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liz posted:Grand Canyon Rim to Rim: We had some discussion earlier in this or the other thread about rim to rim. But yeah I agree with Verman that it isn't a good route for your first backpacking trip. It's a lot of elevation change, it can be hot, and there are not good turnaround/abort options. But no, it's not out of the question for a normal fit person who trains, it's absolutely doable. The terrain itself is all modestly graded switchbacked trails and therefore relatively easy. It's just a long hike with lot of elevation change with limited water in one of the most popular parks in the world, which all adds up to people getting stuck/exhausted and needing rescues. If you can do 16 mile / 3kft elevation dayhikes you're already in decent shape. Imo just get some backpacking gear, do a few trips to get some experience and sort your gear out, and do some hikes with similar daily elevation change with the pack. Then just go when it's not too hot. I also agree that, all considered, it's better to do as a backpacking trip than a dayhike.
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Apr 27, 2022 01:25
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I live in the Seattle/Tacoma area and since obtaining three children, had pretty much ceased backpacking. That ends now. Car camping is miserable, I drive for hours to camp so close to strangers that I can hear them argue and snore and it is just not for me. That said, I’ve got smaller children (3,5,6) and I’m looking for hikes in my area where we can camp three or so miles in.
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Apr 27, 2022 15:02
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Zosologist posted:I live in the Seattle/Tacoma area and since obtaining three children, had pretty much ceased backpacking. That ends now. Car camping is miserable, I drive for hours to camp so close to strangers that I can hear them argue and snore and it is just not for me. Limited experience as a dude from the midwest, but there was a ton of stuff in Olympic national park that seemed doable. The Hoh Rainforest was something I never got to do as we did the 7 lakes loop. That area had some serious verticality on a few trails so for young kids a few of them might be a bit much, however one that I remember not being too bad is the campsite at Deer Lake. I just checked it on alltrails and its ~3 miles in with ~1.5k ft in elevation gain, which might be more doable over the course of a whole day. Plus your parking lot is right by Sol Duc Falls. Another is Mink Lake, from the parking lot at the hot springs there, its a bit shorter of a distance with the same elevation gain. it's also less traveled and does not have an outhouse which I imagine is a dealbreaker with 3 kids. Only "negative" of the area is you are on the north side of the northen half of the Hoh valley, so the ridge blocks any view of Mount Olympus. There are obviously trails to get up there, but again I'm not sure how viable that is with a 3 year old, but the views are amazing from around Bogachiel Peak The Hoh valley in general is pretty flat and supposed to be amazingly beautiful, only issue there is probably availability.
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Apr 27, 2022 15:23
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The thing about kids is they have an insane power to weight ratio.
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Apr 27, 2022 15:34
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Got my Yellowstone permits for early June and booked a four-night backpacking route along the Yellowstone River and Hellroaring Creek. We're also spending a couple of nights in the Old Faithful Inn (and a few nights backpacking in Teton). Anyone have any recommendations for the park? Things we should do? Things we should bring?
