c/backpacking-routes

Sierra High Route beat the JMT for me, here's why

Did the JMT last summer and the Sierra High Route this August. The JMT is crowded, like 40 people a day at some spots. The High Route had maybe 3 other hikers in 5 days. Sure, the route finding is rough and you climb way more, but the silence and empty lakes were worth it. Anyone else ditch the main trail for a cross country line and never look back?

Water filter failed at 10,000 feet in the Sierras, here's what I did

My Sawyer filter gave out halfway through a 3 day loop near Bishop last month. The output slowed to a trickle and I didn't pack a backup. I ended up boiling water from a creek using my cook pot and a bandana to strain the big stuff. Took forever but worked fine. Has anyone else had a filter die mid trip without a spare? What do you carry as a plan B?

That map app said 4 miles, my legs said 9. Turns out the trail markers were 2 decades old

Took me 6 years to realize I was pacing wrong on climbs

I always thought I was just slow on steep sections, so I'd push HARD to try and keep up with the group. Last month on the Cascade Pass trail near Marblemount, my buddy finally said, "you're sprinting the switchbacks, that's why you're dying at the top." He showed me his trick of taking a breath every 2 steps and basically shuffling, no matter how slow it felt. I tried it on the way down and it was like a DIFFERENT person on the next climb. All those years I thought it was fitness, but it was just my stupid rhythm. Now I'm wondering if anyone else had a basic technique click for them way later than it should have, or if I'm just uniquely oblivious here.

My old topo map led me down a cliff path that disappeared

Pulled out a 2009 topo map for a loop near Missoula that I hadn't hiked in ages, and the trail on paper was completely GONE after a switchback washout. Spent 4 hours bushwhacking and backtracking before I found a newer route marked by cairns a quarter mile off. Does anyone else still trust paper maps over your phone, or am I just stubborn about upgrading?

A thru hiker I met at a shelter changed how I plan resupplies

Last month I was on the Ozark Highlands Trail and stopped at a shelter near Hare Mountain. This guy was on day 60 of some long route I never caught the name of. I was complaining about my food bag being 4 pounds too heavy at the start. He just said, 'I ship myself boxes to general stores, but I always put one extra snack in each one for the version of me that's tired and making bad decisions.' That hit different because every time I plan a resupply, I'm thinking about efficiency, not kindness to future me. So this weekend I'm doing a 3 day section on the Buffalo River Trail and I'm adding a small bag of gummy worms to each drop point. Has anyone else made a plan change based on something a stranger said on trail?

GPS said 9 miles, my legs say 14, what gives?

Tried the new Cutthroat Pass loop near Mazama last weekend and my Garmin clocked 9.2 miles but my tracker app showed 13.8. I blamed the app until I realized the trail markers were spaced weird and I doubled back on a spur without noticing. Turns out the route description on the forum post was from 2019 and they rerouted the whole north section. Anyone else had a hike where the mileage was way off from what the old posts say?

That PCT water report map changed my whole planning game

I was scrolling through the Pacific Crest Trail Association page last night and found their interactive water source map with real-time updates from hikers. The thing that got me is how many seasonal creeks are marked as dry by late June, I always assumed the Sierra had running water everywhere. It made me rethink my resupply strategy for the 700 mile stretch between Kennedy Meadows and South Lake Tahoe. Has anyone else used those crowd sourced reports to adjust their carry plans, or do you stick to the old paper guide?

Took the ferry shortcut on the PCT alternate, zero regrets

I always thought the boat crossings were just for people who hated elevation gain. Last month on the Washington section I hit the Stehekin ferry cutoff and decided to skip the 20 mile road walk. The captain dropped us right at the trailhead bakery and it honestly saved me 6 hours of gravel grinding. My knees thanked me and I got a decent breakfast out of it. I know purists say every mile counts but has anyone else taken a water route to break up a long stretch? I'd do it again tomorrow.

The trail markers on the Kungsleden were a total mess this summer

I hiked the northern stretch between Abisko and Nikkaluokta in early August and the cairns were scattered like someone dumped a rock pile. At one point near the Tjaktja pass, I counted 6 different paths fanning out from a single marker, none of them obvious. The red crosses painted on boulders were faded so bad that I missed one and ended up 2 miles off route before I checked my GPS. I get that the park service is stretched thin, but for a trail that gets this many hikers, is it too much to ask for consistent signposting? Has anyone else run into this on that section or is it just this season?

Is a $90 GPS device worth it, or does a paper map beat it every time?

Last spring on the Wind River High Route, my GPS unit died 20 miles from the trailhead and I had to navigate by compass and a soggy topo map, which took me an extra 4 hours, but honestly I felt more in control than when I was staring at a screen, so has anyone else dropped serious cash on tech that failed them at the worst moment, or am I the odd one out?

My watch said I hit 50 miles on the Kungsleden, turns out I hit 47

I got back from Sweden three weeks ago and checked my GPS log against the trail markers. I was so sure I had done the full stretch from Abisko to Nikkaluokta. My watch showed 50.2 miles at the end but the official distance is 47. So the watch added over 3 miles from all my zigzagging around tents and camera stops. I found this out when I compared my track to the map in the visitor center. Has anyone else had their watch add that much extra distance on a simple trail? I feel like I should adjust my pace estimates for the next trip.

