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Hiking (1 Viewer)

glock said:
Did Philmont this past summer. The altitude impact on a crew coming from sea level was very noticeable upon arrival in NM. We visited Sandia Peak before hitting Philmont, and the day hike we took to the summit after taking the tram up had us looking all kinds of funny. Here's hoping that if you have Baldy on your itinerary, that its a few days in so that you can acclimate. Where are you coming from? And you are looking to do the Long Trail BEFORE Philmont?

You're younger then I, aren't you? :mellow:
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We are coming from just outside Boston. It is kind of scary that the highest place around here is Mt Washington (a rough climb in any season) is basically the same height as Philmont base camp! We will be flying into Denver a couple of days early so we can try to acclimate a little before the serious work starts. We don't have the itinerary yet, so I am not sure if we are doing Baldy. It was high on the interest list, so I think there is a good chance we'll try to get it. What itinerary did you guys have? Have any must dos or must avoids?

And, yeah, I am looking to do the my week on the AT and then the LT before Philmont.

And to complete the segue: Here is a story about The Real Hiking VIking and his SoBo attempt on the AT.

http://www.outsideonline.com/2052351/meet-man-hiking-appalachian-trail-winter 

 
IrishTwinkie said:
We are coming from just outside Boston. It is kind of scary that the highest place around here is Mt Washington (a rough climb in any season) is basically the same height as Philmont base camp! We will be flying into Denver a couple of days early so we can try to acclimate a little before the serious work starts. We don't have the itinerary yet, so I am not sure if we are doing Baldy. It was high on the interest list, so I think there is a good chance we'll try to get it. What itinerary did you guys have? Have any must dos or must avoids?

And, yeah, I am looking to do the my week on the AT and then the LT before Philmont.

And to complete the segue: Here is a story about The Real Hiking VIking and his SoBo attempt on the AT.

http://www.outsideonline.com/2052351/meet-man-hiking-appalachian-trail-winter 
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We did 10 days in summer of '14 canoeing in northern Maine just to get the boys acclimated to long term setting up camp and packing/re-packing, etc. On our way south we spent a couple of nights in Baxter State Park and summit-ed Mt Katahdin. That was an eye opener of sorts for some and we began our series of Philmont shakedowns shortly after. That LT trip will pretty much dwarf your Philmont experience in so much as challenge level. We did 728-U-02- just 70 miles, but most of it would be spent in the Valley Vadal outside of Philmont proper. This made for major compass work for the boys along with the bush whacking/meadow walking involved.  

 
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cap'n grunge said:
I have a friend at work who's taking a 5 month leave of absence and hiking the pacific crest trail starting in April. 2600 miles from the US Mexican border in California up to 8 miles into Canada. I can't even imagine.
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I have a few friends doing the PCT this year and at least one doing the AT.  Helping one of the friends with figuring out the stops, resupply drops, etc.  Even aside from the physical and mental challenges (which are immense and beyond my comprehension), just the planning is a freaking nightmare.

 
krista4 said:
I have a few friends doing the PCT this year and at least one doing the AT.  Helping one of the friends with figuring out the stops, resupply drops, etc.  Even aside from the physical and mental challenges (which are immense and beyond my comprehension), just the planning is a freaking nightmare.
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A buddy and his son did the AT SOBO last summer. My buddy attempted to plan the hell out of the trip, while his son took more of a "play it by ear" by ear type. Both were right and wrong. The answer is somewhere in the middle. A hyper-planned trip on the AT will quickly go off plan as the AT will swing a few punches. But a totally non-planned trip goes sideways too. In my buddy's case, he ended up spraining an ankle very badly 40 miles into the 100 mile wilderness. Not good. Added a few days to that stretch and they ended up needing to a) ration food towards the end of that stretch and b) take a few more zero days than scheduled in Monson to heal up the ankle enough so they could make decent progress each day. He said it took a few months and a few states before it felt normal again.

The physical challenge is tough at first and then the emotional and mental challenges come after you have been out on the trail after a few months. They are just as hard, if not harder than the physical challenges to overcome.

