c/backpacking-routes

23

claire_butler1•2d ago

Spent 4 hours on a 2 mile detour near Harper's Ferry

Thought I could save time by taking the C&O Canal towpath instead of the Appalachian Trail connector, but that detour cost me 4 hours of backtracking because a bridge was out at mile 62. I ended up hiking an extra 6 miles in the rain just to get back on the AT. Has anyone else found a reliable way to check trail conditions before heading out?

4

tarajenkins•3d ago

Overheard a guy at the REI in Boulder say something about switchbacks that totally changed how I plan routes

I was waiting for my buddy to grab some fuel canisters and this older hiker was telling someone that switchbacks aren't just for making climbs easier on your legs, they're designed to prevent erosion and keep trails from turning into giant mud slides. Never really thought about it that way before, I always just saw them as annoying zigzags. Now I'm actually paying attention to how trails are laid out, especially on the Colorado Trail near Breckenridge. Anyone else ever notice how some switchbacks are way steeper than others and wonder if the trail builders just gave up?

16

luna_kim40•4d ago

Why I picked the Continental Divide Trail over the PCT for my first long hike

Everyone in backpacking forums told me I was crazy to start with the CDT in New Mexico last year instead of the more popular PCT. But I wanted quieter trails and cheaper permits even if it meant tougher navigation. Has anyone else gone with an unpopular route and wound up happier for it?

6

amyh21•4d ago

Found an old map in a used bookstore that blew my mind

Picked up a guidebook from 1982 for the Smoky Mountains last weekend and the route distances were way off compared to what I hike now. Like a trail I usually do in 5 hours was listed as a 2 day trek back then. Anyone know if the trails themselves got rerouted or if people just walked slower with heavier packs?

19

cameron963•20d ago

Got caught in a nasty hailstorm on the Highline Trail in Glacier

I was about 8 miles into the Highline Trail near Logan Pass last August when the sky just turned this weird green color out of nowhere. Before I could even pull out my rain jacket, these marble-sized hail pieces started hammering down on me. My ultralight tent wasn't going to cut it and there were no trees up there for shelter, so I threw my pack over my head and ran for a rocky overhang I spotted about 200 feet ahead. I huddled under there for 45 minutes while the hail piled up around my ankles and soaked through my boots completely. When it finally stopped, the trail was a slippery mess of mud and ice chunks, and I had to shuffle down sideways for the next 3 miles to avoid falling. Has anyone else gotten caught in sudden weather like that with no good backup plan?

22

taylor.paige•21d ago

TIL I was carrying my pack straps wrong for 8 years

I was on day 3 of the JMT near Muir Trail Ranch last summer, shoulders killing me as usual. A guy maybe 70 years old walks up and asks if my hip belt was doing all the work. I said sure, yeah, whatever. He had me loosen the shoulder straps and tighten the hip belt so the weight sat on my hips not my shoulders. Felt completely weird at first but after 10 minutes my shoulders stopped aching. All those years I thought the shoulder straps were supposed to carry most of the load. Anyone else learn a basic gear trick way later than they should have?

15

miles_jones39•23d ago

The water crossing on the Ozark Trail that everyone maps wrong

I hiked the Blair Ridge section last weekend and the map shows a shallow creek ford at mile 9, but it was actually a 4-foot deep ravine after the spring rains. Has anyone else found other spots on that route where the official map just lies?

21

mason847•23d ago

Got caught in a storm on the Teton Crest Trail last July

I was three days into a 5 day loop in the Tetons. Weather looked fine when I started that morning. By 2pm the sky went dark and hail started coming down hard. I was above treeline near Hurricane Pass. No shelter anywhere. Had to hunker down behind a big rock for 45 minutes. My rain jacket soaked through in 10 minutes. Got hypothermic and shivering bad. After that I started carrying a proper emergency bivy even on summer trips. Anyone else had a weather scare change their gear setup?

24

tylermurray•24d ago

That hiker in Yosemite told me to ditch my bear canister for a sack and I fought it for a month before realizing he was right

I was dead set on using this heavy plastic bear canister for a 5 day trip through Tuolumne Meadows last summer. Some guy at the campground said I should switch to an odor proof bag and hang it properly, but I thought he was crazy. After day 3 my back was killing me from the extra weight and I saw he had way more space in his pack. I finally tried the sack method on a shorter trip in Sequoia and it cut like 2 pounds off my load. Has anyone else had a lighter setup actually work better than the hard sided ones?

1

lee_gibson•24d ago

TIL the Coyote Gulch route in Utah works way better in reverse

I always started at the Hurricane Wash trailhead and went downstream to the Escalante confluence. The sand slog at the end and the nasty bushwhack back up the wash killed me every time. Tried going in from Forty Mile Ridge this spring and suddenly the whole hike flows way better with the sun at your back and the sketchy handlines going up instead of down. Has anyone else found a classic route that works better in the opposite direction?

14

the_henry•24d ago

My buddy told me to skip the switchbacks on the Rim Trail...

He said cutting straight down the ridge would save me 45 minutes. It was steep and loose, but I figured he'd done it before. About halfway down I hit a section of scree that just kept sliding under my boots, no footing at all. Took me almost an hour just to get past that part, and I rolled my ankle pretty good. Anyone else ever follow bad beta from a friend and end up regretting it?

18

margaret_chen•25d ago

Debate: Did switching from paper maps to GPS apps make you a better backpacker or just lazier?