Water crossing in the Wind Rivers gave me a new rule about ropes

Last August I was on the Highline Trail near Titcomb Basin and hit a stream that looked ankle deep from ten feet away. Turned out it was knee deep with a strong current, and my hiking pole slipped on a mossy rock. I went in up to my chest, pack and all, and my sleeping bag came out soaked. I spent that night shivering at 11,000 feet and had to bail to Pinedale the next morning. Now I always carry a 30 foot length of paracord and actually use it to toss a line across before I step in, even on small crossings. Anyone else changed their river crossing setup after a close call on a specific trail?

That $60 'ultralight' sleeping pad gave me two nights of frozen ground in Colorado

Bought one of those inflatable pads rated to 20 degrees, woke up shivering both nights near Leadville even with a good bag. Should have just stuck with my old foam pad, has anyone else found the R-value claims to be total marketing fluff?

My GPS app led me 4 miles off trail before I noticed the wrong pin

Took me 2 hours and a soaked pair of socks to realize I'd dropped a waypoint at a random picnic table near Flagstaff, has anyone else trusted a saved route too fast and paid for it?

TIL 500 miles on the AT broke my stubborn streak about daily resupply

For the first 300 miles I was hardcore about carrying 5 days of food, thinking it saved time. Then I hit a stretch in Virginia where my pack weight wrecked my knees on a downhill. I finally tried the 2 day resupply plan everyone kept pushing, and my pace jumped from 10 miles a day to 14. That 500 mile mark made me realize I was just being dumb about comfort. Anyone else have a magic number where their whole approach flipped this season?

Vent: my GPS app sent me into a closed canyon in Arizona

Last month I was doing the 15 mile loop near Sedona and the app said it was a solid route. Turns out the trailhead was blocked by a landslide and the app never updated. I ended up backtracking 4 miles in the dark. I get that tech is handy but people rely on it too much. I went back to paper maps and a compass for that area. Has anyone else had an app lead them somewhere that was totally shut down? What do you use for backup when the tech fails?

Just read that the Pacific Crest Trail has a 60% dropout rate by mile 500

I was looking at the PCTA stats last night and that number shocked me, has anyone here actually bailed that early and what made you call it quits?

My water filter froze solid on the Hoh River trail last November

I was 6 miles into the rainforest section near Olympus and my Sawyer Squeeze turned into an ice brick in 34 degree rain. Has anyone else dealt with a frozen filter in wet conditions and found a way to keep it flowing?

Switched my food storage from a stuff sack to a bear can on the JMT last summer

I always thought bear cans were just extra weight and hassle, but after a ranger in Yosemite told me about a group that lost their whole food bag to a smart bear near Thousand Island Lake, I gave in. Bought a BearVault BV500 and carried it for 210 miles. It was a pain to pack, but not a single critter bothered my food, even when I left it out near camp. Has anyone else had a bear can actually save a trip, or do you still roll with an Ursack?

Vent: wasted $120 on a 'waterproof' map case that fell apart after 3 days on the PCT

I bought this fancy sealed map case from an outdoor gear shop in Portland, and by day 3 near Mount Hood the seam split open and my topo map got soaked. Anyone found a map case that actually holds up in rain or should I just go back to using ziplock bags?

Took the ridge line instead of the valley trail in the Smokies...

I had to choose between the high ridge or the creek valley route last weekend near Clingmans Dome. Picked the ridge for the views, but the wind was brutal and I ran out of water 3 miles early because I was sweating way more than I planned. Honestly regret not taking the sheltered valley path, anyone else made that mistake?

Overheard two guys at REI arguing about trail shoes vs boots for 20 minutes

I was just trying to grab a new water filter, but these two dudes were going at it. One said 'you'll blow out your knees with boots on the PCT' and the other guy countered with 'your ankles will give out in trail runners.' I stood there for a sec thinking about my own setup. I've done 300 miles in trail runners through the Sierras last summer, no issues. But my buddy twisted his ankle so bad in runners in Glacier he had to get airlifted. So what's the actual deal? Has anyone settled this for themselves or do you just pick based on pack weight?

The Teton Crest Trail is way overhyped for what you get

I finally hiked the Teton Crest Trail last August after hearing rave reviews for years, and honestly the crowds made it feel like a parade through the mountains. You can't go 15 minutes without running into another group, and half the campsites were completely packed by 3 PM. Am I the only one who thinks this route is more about the Instagram likes than the actual backpacking experience?

Found out the Pacific Crest Trail has more elevation gain than Everest from sea level

I was reading through the PCT planner on the official site last night and saw a stat that blew my mind. The whole trail has over 300,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain. That's like climbing Mount Everest from sea level 10 times over. I've been planning a 2 week section hike near the Sierra Nevada but had no idea the total vertical was that insane. Has anyone else seen this number and felt their legs hurt just thinking about it?