c/backpacking-routes

Tried to save weight by bringing only a hammock on the JMT and forgot to check if trees exist above treeline

Spent three nights sleeping on rocks under a tarp because I didn't realize half the trail is above 10,000 feet with barely a shrub in sight... has anyone else made a dumb gear assumption that totally backfired on a high altitude route?

2 comments

emmaallen•7h ago

Took the PCT section through Washington two years in a row and the trail had completely changed

Went back to the same stretch near White Pass that I hiked in 2021. In 2022, half the side trails were gone from a landslide and a creek had rerouted itself through the main path. Had to bushwhack for like an hour to get back on track. Anyone else notice how fast the Pacific Crest changes season to season?

3 comments

lilykelly•11h ago

Can we talk about how people plan 20 mile days on the AT without checking elevation first?

Ngl, I watched a guy break down near Roan Mountain last week because his GPS said 18 miles but the map showed 4,000 feet of climb. He didn't even look at the contour lines until he was halfway up the first hill. Has anyone else seen folks just trusting distance over actual terrain?

2 comments

jakel36•4d ago

Took me 15 years to figure out I was carrying my pack wrong

I always had my hip belt sitting too low, basically carrying all the weight on my shoulders. Last summer a guy on the JMT trail pointed out the belt should sit right on your hip bones, not below them. Has anyone else had a basic setup habit that took way too long to break?

3 comments

the_matthew•5d ago

The JMT is way too crowded now. Maybe skip it for the TRT.

I did the JMT last August and it felt like a highway with people lining up for campsites. Has anyone done the Tahoe Rim Trail as a quieter alternative this season?

2 comments

hunt.quinn•5d ago

Pro tip: Stop planning every mile of your route before you leave

I was at a gear shop in Denver last weekend and heard some guy telling his friend he had every single campsite booked for a 200 mile section of the PCT. Like down to the exact water source each day. That sounded insane to me. I started backpacking 4 years ago and my best trips were when I left big gaps in my plan. You miss so much when you're stuck to a rigid schedule. Last summer in the Winds I changed course on day 4 because another hiker told me about a lake I'd never heard of. Best fishing I've ever had. Why do people think they need to lock everything down so tight? Has anyone else found that overplanning takes the fun out of it?

2 comments

john_cooper•7d ago

Got lost off-trail in Yosemite and had to backtrack 4 miles

I was hiking the Pohono Trail near Glacier Point and took a wrong turn at a meadow around mile 6. Ended up in thick brush for an hour before I pulled out my map and realized I was way off. Had to retrace my steps back to the junction and lost almost 2 hours of daylight. Anyone else ever waste time following a false trail off a popular route?

3 comments

troy832•8d ago

Spent 10 years hiking solo, finally tried a guided group trip and changed my mind about them

I always figured guided backpacking trips were for beginners or people who didn't want to do the research. But last summer my knee acted up two days into a planned 80 mile stretch on the Superior Hiking Trail. I bailed out, saw a sign for a guided 3 day loop near Lutsen, and figured why not. The guide knew things about water sources and weather patterns that I never would have found on my own. One guy in our group kept packing his tent poles separate from the fly, and the guide pointed out how that wastes time every single morning. Simple stuff but it added up. Now I mix in a guided trip every few years just to pick up those little tricks. Anyone else find they learn more from guides than they expected?

2 comments

lewis.troy•9d ago

Warning: Tried the "shortcut" trail near Glacier Creek last weekend

Followed a faint path I found on some random blog that claimed it shaved 3 miles off the main loop. Ended up bushwhacking for 2 hours through thick brush and nearly stepped on a rattlesnake. Learned the hard way that sticking to official routes beats saving time. Anyone else run into fake trail markers out there?

3 comments

williams.kim•10d ago

Why I stopped obsessing over ultralight gear after a trip in the Smokies

I was carrying a 7-pound pack and miserable because I didn't bring enough water, so I finally realized weight savings don't matter if you're dehydrated and had to hike 4 miles to a stream.

2 comments

emery_lopez•10d ago

Showerthought: The guy who told me to skip the extra water cache on the JMT was right...or was he?

I was on the John Muir Trail last summer and a hiker named Dave said I could skip the last water drop before Muir Pass because the creeks would still be flowing in August. Well, I saved 3 pounds of weight but also ran out of water 2 miles before the next stream and was miserable for an hour. Do you guys think it's better to trust local advice or stick to your Plan A with extra water?

3 comments

adamgreen•11d ago

My cousin told me to skip the switchbacks on the Paria River trail and take the direct canyon route instead

He said it would save us 3 miles and an hour of hiking in the August heat. We tried it and ended up cliffed out twice, had to backtrack through loose scree, and nearly ran out of water before we even hit the halfway point. Now I'm questioning if he actually knew that shortcut or just guessed. On the other hand, maybe we just picked the wrong spot to drop down and it works fine for folks who know the terrain. Has anyone else taken that direct line off the Paria and actually made it work without trouble?