 
I want to start hiking, but I'm fat and in Oklahoma.  Any recommended places to go in Oklahoma with a 8 year old?

 
I've never had it officially diagnosed but my patella rubs on the tendon and my left knee gets real sore after the first long hike of a trip. I'm fine going uphill but it's a killer downhill. Only really affects me when I do long hikes so have never done anything about it but love when I get chance to hike. Anyone here have similar knee issues? Any simple remedies?

 
JackReacher said:
I've never had it officially diagnosed but my patella rubs on the tendon and my left knee gets real sore after the first long hike of a trip. I'm fine going uphill but it's a killer downhill. Only really affects me when I do long hikes so have never done anything about it but love when I get chance to hike. Anyone here have similar knee issues? Any simple remedies?
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I got this several years ago.  It takes getting use too, but my knees dont hurt when I wear it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QRG970?keywords=knee%20brace&qid=1457223131&ref_=sr_1_53_a_it&sr=8-53

 
did a little over 10 miles today. with a decently loaded pack. Nice little training hike. No real sustained hills, but it was good to get out.

 
Mookie said:
We are headed to Escalante and Bryce/Zion for spring break.  Really excited about it and, at the wife's urging, booked a 1 day canyoneering excursion with a guide out of Escalante.  We will have 4 kids with us aged 17-20, and they are all really strong so wife and I have some work to do!  Anybody have suggestions for camping in and around Zion?  Best to get to South Campground in the am and drive around waiting for someone to leave?

Also, found this website laying out Zion hikes for those headed there:

Zion Hikes 
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I'll definitely check this out, thanks.  I'm planning out a 10-day or so roadtrip to Colorado this summer, and am trying to figure out where in Utah to spend a day running/hiking either on my way out or on my way back.  I'll be doing Flagstaff as the other midway point, spending the bulk of my time around Silverton/Telluride/Ouray (spectating the Hardrock 100 race and exploring the trails), and am trying to decide whether to do Durango or Leadville (or something else) for the rest.  Ten days sounded like a long time until I started planning this, now I wish I had 3-4 weeks.

 
SFBayDuck said:
I don't normally go to Elle Magazine for profiles on outdoor adventurers, but came across a decent piece on Heather "Anish" Anderson who currently holds the unupported FKTs on both the AT and the PCT
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That's nuts. My buddy who finished his AT thru hike last year ran into Scott Jurek in a hostel in the whites. Scott was going north in his supported attempt while they were heading south. Scott finished in something like 46 days. I can't imagine doing either one, supported or unsupported that fast. 

 
I did a 14.5 mile trail run/hike this morning. I went all by myself and only saw one person towards the end. The solitude was great.

 
prosopis said:
I did a 14.5 mile trail run/hike this morning. I went all by myself and only saw one person towards the end. The solitude was great.
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I did 13.5 earlier this week. But can't say I saw solitude. Way too many off leash dogs. Can't say I get overly pleased when I am minding my own business walking down the trail and three dogs come bounding up barking their tails off at me. "Oh, they're harmless". Meh. I need to find a place where the pet sitters dont go. Way too many off leash packs roaming my current routes. 

 
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Back from Southern Utah trip.  Saw some amazing country and did some great hiking.  

Zion was a bit of a zoo, and I highly advise planning in advance to camp in the park (Springdale entrance EXTREMELY busy) and getting an early start on your hikes.  We hiked Emerald Pools at about 2 pm the first day there and it felt like a shopping mall.  Observation Point was one of the cooler hikes I've ever done, and Hidden Valley, Watchman, and the Tunnel hikes were all lesser known hikes that were jaw dropping and not very crowded.  Some we did after dinner as they are short and show off Zion in that perfect late day light.  I took a pass on Angel's Landing as I tend to get a bit of vertigo in exposed situations.  My sons left camp at 7 am, climbed it without crowds, and were back in camp at 10:15 - They said it was spectacular and had it all to themselves.  Now that I've been, I don't feel an urge to go back unless I can get into the backcountry/wilderness - It's getting a Disneyland vibe that I want nothing to do with.  The north entrance (Kolob) to the park is MUCH less crowded and more relaxed.  

