c/backpacking-routes

Just spent a full week hiking the Northville-Placid Trail in the Adirondacks last October

Three straight days of rain turned the trail into a muddy mess and I ran out of dry socks by day four. What’s the longest you’ve gone without dry feet on a trip?

Hot take: the worst day on the trail is better than the best day at the office... or is it?

I did the John Muir Trail two summers ago and had one day near Evolution Basin that was just brutal. Woke up with a headache that wouldn't quit, my filter clogged after 3 liters, and I took a wrong turn that added 2 extra miles of talus scrambling. By the time I hit camp I was ready to quit the whole thing. But honestly? I look back on that day more fondly than the perfect ones with blue skies and easy grades. There's something about pushing through the garbage that sticks with you way more than the easy cruising. Meanwhile my friends who haven't hiked think I'm crazy for even saying that. Anybody else find that their worst days on trail end up being their favorite memories?

Friend told me I baby my gear too much and it stuck with me

So I was out in the Sierras last weekend on the JMT stretch near Tuolumne and my buddy Mike laughed at me for wrapping my tent poles in foam before shoving them in my pack. Said I spend more time protecting my stuff than actually enjoying the trail. He rolls into camp with a beat up 10 year old osprey that's got duct tape patches and his tent just thrown in loose. Got me thinking. On one hand I've never had a pole snap or a zipper fail mid trip because I'm careful. On the other hand he's done 2000 more trail miles than me in that same decade and never once had a trip ruined by broken gear. Ever since that conversation I've been second guessing whether I'm being smart or just paranoid. Who's right here? Does being anal about your gear actually save you headaches or does it just add weight and stress?

Hit 1,000 miles on the PCT this summer and it changed how I pack

I was tracking my miles on the Pacific Crest Trail and when I crossed 1,000 near Belden Town I realized my pack weight had dropped by almost 8 pounds from the start. At first I brought way too much gear, like a heavy camp chair and extra clothes I never used. Around mile 600 I started mailing stuff home and swapping for lighter stuff like a smaller cook kit. Has anyone else noticed their gear load shifting a ton after a certain mileage milestone?

Hit 500 miles on the Appalachian Trail before I realized I was carrying too much

I started the AT in Georgia last spring and thought I had my pack dialed in. But around the 500 mile mark in Virginia, I finally weighed everything and found I had 8 pounds of stuff I never used. Extra clothes, a heavy camp chair, three different water filters I kept swapping. That number surprised me because I figured I was already minimal. Once I shipped the extras home, my pace picked up a lot. Has anyone else hit a mile marker that made them rethink their whole setup?

That shortcut near Eagle Creek took me 6 hours longer than I planned

I was hiking the Eagle Creek loop in Oregon last fall and decided to take this "alternate trail" I found on an old blog... turned out it was barely used and I had to bushwhack through a huge blowdown area. Took me from noon until almost dark to cover what should have been 3 miles. Anyone else ever follow a trail that looked fine on paper but was a total mess on the ground?

That rainy week on the Pacific Crest changed my mind about trail runners

I used to swear by heavy boots for the Sierras, no question about it. Then last August I hit a seven day stretch near Tuolumne Meadows where it rained every single afternoon, my boots stayed wet for four days straight, and I got blisters between my toes I still have scars from. A guy named Dave at a resupply point told me his trail runners dried out in under an hour on the same stretch, and I laughed at him. By mile 80 I was ordering a pair of La Sportivas to pick up in South Lake Tahoe and I haven't worn boots since. Has anyone else switched mid trail after a bad weather week?

That guy who told me to ditch my heavy pack for a frameless one was so right

I met this older hiker at a shelter on the AT near Hot Springs, NC, and he kept going on about how my 60L Osprey was overkill for the 4 day trips I was doing. I laughed it off but then tried a borrowed 35L frameless pack for a weekend in Shenandoah and honestly my shoulders didn't hurt at all. Has anyone else made the switch and felt like it changed everything for shorter trips?

Hot take: the JMT is overrated and I'm tired of pretending it's not

I did the John Muir Trail last August and honestly, the first 5 days were some of the worst hiking I've ever done. Constant crowds, people blasting speakers, and someone actually tried to set up camp 10 feet from my tent at Guitar Lake. The views around Evolution Valley were nice, but not worth dealing with 50 other hikers every single mile. I spent 9 days total and the only stretch I really enjoyed was the section between Muir Trail Ranch and Mather Pass. Has anyone else felt let down by a super popular route like this or am I just getting grumpy in my 30s?

Bought a $40 bear canister that a squirrel stole

Used it on the Lost Coast Trail, thought my food was safe. Woke up to a squirrel rolling it down a hill like a tiny soccer ball. Anyone have a good way to tie these things down?