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Apr 27, 2022 15:39
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Do it! I did my first post kid backpacking trip last year with my then 2.5 year old (and another family and their 2.5 year old, and another family with 6/10 year olds) and it was awesome. Definitely took all day to get 3 miles in on a flat route, but it was so worth it. My kid loves camping and hiking so she loved it. It was also amazing for us parents, car camping has been alright but we missed wilderness camping so much. The only tricky part was arranging stuff between 2 parents and 1 kid carrier backpack. For picking a route, see if any local hiking books have designations for "kid friendly" and also "backpackable" and find some hikes that receive both. That's what we did but not every hiking book does that. evilpicard posted:The thing about kids is they have an insane power to weight ratio. Yeah but an insanely bad ability to focus and make progress
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Apr 27, 2022 15:59
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Lower Lena lake is 3.5 one way and beautiful. Can be extremely busy on the weekends, so either an early start or a weekday if you can swing it. Iirc we hiked in Friday after work and had our pick of campsites, but saw many people headed in on Saturday morning, at least some of whom were surely not getting sites One of those groups was two dads and idk maybe a cub scout troop or something? Like eight young boys. And they were definitely starting too late for campsites
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Apr 27, 2022 16:01
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WoodrowSkillson posted:Limited experience as a dude from the midwest, but there was a ton of stuff in Olympic national park that seemed doable. The Hoh Rainforest was something I never got to do as we did the 7 lakes loop. Thanks, I’ve hiked the Hoh a bunch but have never stayed at the lower camping areas it’s a great suggestion. Sol Duc I’ve always associated with drunk college kids for some reason and the entire area was kinda off my radar because of that. Outhouses aren’t a necessity, kids need to learn the skill of woods pooping. alnilam posted:Do it! I did my first post kid backpacking trip last year with my then 2.5 year old (and another family and their 2.5 year old, and another family with 6/10 year olds) and it was awesome. Definitely took all day to get 3 miles in on a flat route, but it was so worth it. My kid loves camping and hiking so she loved it. It was also amazing for us parents, car camping has been alright but we missed wilderness camping so much. The only tricky part was arranging stuff between 2 parents and 1 kid carrier backpack. Yeah we’re skipping the kid carrier, I’ve been training my youngest in the woods by my house. She can do a bit more than a mile in a stretch, and probably about 3 miles over the course of four or five hours. The trickiest part is finding trails with camping that far in, I’m used to doing at least 10 miles on easy terrain before setting up camp. I got the five and six year olds actual kids sized backpacking backpacks, and they’ll be carrying their own water, trail mix, and sleeping system. It should only weigh about 5-6lbs and they enjoy feeling like big kids. Zosologist fucked around with this message at 16:45 on Apr 27, 2022 |
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Apr 27, 2022 16:38
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Glad we're talking about backpacking in WA. I'm looking for a fairly easy but scenic, one night (yeah I know this narrows it down quite a bit) backpacking hike in the North Cascades area. I had intended to go to Cascade Pass (specifically staying at Pelton Basin) but checked out the backcountry reservation system when it opened on 4/26 and basically everything in that area was completely booked already. There's one walk in site left, but who knows if it'll be taken already. So, any other trails to recommend for one night in either North Cascades NP or more likely, the surrounding national forest (for which you don't need a permit)?
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May 1, 2022 03:12
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Pasayten is really cool and no reservations required but it can be a long drive, plus with the road being closed part of the year. My only known trips aren't great for a single night, much better for longer multi day trips. The devil's dome loop is great but making a one night trip out of it isn't worth the switchbacks at the canyon Creek trailhead. The other trip I've done out there was horseshoe basin/louden lake. It's an easy hike and you can get to the Canadian border on your first day but the drive is really long. Pasayten is cool. Not nearly as rugged or jagged as the rest of the cascades but it almost feels more remote with lots of wide open areas. That was the only trip I've been on ~ 5 days and saw only 2 people the entire time.
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May 1, 2022 18:18
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bought an Annual U.S. National Park pass. it was actually a pleasant surprise to see that the price did not increase since I last had one like nine years ago. might be going to Utah this summer and there's a slew of parks to visit; seemed like a no brainer to spend $80.00 for a pass that gets access to several parks that can cost up to $35.00.
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May 1, 2022 19:21
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That America the Beautiful pass also gets access to almost all federal lands in general (eg National Forests and BLM trailheads), which makes it all the more valuable for anyone doing frequent hiking or exploration in those areas.
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May 1, 2022 19:57
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The America the Beautiful pass is a huge bargain. If you ever enter a National Park, just buy it. When you take into account the discounts it will get you in the park, it pretty much pays for itself on the first visit. Especially if the kids keep pestering you for food, t-shirts, gift shop crap etc.
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May 1, 2022 20:38
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I don't know why it's not more expensive. I'd love to see the NPS get more money because they badly need it.