We spent part of a day in Capital Reef, and it has some tremendous hiking and scenery.  I really want to head back there to explore it more.

Escalante is off the beaten path and has some world class canyoneering and camping. Better yet, it has no crowds.  It feels like there is nothing there, but then you find these little fissures and cracks in the landscape and they open up into something incredible.  I advise getting a guide your first time out in the canyons and cannot recommend Rick Green at Excursions of Escalante any higher.  The guy is a stud who puts safety first and is a wealth of information on hikes, camping, gear, non-technical canyons etc..  Here's a link to his Bio - Excursions of Escalante

Some photos:

Observation Point

Tunnel Trail

Taylor Creek - North Entrance (Kolob)

Capital Reef

Grand Staircase - Calf Creek Falls

Canyoneering near Escalante

 
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Thanks for the pictures and trip report, Mookie. :thumbup:

Beautiful stuff.

Well, our trip to Zion in May (which had morphed from the original idea of an R2R2R at the Grand Canyon) has been canceled.  Just too much traveling in too short of an available time period.  We're going to stay in a nice spot near Roslyn, WA instead and hit some hikes that are farther east than our usual stomping grounds.  

Sad news today in WA as it appears that Mt Rainier has claimed another victim. :(

 
mick at the tap told me to take a hike today it made me feel pretty crummy and is not really hiking news purseay but i did not know where else to write about my feelings on it take that to the bank bromigos 

 
Heading out for a short section hike on the AT today. Looking at 50+ miles from now till Thursday. My son is going to join me on Monday for the last three days. The psychotic NEw England Spring Weather has turned upwards and I am looking at sunny, warm weather this week and opposed to gloom, rain and snow. There are a few spots with great views. I've hiked them before, but they always seem to be socked in when I do it. Looking forward to clear views this week.

 
More people then I expected. I guess they let 400 people at a time in. It is not a horrible hike to get in but enough that I thought it would discourage some. We had a great time, I made the 30' jump off of Navajo Falls which took my breath away. The climb down to Moony falls was terrifying but I am glad I did it. Lots of memories with my daughter were made. I highly recommend the trip.

It will be hard to return to work tomorrow. Two days ago I was walking around paradise in flip flops and a bathing suit.

 
I missed your prior post, prosopis.  (Stupid 25-thread limit on the first page means I miss a lot.)  Post pics, please!

 
My cousin in currently about 1/6th of the way through her (yes, her) northbound solo AT hike.  The pictures I'm seeing of her in the Smokies are amazing.  Maybe a poor name for where she's heading next though - these fires in western VA are causing the family quite a bit of concern.  Anyone closer to that area have any updates on how those are going?

 
matttyl said:
My cousin in currently about 1/6th of the way through her (yes, her) northbound solo AT hike.  The pictures I'm seeing of her in the Smokies are amazing.  Maybe a poor name for where she's heading next though - these fires in western VA are causing the family quite a bit of concern.  Anyone closer to that area have any updates on how those are going?
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I'm not close, but my buddy follows trail news quite closely. I'll check to see if he has any news.

I finished my week section hike in Mass yesterday. Already missing the trail.

 
https://weather.com/news/news/shenandoah-virginia-national-park-rocky-mount-wildfire

This is the first thing that I saw. Looks like they've closed parts of the AT already. I know when I was hiking, the weather report was warning about a high fire risk. With the drier spring we've had and the windy conditions, it was not good for campfires.

I talked with my buddy and he mentioned that lots are folks are getting hung up. Some are waiting it out, others are shuttling around it and will come back later to finish that stretch

 
My friend from work started his 2600 miles PCT journey this morning. I'm still amazed people do this. He's got a tracking device on him so we can follow his progress which is pretty cool. Looking forward to some pics along the way.

 
cap'n grunge said:
My friend from work started his 2600 miles PCT journey this morning. I'm still amazed people do this. He's got a tracking device on him so we can follow his progress which is pretty cool. Looking forward to some pics along the way.
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Meh, a 6 year old can do it:

The youngest person to hike the trail is Christian Thomas, who completed a flip-flop thru-hike of the trail from April 5, 2014, through November 24, 2014, at the age of 6.
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Round trip even. 