I used to spend hours tracing routes on USGS quads before a trip, but now I just pull up Gaia on my phone and go. Have you noticed your trail memory getting worse since you stopped reading paper maps, or is the convenience worth it?

2

jesse_craig26•25d ago

The way people plan water carries on the PCT is all wrong

I keep seeing people online and on trail talking about carrying 6 liters of water through the desert sections on the PCT. Like they fill up at a water cache and then walk 20 miles with a gallon and a half on their back. I did the section from Scissors Crossing to Barrel Spring last April and only carried 3 liters. The thing is most of the water reports are based on normal snow years. We had a big snow year in 2023 so there were way more seasonal creeks flowing than people expected. I saw a guy with a 7 liter load drop his pack and walk a quarter mile to a flowing creek he passed. He could have just filtered there. My method is to check satellite images from 2 weeks before I hit a section and look for green vegetation patches. Then I carry 2 liters max and trust I can find water. Has anyone else noticed this trend of overpacking water on the PCT?

18

tara745•25d ago

Tried the Sierra High Route after doing the JMT last summer and it kicked my butt in a good way

The JMT felt like a highway compared to the cross-country route finding on the High Route, so for anyone who wants real solitude and navigational challenges, has anyone else found the off-trail experience worth the extra map work?

21

vera_lewis•26d ago

Got caught in a sudden hailstorm on the Highline Trail in Glacier last month

Was about 4 miles in near the Granite Park Chalet when the sky just turned dark out of nowhere. No warning on the weather app either. Had to duck under a rock overhang for 45 minutes while golf ball sized ice came down. My pack cover did nothing, everything got soaked. How do you guys prep for unexpected weather on exposed alpine routes?

15

michael_patel•27d ago

Pro tip: marking your water sources on a paper map saved my butt in the Winds

Ngl, I used to just rely on my phone GPS for route finding, but after a trip in the Wind River Range last August, my battery died by day three. I had a paper map as backup but no water sources marked, so I spent two hours bushwhacking to find a stream. Now I trace every potential creek and lake with a highlighter before I leave home. Has anyone else switched back to paper for areas with weak signal?

32

verafoster•29d ago

Used to think expensive trekking poles were a waste, then my wrist gave out on day 3 of the JMT

Broke down and bought a pair of Black Diamond carbon fiber poles for $160 after borrowing a friend's cheap aluminum set for the first two days and my left wrist was killing me from the vibration. Now I can't imagine going back, has anyone else had joint pain solved by splurging on lightweight gear?

11

xena_kim•29d ago

Hit 100 miles on the Appalachian Trail before I realized my shoes were the wrong size

I started the approach trail in Georgia with boots that felt fine in the store, but by the time I reached Neel Gap my toes were numb and I had blisters on both heels. Turned out I needed a full size bigger to account for foot swelling and downhill pressure. Anyone else find out their gear sizing was totally off after a few days on trail?

9

harper_wright•1mo ago

Heard a thru-hiker say something that stuck with me

Guy at the REI in Denver told me he plans his routes by water sources, not miles. Said he had to hitch 20 miles off trail last summer because he ran dry on a stretch everyone said was easy. Made me rethink how I look at maps.

3

casey393•1mo ago

Overheard a thru-hiker say maps are for old people

I was at a gear shop in Gatlinburg and this kid said GPS on his watch is all he needs. Made me think about all those paper maps I still carry out of habit, anyone else still stuff a folded map in their pack?

2

nelson.cameron•1mo ago

Finally finished the Long Trail in Vermont after 3 failed attempts

I used to just pack light and wing it on weekend trips, but I kept quitting around day 4 when my feet gave out. Last month I tried using trail runners instead of boots and actually planned my resupply stops ahead of time. Has anyone else had their whole setup change just by swapping one piece of gear like that?

18

carr.james•1mo ago

My uncle told me to skip the switchbacks on the Bright Angel Trail and I learned the hard way

He said the direct route down the canyon from the South Rim would save me an hour, but my knees were shot by the time I hit Indian Garden. That extra 1,200 feet of descent on a straight shot wrecked me for the next two days. Anyone else have a piece of bad trail advice they wish they hadn't followed?

2

kelly.daniel•1mo ago

Hit 500 miles on the Appalachian Trail this fall and honestly it felt weird

Tbh I never thought I'd care about hitting a specific number on a thru hike, but crossing 500 miles near Harper's Ferry actually meant something to me. Most people talk about the 100 mile mark or finishing the whole thing, but that midpoint felt like proof I had actually figured out my rhythm and gear after all those early struggles. I had been fighting blisters and bad weather for weeks before that, and suddenly I just felt settled. Anyone else find a random milestone like 500 or 700 miles hitting different than the big round numbers?

29

paulm95•1mo ago

My buddy said my 5-day route in the Wind Rivers was 'just a walk' and it got me thinking.

We were looking at my map for a trip this September, and he pointed at the 80-mile loop I'd planned and said, 'That's a lot of miles, but where's the challenge? It's just a walk.' I'd been so focused on covering ground that I never thought about adding a technical pass or a side canyon. What's a good way to add a real objective to a route without just making it longer?

21

nancy_butler•1mo ago

My Jetboil stove's fuel line cracked on day 3 of the Teton Crest Trail last August, and I had to cold-soak my dinners for the rest of the trip.

Has anyone else had a stove fail mid-trek, and what's your go-to backup plan besides just eating cold food?