c/backpacking-routes

Showerthought: My old paper maps feel like a different world now

Last week I was packing for a trip in the Sawtooths and found my old map case from a 2015 trip on the Colorado Trail. Back then, I spent a whole evening with a highlighter planning each day's miles, and if the trail rerouted, you just had to hope someone left a note at the junction. Three years ago, I started using a phone app, but the battery died on day two near Twin Lakes. Now, I just download the GPX file to my watch, but I still fold that old paper map into my pack, just in case. Does anyone else keep a paper copy as a backup, or am I just being stubborn?

I just hit 100 nights on the trail and it made me rethink my whole packing list

I finished a short trip in the Smokies last week and my log hit that number. For years I carried a heavy 4-season bag, thinking I needed to be ready for anything. Seeing that count made me realize 80 of those nights were in mild weather where a lighter quilt would have been fine. Anyone else have a gear item they carried way too long before a stat made them switch?

My uncle told me to skip the switchbacks on the Timberline Trail

He said it would save us an hour on the loop around Mount Hood. We tried it last August and ended up sliding down a steep, loose scree slope that wrecked my friend's knee. It took us over three hours to get him stabilized and back to the main trail. We lost a full day and had to cut the trip short. That 'shortcut' cost us way more time and risk than just following the marked path. Has anyone else had a bad experience with off-trail advice in that area?

Just hit 500 miles on the same pair of trail runners, which I was told was impossible for the Teton Crest Trail.

Vent: Tried the 'official' trail around Lake Serene versus the old fire road route.

The fire road added 2 extra miles but saved my knees from 1,200 feet of brutal, unnecessary switchbacks on a wet Tuesday, and I'm never going back.

Just realized the Sawtooth Wilderness loop I planned for August might be a bad idea

I was talking to a ranger at the Stanley visitor center last week about my 5-day route. She said, "You know that section past Alpine Lake hasn't had a bridge since the 2020 floods, right?" I had no clue, and my old map still shows it. It hit different because I've been telling friends this was a safe, classic route. Has anyone been through there recently and can confirm the crossing situation?

Just found out the Pacific Crest Trail is way longer than I thought

I was looking at the official PCT website yesterday. It says the trail is 2,650 miles long. For some reason I always thought it was under 2,500. That extra 150 miles is like hiking from San Diego to Phoenix. Makes planning a thru-hike seem even bigger. Has anyone else had a trail distance totally surprise them?

My GPS said I'd walked 1,000 miles on the Appalachian Trail this year

I was checking my stats after a section in Virginia and the number just popped up. I started in Georgia in March and have been piecing it together on weekends. It hit me that I've covered a huge chunk of the trail without even planning for that exact number. Has anyone else had a mileage total sneak up on them like that?

The $75 map that sent me on a two day detour

I bought the 'Wilderness Trails of the North Cascades' map set last year, thinking the extra detail would help. It routed me up a washed-out trail near Cascade Pass that added a full day to my loop and cost me a food resupply. On one hand, detailed maps feel safer, but maybe a simpler guide and local beta is better. Anyone have a go-to map brand that hasn't led them astray?

Got completely turned around on the Lost Coast Trail in California last fall

The tide tables were wrong by over an hour and I had to scramble up a cliff with my pack on. Now I double check three different sources for any coastal hike. How do you guys verify your tide info?

Tried a 'shortcut' trail in the Smokies that cut 2 miles off my route and it was a total mistake

I was planning a 12 mile loop near Clingmans Dome and saw a faint path on my map that connected two main trails. Figured I'd save some time, but it turned into a steep, overgrown mess with tons of downed trees. Ended up taking me over an hour longer than if I'd just stayed on the marked trail. Anyone else have a story about a map 'shortcut' that backfired?

Warning: I got caught in a flash flood on the West Rim Trail in Zion last spring

I was about 8 miles into the hike, near Potato Hollow, when the sky just opened up. Within maybe 20 minutes, a dry wash I had crossed earlier turned into a rushing, muddy river about 3 feet deep. My planned route was completely blocked. I had to make a fast choice: try to find a risky way across upstream, or backtrack several miles to a known high point and wait it out, which meant a cold, wet night. I chose to backtrack and hunker down. It was the right call, but it meant I ran out of food a day early and had to cut my trip short. Has anyone else had to completely abandon a route due to sudden weather, and how did you decide it was time to turn around?

Ran into a guy on the PCT who changed my whole plan

I was dead set on doing the whole Oregon section in one go, but this older hiker at Timberline Lodge told me he splits it at Olallie Lake every time. He said, 'The view from the ridge after that lake is worth a fresh start.' I cut my trip short there and he was totally right. Anyone else have a spot they always break a long trail at?