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May 1, 2022 21:27
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Also the NPS needs your money more than you do.
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May 1, 2022 21:37
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xzzy posted:I don't know why it's not more expensive. I'd love to see the NPS get more money because they badly need it. I'm assuming it works like college budgets where if they get more money, they just cut the funding from other sources, so us giving them more money isn't actually going to help anything. They need a higher funding cap from above.
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May 1, 2022 21:45
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Fitzy Fitz posted:Linville is stunning. I spent a couple of days around Linville Falls last May but didn't check out the wilderness area. It was perfect timing for catching spring ephemerals, orchids, jack in the pulpit, etc. The Blue Ridge Parkway is worth a drive if you want to take the scenic route. Late to this, but my grandfather was born on what is now the Linville Falls picnic area. That whole area is very special to me. If you ever get a chance check out Wiseman’s View which overlooks the gorge. It is famous for the Brown Mountain Lights (which I’ve seen a few times myself).
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May 2, 2022 03:33
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Hey thread; flying into Salt Lake City later this month for 5 days. Going to hit up Zion while there. Obviously "the earlier you get there the better", but anyone able to estimate how early I need to get there for parking's sake and whatnot? I have never left the north east US before, so I'm quite inexperienced with "real" natural parks. Well, except to go to the UK but that doesn't count. It looks like it's a 4-4.5 hour drive or so, I was planning on trying to get on the road by like 5 AM the latest 
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May 2, 2022 16:14
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https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/visitation-numbers.htm ^ these are 2021 visitation figures according to NPS. Zion hit the top 10 most popular parks in the nation! not saying one size fits all but in your situation I would try to camp somewhere closer and get to the gate by 7am or 8am
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May 2, 2022 16:25
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Hmmm, yea maybe I'll have to find somewhere closer to sleep the night before. That's a good idea.
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May 2, 2022 16:36
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Just be aware there's a lot more to Zion than Angel's Landing and the Narrows. If you head through the tunnel to the east side you can stop at pretty much any pullout and go explore a wash. There will still be a lot of people, but it'll be fewer. But stay super aware of the forecast, if there's any been rain or any in the forecast don't get yourself killed in a flash flood.
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May 2, 2022 16:41
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Admittedly it was an extremely impulsive/spontaneous decision to go on this trip, still figuring out what I'll be doing while there, hiking or otherwise. So I wouldn't say I had my heart set on any particular trail at all.
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May 2, 2022 16:58
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Other options to look at a little bit closer to SLC is Great Basin NP or the Ruby Mountains area. Less people too. Or if you get a car that's comfortable on dirt roads there's the entire central portion of Utah, there is a lifetime of stuff to see in there.
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May 2, 2022 17:15
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I went the budget route with my rental as air fair was a lot more than I expected, so I'll be getting a "Corolla or mid-size equivalent" Tentatively: Arrive Thursday afternoon, so some shopping to get my airbnb stocked Friday hike all day Saturday climb in Joe's Valley Sunday hang around the city, then watch the World Cup for bouldering later that night But I might swap Saturday's climb with Sunday's city antics, as I've been warned a lot of stuff is closed on Sundays entirely. And my old man body will probably want a rest day between hiking & climbing
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May 2, 2022 17:20
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My friend who lives in SLC always told me that while Zion was amazing, Capitol Reef is like 2/3 as amazing with like 10% of the crowds. I can't confirm this personally though.