;)

 
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cstu said:
Meh, a 6 year old can do it:

Round trip even. 

;)
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???  What do you mean by round trip?  He did one way, like everyone else.

I have a few friends who just started their PCT thru-hikes.  Even a few days in, one of them is suffering...  I do think the beginning is the worst as you get used to the whole thing.  We have a party scheduled for one of them here in WA on Oct. 4 to celebrate his arrival back - hope it is successful!

 
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krista4 said:
???  What do you mean by round trip?  He did one way, like everyone else.

I have a few friends who just started their PCT thru-hikes.  Even a few days in, one of them is suffering...  I do think the beginning is the worst as you get used to the whole thing.  We have a party scheduled for one of them here in WA on Oct. 4 to celebrate his arrival back - hope it is successful!
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Flip-flops, the term for piecing together sections of the trail in different places during the same season, is a great option. By skipping snowy sections and returning when it’s snow free, you can piece together the whole trail in a single season while reducing the risk and difficulty involved in hiking in the early season.
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My bad, I thought it mean round trip.

 
cstu said:
My bad, I thought it mean round trip.
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Ah, so he didn't even do a thru-hike at all.  He section hiked. That explains some of the "didn't he have to go to school" part, too.  Still, a neat accomplishment for six years old.  :)

 
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Did not review the whole thread but will if this question had already been covered.  

Looking for a hike, on or near the Buffalo River in Arkansas.  On a 0 to 10 difficulty scale - a 4 to 6. Any suggestions? 

 
Looks like I'll be heading back up to Bear Mountain/Sages Ravine for a quick little overnight this weekend. Intro to BackPacking trip for some newbies. Had a ton of fun during my week long jaunt. This will be a short but fun one.

 
IrishTwinkie said:
https://weather.com/news/news/shenandoah-virginia-national-park-rocky-mount-wildfire

This is the first thing that I saw. Looks like they've closed parts of the AT already. I know when I was hiking, the weather report was warning about a high fire risk. With the drier spring we've had and the windy conditions, it was not good for campfires.

I talked with my buddy and he mentioned that lots are folks are getting hung up. Some are waiting it out, others are shuttling around it and will come back later to finish that stretch
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She already got hung up with a fire in North Carolina (shuttled around it).  She's still weeks away from this area of VA. 

 
matttyl said:
She already got hung up with a fire in North Carolina (shuttled around it).  She's still weeks away from this area of VA. 
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Yeah, after you mentioned it, I started looking into the fires. I did not realize there were as many as there are/were. I know when I was hiking last week, many of the weather reports were warning about high fire risks due to the dry spring and gusty winds we were having. And that was up here in New England. The underbrush is very dry. I hope the fires clear and she can hike on her schedule.

 
Speaking of Shenandoah, I was thinking of taking my girlfriend and pup for our first camping / hiking trip over Memorial Day weekend. We have gone to Acadia National Park several times to do some hiking but stayed in a cabin.

Does anyone have experience / tips with the first come first serve camp grounds? Our plan was to leave arrive mid morning Friday to reserve the campsite for the trip, but I know it will be packed with the holiday weekend. Is it feasible to expect to get a campsite by arriving Friday? 

 
Mookie said:
Live in Idaho and love to hike. Trail running shoes are great for hiking. You only need the beefy boots when you are backpacking with a lot of weight on your back. No cotton - ever. Convertible pants, where you can zip off legs if it gets hot, are best for fall hiking. Hiking poles are nice, but my 20 year old son says they make you look like a goober. If you insist on using poles (bad knees etc), wrap a bunch of duct tape around the pole so it can be used for fixing stuff on trail. Bring a pair of Tevas/Keens/Chacos for river/stream crossings - No flip flops! Carry matches or a lighter, and some first aid stuff. If you want to save on water weight on longer hikes, buy a water purifier like this guy - I have one and it's pretty sweet.

http://backpackingsamurai.com/katadyn-vario-water-filter/
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@Mookie

I am going to be in the CDA area for a few weeks in July/Aug. Any hiking/backpacking spots you can recommend in that part of the state? Either day hikes or 2-3 night trips.