Someone on the trail told me my map was upside down, and they were right

I was hiking the Eagle Rock Loop in Arkansas last fall and got a bit turned around. Another hiker stopped and said, 'Hey, your map is oriented wrong for the direction you're going.' I had it set for north-up, but I was facing south. I flipped it to match the trail, and suddenly everything clicked into place. Now I always orient my map to my direction of travel first thing. Anyone have other simple navigation tips that made a big difference?

I finally gave up on finding that unmarked trail junction in the Wind River Range after circling for almost three hours.

Has anyone else had a GPS waypoint that was just plain wrong, and what did you do to get back on track?

Warning: I was a total idiot about the John Muir Trail for years until I saw a guy with a 15 pound pack.

My brother-in-law thinks the John Muir Trail is overrated now

We were packing for a trip and he said, 'The permit lottery and crowds have turned it into a theme park line, not a wilderness experience.' He's done it three times since 2010 and swears the vibe is totally different. That hit different coming from him, because he's the one who got me into backpacking in the first place. Has anyone else found a classic route that's lost its magic for them?

Pro tip: check the actual permit numbers for the Enchantments before you plan a trip

Honestly, I was looking at the Forest Service site last night to plan a late August trip. The core Enchantments zone only allows 24 overnight permits per day for the entire lottery. I always thought it was way more than that. It explains why the lottery odds are so brutal every year. Has anyone actually snagged a permit recently, or are you all just doing the walk-up thing?

Talked to a ranger in Yosemite who said the Mist Trail is 'the highway' now. He told me to try the John Muir Trail up to Nevada Fall instead. Did that last week and saw maybe 10 people total until the top.

Vent: Met a guy on the Colorado Trail who changed how I plan my trips

I was about 3 days into the Collegiate West loop last summer, feeling pretty beat from trying to hit 18 miles a day. I stopped to filter water at a creek crossing and this older guy, maybe in his 60s, was just sitting there on a rock, not in a rush at all. He asked me about my pace and I told him my plan. He just smiled and said, 'You know, the trail isn't a job. You're missing the point if you're just checking off miles.' He then pulled out his map and showed me a small lake about a mile off the main trail he was going to camp at, just to watch the sunset. I ended up joining him, and we spent the evening there. It was the best part of my whole trip. Now I always look for one 'pointless' detour on every route, just to sit and be there. Has anyone else had a moment like that that made you slow down?

The John Muir Trail's permit system looks completely different now

I got a walk-up permit for the whole trail in 2019, but last year a friend tried and the new lottery system had changed everything. The online quota system they started in 2020 means you basically need to plan a year ahead now. Has anyone found a good backup route in the Sierra if you don't win the JMT lottery?

Hot take: People keep saying the High Sierra Trail is a 7 day trip and it's just not true for most.

I've done it twice now, once in 5 days and once in 6, and both times I saw groups struggling hard trying to stretch it to a full week. They end up with these weird 5 mile days and then a brutal 15 mile push over Kaweah Gap. The permit system lists it as 7 days, so everyone plans for that, but it creates a weird food carry and pacing issue. If you're in decent shape, 6 days is comfortable and 5 is a solid push. How many days did it actually take you guys to finish it?

Did the whole Lost Coast Trail last month and the creek crossings were way lower than I expected

I went in early June and only had to take my boots off twice for the whole 25 miles. Usually you hear about five or six wet crossings. The water at Gitchell Creek was barely over my ankles. It made the southern section feel like a totally different hike, way faster and drier. I'm guessing the snow pack up in the King Range was light this year. Has anyone else done it around that time and found the same thing?

Spent a whole day trying to find the right creek crossing on the Lost Coast

I was hiking the northern section of the Lost Coast Trail in California last month and hit a spot where the map showed a simple ford. The tide was coming in faster than I expected, and the main channel looked too deep and rough. I spent maybe two hours scouting up and down the beach looking for a safer spot, climbing over slippery rocks the whole time. I finally found a place about a quarter mile upstream where the water braided out and was only knee deep, but by then I'd lost a ton of daylight. The whole detour and search took close to four hours, which really threw off my camp plans for that night. I guess I learned to check tide charts more carefully for that specific area, not just general forecasts. Has anyone else had a crossing on that trail turn into a much bigger deal than it looked on paper?

My trail partner argued we should skip the John Muir Trail permit lottery and just wing it

He said the 'real adventure' is in the unplanned detours, but I think that's a quick way to get a hefty fine from a ranger. Where do you stand on strict itineraries versus total flexibility?