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May 2, 2022 17:27
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Sab669 posted:Hey thread; flying into Salt Lake City later this month for 5 days. Going to hit up Zion while there. Obviously "the earlier you get there the better", but anyone able to estimate how early I need to get there for parking's sake and whatnot? I have never left the north east US before, so I'm quite inexperienced with "real" natural parks. Well, except to go to the UK but that doesn't count. Arriving at 9am will probably mean you’re not getting a parking spot by the visitors center, but you never know for sure. There is also a shuttle that runs through Springdale to the park, so you can always park outside and ride in. Keep in mind that once inside the park you’ll also be relying on the shuttle to get to The Narrows/Emerald Pool/Angels Landing/etc. and the line for that can be quite deep at times. Another option is to head to the Northwest side of the park. The Kolob Terrace area has some nice hikes. The West Rim trail there will lead all the way down to Angels Landing and the Grotto if you keep going (but that’s 19 miles so, like, hire a van to drop you off if you really want to do that). You don’t have to go far to get great views there, though. The Kolob Canyons district in the Northeast section of the park is also stunning, and in my experience less crowded. My suggestion would be to just be flexible. Drive through the park from the North since you’ll be coming that direction anyway and enjoy those views. If you’re fine with dealing with crowds and waiting in lines then you’ll still be able to appreciate Zion Canyon. If the crowds are too much there are plenty of things to do that are still “in Zion” but not in Zion Canyon proper.
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May 2, 2022 17:34
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nate fisher posted:Late to this, but my grandfather was born on what is now the Linville Falls picnic area. That whole area is very special to me. If you ever get a chance check out Wiseman’s View which overlooks the gorge. It is famous for the Brown Mountain Lights (which I’ve seen a few times myself). That's really cool. I think we did go to this overlook. I grew up in Appalachia, but it's amazing how distinct each corner and holler can feel from another.
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May 2, 2022 18:00
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My wife has being eyeing the national park stuff in the extra Michigan bits. Any experiences with those? Worthwhile? I imagine they’ll be empty as hell.
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May 2, 2022 19:16
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Sab669 posted:Admittedly it was an extremely impulsive/spontaneous decision to go on this trip, still figuring out what I'll be doing while there, hiking or otherwise. So I wouldn't say I had my heart set on any particular trail at all. Just FYI as of April 1st Angles Landing has a lottery based permit system now to hike anything past Walter’s Wiggles https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/angels-landing-hiking-permits.htm
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May 2, 2022 21:40
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George H.W. oval office posted:My wife has being eyeing the national park stuff in the extra Michigan bits. Any experiences with those? Worthwhile? I imagine they’ll be empty as hell. You mean the like Sleeping Bear and Pictured Rocks? I wouldn't count on it; Sleeping Bear had like 1.5 million visitors last year alone. Get on the reservations early if you're looking to camp. Also if you're doing the 4.5mi hike to the lakefront watch water level conditions, I know in recent past years its been way way up. Like flooding campgrounds and they closed the beach because it was under 18ft of water and there pretty much was no beach high. They will not let you in the water at the end if its high and you would be well-advised to heed those rules; the Great Lakes kill people every year who make the mistake of thinking 'its just a lake how bad can it get.' The water is COLD (think 65F in August) and riptides are very much a thing, along with storms etc. Twenty five foot waves are not unheard of during storms that blow in off Wisconsin. And that beach in particular has a very steep bank; if the water is so high you can't see sand you're going to have a very hard time getting out. The hike is also no joke; at the end of it I looked at my phone and it said we'd climbed 37 flights of stairs. Lots of up and down over sand dunes. Bring water and sunscreen and/or a hat, there is no shade on that hike. Also keep on the trails and watch out for that drat dune grass; it will trip you up and its like barbed wire. I want to say Isle Royale has some kind of permit system but its super remote. Like three hour one way ferry ride remote. So be prepared for that. Pictured Rocks is gorgeous and has lots of guided tours and the like but there might be snow up there still at this time of year. Ditto with the mines. The big thing up there is the kayak tours. Listen to the guides and keep clear of the sandstone, it likes to fall into the lakes occasionally (and man, that is some prime Michigan accent in that video). There's apparently a new historical park at Raisin River but I know nothing about it.
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May 4, 2022 19:59
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Marquette rules. I've only been a few places in the UP, but I'd go to Marquette again before I'd go to pictured rocks.
