have unclipped my hip belt and used a trekking pole like every guide says, but I got lazy. Has anyone else gotten caught in a sneaky shallow crossing that turned sketchy, what do you use to keep your gear dry besides the obvious dry bags?

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jakel36•16d ago

That ranger's shortcut advice cost us 2 days near Eagle Cap

A ranger at the Wallowa Lake trailhead told us to skip the Ice Lake cutoff and take the high route to save 4 miles. We ended up on a scree slope with no water until Frazier Pass, and my partner's knee gave out on day two. Anyone else get route tips from rangers that were way off?

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nancy475•20d ago

The Pacific Crest Trail is overrated and the desert section proves it

Everyone talks about the PCT like it's the ultimate hike, but I spent 3 weeks on the desert stretch near Idyllwild last spring and it was just dry, dusty, and boring. The views are the same for miles, the water caches are a gamble, and the heat drains you before noon. I get that it's a thru-hike bucket list thing, but the Sierra Nevada portion gets all the hype while the desert is just a slog. Am I the only one who thinks the northern sections or even the Colorado Trail beat the PCT for actual scenery and interest?

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fox.derek•21d ago

Switching to a paper map after GPS died in the Smokies last Sunday

I was doing the Laurel Falls to Cove Mountain loop with a buddy and my phone battery hit zero around mile 6. We had no backup charger, so I dug out the old paper map I keep in my pack as a safety thing. Turns out the trail markers were way easier to follow on paper because I could see the whole ridge at once, not just the next turn. We ended up taking a side path to the fire tower that I never would've found on the app. Anyone else carry a paper map as their main nav instead of just a backup?

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kelly_west74•21d ago

Water crossings in the Sierra felt way safer after I tried a different approach

Last summer I was doing the JMT stretch near Evolution Creek and the crossing was running faster than I expected. I always used trekking poles for balance, but they kept getting swept sideways. A guy I met told me to link arms with him and we crossed side by side, facing upstream. It felt WAY more stable, almost like a tripod. I learned that two people bracing each other beats poles on a strong current. Has anyone else tried this or do you stick with poles solo?

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ray_miller41•23d ago

GPS batteries used to last a week, now my phone dies by noon

Was digging through an old gear box last weekend and pulled out my Garmin eTrex from 2008. Popped in two AAs and it still fired right up. That thing ran for 6 days straight on the John Muir Trail back then, no problem. Meanwhile my phone with the map app barely makes it through a half day on the same stretch. Guess I just forgot how much we leaned on those dedicated units before everything got crammed into one device. Anyone else hang onto their old gear for the sheer battery life, or am I just being a dinosaur?

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charlie_ellis•24d ago

Hot take: I skipped the John Muir Trail and did the Tahoe Rim Trail instead

Everyone said JMT is the gold standard but I liked the variety around Lake Tahoe, 170 miles with way fewer permit headaches. Did it last September and the views were killer. Anyone else pick a less hyped route and feel it was the better call?

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wilson.kelly•24d ago

Water crossing in the Sierras looked nothing like the map after snowmelt

I hiked the Rae Lakes loop last June and the ford near Arrow Creek was chest deep when the map showed it as a simple step over. The ranger in Fresno warned me to check the snowpack report, but I figured mid-season would be fine. Has anyone else had a mapped route become dangerous just from timing the melt wrong?

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the_laura•25d ago

Six months ago I swore the John Muir Trail was overrated, then I actually backpacked the southern half last fall and saw how the landscape shifts from dry desert to alpine lakes in just two days.

What got me was passing by Evolution Valley around mile 85 and realizing the Yosemite crowds were gone, replaced by this raw quiet that made every tough switchback worth it - has anyone else changed their mind about a trail after hiking a specific section?

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the_parker•26d ago

Sierra vs Wind River Range - finally did both and one was way harder on my feet

Last summer I did a 6 day loop in the Sierra Nevada, then this summer I did a 5 day loop in the Wind Rivers. Both around 50 miles. The Sierra kicked my butt with ankle twisting granite slabs every day. But the Wind Rivers? All that loose talus and those steep passes had my feet destroyed by day 3. I thought I was ready after the Sierra but no. Anyone else notice one range is way rougher on the feet than the other?

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irismartinez•27d ago

Broke my favorite water filter on day 2 of a 6 day trip in the Sierras

Was filtering out of a creek near Bishop. Dropped the ceramic cartridge on a rock. Cracked it clean in half. Had to boil water the rest of the trip. Extra fuel weight. Extra time every stop. What do you carry as a backup now?

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