3 comments

hernandez.blake•12d ago

Lost my water filter in the Sierra and had to decide: boil or bail?

I was about 10 miles past Crabtree Meadow on the JMT, heading toward Whitney. My Sawyer filter cracked when I dropped my pack on a rock. No backup. Had two options: boil water for 20 minutes every stream crossing or turn back 15 miles. I chose to keep going. Boiling took forever but I made it to Guitar Lake by sunset. Would you push through with boiling or call it and resupply?

2 comments

derekjenkins•12d ago

Overheard two guys at a diner arguing about the PCT vs the AT

One was saying the AT has more community and the other insisted the PCT is a purer experience. What route do you think has better trail culture for a solo hiker?

2 comments

terry_carter15•13d ago

Overheard a guy at REI say 'nobody goes to the Wonderland Trail anymore' and it got me thinking

He was talking about permit lotteries and crowds, but back in 2012 I walked right up to a ranger station in early July and grabbed a spot for the next day, has anyone else noticed how fast things got popular?

2 comments

simonh74•15d ago

Spent 4 hours trying to fix a water crossing on the Pacific Crest Trail

Had a creek crossing near the Sierra section that kept flooding my maps. Turned out the GPS track was from 2018 and the trail rerouted 2 miles north. Anyone else get burned by outdated route data on popular trails?

3 comments

max_ross•15d ago

Tried going stove-less on the JMT last summer and the results were weird

I ditched my canister stove for cold soak meals and thought I'd save weight, but I ended up craving hot coffee so bad by day 4 that I almost grabbed someone else's abandoned stove. Has anyone else tried this and caved to the hot food urge mid-trail?

3 comments

rileyp49•16d ago

That $60 water filter I bought on impulse saved me from giardia on the PCT

Had to drink from a murky stream near Crater Lake after my friend dropped our only bottle and the cheap filter actually worked, has anyone else had a cheap piece of gear surprise them on trail?

2 comments

morganhill•17d ago

Had to choose between PCT and TRT for my first thru-hike - so glad I picked wrong

Last year I was dead set on doing the Pacific Crest Trail but my work schedule only gave me 3 weeks off. So I switched plans and did the Tahoe Rim Trail instead. Best decision ever lol. The TRT was way more doable in that timeframe, I finished the whole loop without feeling rushed. Plus the views around Desolation Wilderness were absolutely insane. Has anyone else picked a shorter trail over a big name one and ended up loving it more?

3 comments

jamesfox•18d ago

Finally got the hang of a route in Olympic National Park that had me baffled last summer

I was sure the Seven Lakes Basin loop was overhyped until actually doing it last month and realizing the trail markers are just spaced way further apart than I'm used to back east - has anyone else run into that kind of issue out there?

2 comments

phoenix_thompson4•19d ago

Used to plan every mile with paper maps now I just go with my phone

Back in 2018 I'd spread topo maps across my kitchen table for hours before a trip, but last month I just loaded the AllTrails route on my phone and hit the trail. Anyone else miss the old way or am I just being nostalgic?

3 comments

blake691•19d ago

PSA: The Wind River Range had half the trail markers I expected last summer

I was planning a 5-day loop in the Winds near Big Sandy and read a blog post that said some trails there have markers every quarter mile. Turned out that was only true for the first 3 miles past the Jenny Lake trailhead. After that, I counted maybe 4 cairns total across a whole valley near Jackass Pass. Nearly lost the trail twice in one afternoon. Has anyone else had trouble with route finding out there, or did I just pick a bad section?

2 comments

jana_fox50•19d ago

PCT vs CDT - I chose the Colorado Trail and it wrecked me

I had to decide between thru-hiking the PCT or the CDT last summer. I picked the Colorado Trail because I only had 5 weeks and it was closer to home. The altitude above 12,000 feet kicked my BUTT - I had to take 2 zero days in Leadville just to breathe right. Has anyone else found a shorter route that still gives you that big mountain experience?

2 comments

holly_walker76•20d ago

Figured out I was hiking with my poles totally backwards after 3 trips

I was on the Appalachian Trail near Harpers Ferry last month and this older guy just stopped me and asked if my wrists hurt. Turns out I had the straps going over my hands instead of coming up from underneath and pressing into them. I'd been gripping the handles like crazy for like 60 miles wondering why my forearms were so sore. Has anyone else had a random stranger point out a basic hiking mistake you've been making for months?

3 comments

felix_lane99•21d ago

Pro tip: stop overthinking your pack weight and just take a scale to the grocery store aisle

I spent weeks obsessing over grams online, then brought my empty pack to Safeway and weighed 10 different cheese blocks until I found one that hit the sweet spot for my PCT leg, and now I get why ultralight folks never tell you this trick.

3 comments