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May 4, 2022 21:39
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In my head, the UP is more of a fall and winter destination, in the summer it's just a mosquito nest. But if you can get there in the fall when the colors are changing anywhere you go is amazing, and in the winter there's the ice formations along the shoreline. The rangers monitor the ice thickness and in January they will open a route to walk to some of the caves that otherwise you need a kayak to see. It does have some of the darkest skies within 10 hours of Chicago or Detroit so if you can time your trip with a meteor shower that's a strong option (just not the perseids this year, they're gonna get ruined by a full moon).
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May 4, 2022 21:56
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Oracle posted:
River Raisin is a tiny postage-stamp battlefield park. It may be worth stopping at for those who are interested in War of 1812 history, but there's no hiking or anything like that (at least as far as I'm aware).
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May 4, 2022 22:49
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Resident expert here. Pictured Rocks now has an entry fee, and, like others mentioned, many of the roads will still be closed. I was in Munising last weekend and there was still snow in the woods. For food check out Eh Burger, Border Grill, and if you got a few bucks, Tracey's. Avoid the DogPatch. Avoid it. Just don't. Hopefully the entrance fee will reduce some of the madness, but I doubt it. A few campgrounds in the park have first-come-first-serve sites, but there are zero options anywhere nearby if everything is full up. Check Recreation.gov and see if there's any sites available, but I tried to book 2 backcountry sites back in January and couldn't get the ones I wanted in June. Secondary option for that area is Grand Island. It's bikeable, has a short ferry (10 minutes) ride, and is still really nice. The cliffs there are actually larger than the ones in Pictured Rocks, but the layout of the island doesn't let you actually see them from land. Marquette is great, but suffers from the same issues as the other locales. Popular, booming, and a destination. You'll know what I mean when you go to Little Presque Isle Beach on a semi-warm day. Further north is Big Bay, which is more remote, and you are absolutely on your own in the wild. Copper Harbor is amazing, literally the end of the road. On the downside there are like 3 restaurants and limited lodgings. The Isle Royale Queen IV launches there for the 3 hour (on a flat day) or 6 hour (on a rough day) one way trip. Isle Royale will have less people, but you'll still probably see a lot compared to years past. There is a hotel (expensive) and a restaurant (one) but it isn't a place you just show up to. The Keweenaw is a gem with hidden old mines, rock piles to dig through, star gazing on Brockway, and even a Russian Catholic Monastery selling jam and baked goods on the side of the road. Further southwest is Ontanogan area with loving nothing for miles and miles. As far as bugs... a south wind on a warm day will give you swarms of black flies near Lake Superior that are biblical in proportion. Like, it looks like you're wearing wool pants over hiking pants that drop off when you jump. It's amazing to see. A day with a north wind will have zero flies. Mosquitos will hit hard in the spring and die off after the first hottish spell. Then it's fairly well normal. I live on the edge of the Hiawatha National Forest and find bugs to be not much of an issue. There is dispersed camping on State of Michigan land and National Forest land. Like, camp for 16 days in the Hiawatha for free. Check out the USFS website for more details. We did a couple trips last summer and, if you go to the right spots, can snag a beautiful spot on Superior and see basically no one. Yooper fucked around with this message at 12:57 on May 5, 2022 |
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May 5, 2022 12:47
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A friend of mine likes me enough to make me the best man for his wedding but knows me well enough to know I'm a loving moron. As such, I get to enjoy the best of both worlds. Aplomb and zero real responsibility (until I have to call him names on his wedding day). He's decided he wants to do a section hike through Yosemite of the John Muir trail. We'll have 5-6 people, none with a ton of experience. I'm not super sure where to start! I've gone bikepacking a few times, but I'm pretty much in the dark here. I'm thinking I can break this trip down into a couple different chapters for planning and my first one is reconnaissance. https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/upload/wildernesstrailheads.pdf Route seems to be #21 along the John Muir trail down to #1. Anyone got experience with this stretch? What was your experience?