I see that the Pacific Northwest Trail is up by the border but I imagine there might be some more scenic spots near Yellowstone or mid-state. I saw something a while back about a music festival northeast of Boise by a river that looked awesome but I can't remember any of the specifics.

Anything in northern or central Idaho would be an option.

 
Dignan_ said:
@Mookie

I am going to be in the CDA area for a few weeks in July/Aug. Any hiking/backpacking spots you can recommend in that part of the state? Either day hikes or 2-3 night trips.

I see that the Pacific Northwest Trail is up by the border but I imagine there might be some more scenic spots near Yellowstone or mid-state. I saw something a while back about a music festival northeast of Boise by a river that looked awesome but I can't remember any of the specifics.

Anything in northern or central Idaho would be an option.
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Sorry, I live down in the southern mountains near Sun Valley.  I've been to CDA a couple of times for conferences but didn't have much time to hike, so I'm no good to you.  The lake scene is really big up there.  Yellowstone is spectacular, especially for those willing to get out of their cars and explore a little - you'll see a lot of stupid that time of year in the park.  Boise is really gaining momentum as a small city with lots to do and see, but it's more of a river and mountain biking friendly area.  Hikes in the foothills are decent. 

 
Mookie said:
Back from Southern Utah trip.  Saw some amazing country and did some great hiking.  

Zion was a bit of a zoo, and I highly advise planning in advance to camp in the park (Springdale entrance EXTREMELY busy) and getting an early start on your hikes.  We hiked Emerald Pools at about 2 pm the first day there and it felt like a shopping mall.  Observation Point was one of the cooler hikes I've ever done, and Hidden Valley, Watchman, and the Tunnel hikes were all lesser known hikes that were jaw dropping and not very crowded.  Some we did after dinner as they are short and show off Zion in that perfect late day light.  I took a pass on Angel's Landing as I tend to get a bit of vertigo in exposed situations.  My sons left camp at 7 am, climbed it without crowds, and were back in camp at 10:15 - They said it was spectacular and had it all to themselves.  Now that I've been, I don't feel an urge to go back unless I can get into the backcountry/wilderness - It's getting a Disneyland vibe that I want nothing to do with.  The north entrance (Kolob) to the park is MUCH less crowded and more relaxed.  

We spent part of a day in Capital Reef, and it has some tremendous hiking and scenery.  I really want to head back there to explore it more.

Escalante is off the beaten path and has some world class canyoneering and camping. Better yet, it has no crowds.  It feels like there is nothing there, but then you find these little fissures and cracks in the landscape and they open up into something incredible.  I advise getting a guide your first time out in the canyons and cannot recommend Rick Green at Excursions of Escalante any higher.  The guy is a stud who puts safety first and is a wealth of information on hikes, camping, gear, non-technical canyons etc..  Here's a link to his Bio - Excursions of Escalante

Some photos:

Observation Point

Tunnel Trail

Taylor Creek - North Entrance (Kolob)

Capital Reef

Grand Staircase - Calf Creek Falls

Canyoneering near Escalante
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I'll second the comments on Rick Green he's a good dude.  He's the guy in Escalante area.

 
Bucky86 said:
Looking for hike recommendations around the Boulder area. Going to be there in June and wanted to find a nice hike. We will have a vehicle, so we can drive anywhere. Not looking for anything too long or difficult. We're 30 and hike around here in Malibu, so we can handle some mountains, but not looking for the 4+ hour type of hikes.

Thanks!
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Royal Arch is probably my favorite hike in Boulder.  Only 3 miles but pretty steep so a good climb will take you quite a bit more time than a normal 3 miles because you climb 1000 ft/mile.  Has a pretty arch at the top.  So based on your wants that's my suggestion.

RMNP is only about 1.5 hours from Boulder.  If you get up early (won't find parking much after 730 or so on a weekend maybe 8 or so on a weekday.  Then I'd suggest Lake of Glass and Sky Pond that hike IMO is world class.  About 10 miles and if you're not used to the elevation will probably take 6 or more hours.  It's worth it though.

 
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