Appreciation post: My switch from a strict daily mileage plan to a more flexible system

For years, I planned every trip, like my 5-day Wind River Range loop, down to the exact campsite each night. After a brutal day of unexpected elevation gain left me exhausted and miserable, I shifted to just picking a general area and letting weather and energy decide. Do you still stick to a rigid itinerary, or have you moved to a looser style too?

Honestly, I picked the longer route around Rae Lakes in the Sierras last summer and it was the right call.

I thought the High Sierra Trail was overrated until I saw the sunset at Hamilton Lakes

Did the trail last August and was kind of just going through the motions until that second day. We got to the lakes around 6 PM and the whole canyon just lit up orange. The way the light hit the granite walls and the water... I sat there for an hour and my whole view of the hike changed. Has anyone else had a spot on a trail that just flipped a switch for them?

Took a 'shortcut' marked on an old map near the Trinity Alps and ended up bushwhacking for two hours.

The trail was completely overgrown and I had to backtrack, adding a ton of time and energy to the day. Anyone have a good source for checking if a trail is actually maintained before heading out?

I know everyone swears by the PCT for a first big thru-hike, but my experience on the Colorado Trail last August was a total gear failure nightmare.

My 3-year-old water filter housing cracked at 12,000 feet near Twin Lakes, forcing me to boil everything for two days until I could get a replacement in Leadville.

Finally figured out my water crossing problem on the Eagle Rock Loop

I was on the Little Missouri Trail section last spring, and my usual method of just taking my boots off was taking forever. The water was cold and the rocks were slick. A guy coming the other way, who looked like he'd done this a thousand times, just walked right through in his trail runners. He said 'they're going to get wet anyway, and they'll dry while you hike.' I switched to that approach and saved at least twenty minutes at the next crossing. Anyone have a favorite quick-dry sock for situations like that?

Can we talk about the crowds on the John Muir Trail now

I hiked the JMT in 2021 and saw maybe two dozen people a day, but my buddy just got back and said the Whitney Portal area felt like a line at a concert. He counted over 80 people at Guitar Lake trying to camp. Is this just the new normal for the big name trails?

Spotted a huge new trail crew project on the PCT section near Snoqualmie Pass that's got me thinking about trail evolution.

I'm torn between loving the improved access and missing the raw, rugged feel of the old path, so what's your take on major trail reroutes versus keeping the original, more challenging lines?

Tried the standard route versus the old stock trail up to Lake Serene last weekend.

The stock trail added maybe a mile but cut out 800 feet of brutal switchbacks on loose rock. Anyone know other routes that trade distance for better footing?

Had to choose between the John Muir Trail or the Wonderland Trail this summer...

I had two weeks in August and couldn't decide. The JMT is the classic, but the Wonderland loop around Rainier is supposed to be amazing. I picked the Wonderland Trail because the permit system seemed easier to deal with. It was beautiful, but the weather turned bad after three days... constant rain and fog so thick I couldn't see the mountain at all. Ended up cutting the trip short after 5 days because my gear just couldn't handle it. Anyone have a good plan B for when a big trip gets washed out like that?

Got completely turned around on the Lost Coast Trail because of a tide chart mix-up

I was about a mile north of Shelter Cove and realized my printed tide table was for the wrong week. I had to backtrack and wait for almost five hours on a rocky shelf for the water to go down enough to pass a section. Has anyone else had a close call with the tides up there? What's your go-to source for accurate charts?

Picked the Sawatch Range loop over the Collegiate Peaks section last month

I had to choose between a 5 day loop in the Sawatch or a 6 day point-to-point on the Collegiate West. I went with the Sawatch for the easier logistics and the views from Mount Massive were worth every step. Anyone have a favorite resupply spot near Twin Lakes?

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

It was the original Sawyer Squeeze I bought back in 2014, and it just clogged solid halfway through the 25-mile trek last month. I had to boil everything for two days, which really slowed us down and made me miss the simple convenience. Anyone have a reliable filter they've used for a similar long stretch?

A ranger in Yosemite told me my water plan was a joke

I was showing off my route for a three day loop, and he pointed at my single 2-liter bottle. He said, 'You're going to be thirsty and dumb by noon.' I started carrying a 3-liter bladder and planning stops at marked streams. Has anyone else had a ranger give them a reality check like that?

My dad's old trail buddy said something about water sources that changed my whole route planning

We were looking at a map for a 3 day loop in the North Cascades and he pointed at a tiny blue line. He said, 'That creek dries up by August 1st, every single year. Plan for the spring, not the map.' I always just trusted the blue lines on my topo maps before that. Now I call the ranger station and ask for the seasonal water report for any trip after July. It saved my butt on a trip to the Trinity Alps last summer. Has anyone else had a map lie to them about water?