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May 5, 2022 17:30
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When are you planning this trip? Im pretty sure that wilderness area requires permits, and they may be in short supply on short notice. Others more familiar with the region can chime in, but you may be stuck hoping for a walk in permit.
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May 5, 2022 17:43
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Zosologist posted:Thanks, I’ve hiked the Hoh a bunch but have never stayed at the lower camping areas it’s a great suggestion. Sol Duc I’ve always associated with drunk college kids for some reason and the entire area was kinda off my radar because of that. Outhouses aren’t a necessity, kids need to learn the skill of woods pooping. I plan on trying Rialto Beach as a first backpack with my 5 and 7 year olds this year. You need a permit, but I recall them being pretty plentiful last year. I believe you can camp anywhere past Ellen Creek, which can be as short as a mile or two beach hike. Plus you can have a bonfire on the beach when most of the rest of the state has a burn ban.
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May 5, 2022 19:29
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BaseballPCHiker posted:When are you planning this trip? Im pretty sure that wilderness area requires permits, and they may be in short supply on short notice. Others more familiar with the region can chime in, but you may be stuck hoping for a walk in permit. September. He's gotten permits already.
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May 5, 2022 20:32
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JMT is a popular, well-maintained trail and if there isn't much elevation gain on that route, it shouldn't be much of an issue. it begins to snow (often) in Sept, one thing to keep in mind. make sure you pack food that you'll actually look forward to eating! personally I don't pack Snickers much these days, but those bars are a good example of a calorie dense food that is enjoyable. health food doesn't matter. bring junk food if you want.
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May 6, 2022 00:30
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Yooper posted:Resident expert here. Pictured Rocks now has an entry fee, and, like others mentioned, many of the roads will still be closed. I was in Munising last weekend and there was still snow in the woods. For food check out Eh Burger, Border Grill, and if you got a few bucks, Tracey's. Avoid the DogPatch. Avoid it. Just don't. Oracle posted:You mean the like Sleeping Bear and Pictured Rocks? I wouldn't count on it; Sleeping Bear had like 1.5 million visitors last year alone. Get on the reservations early if you're looking to camp. Also if you're doing the 4.5mi hike to the lakefront watch water level conditions, I know in recent past years its been way way up. Like flooding campgrounds and they closed the beach because it was under 18ft of water and there pretty much was no beach high. They will not let you in the water at the end if its high and you would be well-advised to heed those rules; the Great Lakes kill people every year who make the mistake of thinking 'its just a lake how bad can it get.' The water is COLD (think 65F in August) and riptides are very much a thing, along with storms etc. Twenty five foot waves are not unheard of during storms that blow in off Wisconsin. And that beach in particular has a very steep bank; if the water is so high you can't see sand you're going to have a very hard time getting out. The hike is also no joke; at the end of it I looked at my phone and it said we'd climbed 37 flights of stairs. Lots of up and down over sand dunes. Bring water and sunscreen and/or a hat, there is no shade on that hike. Also keep on the trails and watch out for that drat dune grass; it will trip you up and its like barbed wire. Some additional Michigan centric stuff Near Sleeping bear you can take the ferry to North Manitou island. North Manitou is ~20miles or so to circumnavigate, maybe less. A few buddies and I did it a few years ago on a long weekend and it was a super relaxing time of ~6 mi hikes through mostly flat ground. We brought whiskey and weed and just chilled on the beach. Amazing views of Lake Michigan by all the main campsites, and dispersed camping is permitted. Isle Royale has a permit system but you do not need to reserve campsites in advance. You check in at the station on arrival and clear your itinerary, its the least visited national park so they do not enforce campsite limits much. I highly recommend taking the seaplane out of Houghton instead of the ferry. Its ~45 minutes in the air and is a really cool experience. Best time to go for bugs is late August
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May 6, 2022 05:34
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