c/backpacking-routes

Switched from the John Muir Trail to the Lost Coast last minute

I was set on the JMT for months, but a buddy who just got back said the permits were a nightmare and the crowds were crazy. He convinced me to try the Lost Coast in Northern California instead, so I changed my flight and went for it last month. The 3 day hike was way more isolated, just me and the ocean the whole time. Saw way more wildlife too, like seals and a ton of birds. Honestly, it was the right call for a quieter trip. Anyone have other coastal route suggestions that aren't super packed?

Dropped $300 on a satellite messenger and it felt like a total waste... until it wasn't

Carried that Garmin inReach Mini for two seasons on the PCT thinking it was dead weight. Then a hiker in my group snapped an ankle near Forester Pass and we had zero cell signal. That SOS button got a helicopter there in under two hours. Anyone else have a piece of gear they almost ditched that saved a trip?

The weirdest thing I saw on the Lost Coast Trail last month

I was hiking the northern section near Mattole Beach, and I rounded a bend to find a full, perfectly made bed sitting on the sand. Like, a real wooden bed frame with a mattress and pillows, just sitting there facing the ocean. No tent, no person, just this bed. I stood there for a good five minutes trying to figure out the logistics of how it got there. Has anyone else stumbled on something totally out of place like that on a trail?

My pack felt wrong for years until a kid on the trail pointed it out

I've been hiking the same 30 mile loop in the White Mountains for maybe five seasons, always with this weird hip pinch I blamed on the pack itself. Last month, a teenager I passed going the other way just said 'your hip belt is way too high, man' as he went by. I stopped, looked down, and realized I'd been clipping it above my actual hip bones the whole time, basically carrying all the weight on my lower back. Dropped it two inches right there and the next three miles felt like floating. How did I miss something that basic for so long? Anyone else have a simple gear setup thing they got totally wrong for ages?

Update: My cheap water filter cost me a whole day on the John Muir Trail

I bought a $15 filter from a discount site before my trip, thinking it was a good deal... it clogged solid after the first liter of silty creek water. Spent the next six hours hiking back to the last camp with a spring, then had to wait for morning to get moving again. Has anyone else had a filter fail that bad, and what do you actually trust for murky water?

Overheard a guide in Moab say most people skip the second loop of the Chesler Park route to save time.

It made me realize how often we trade a route's best views for a shorter hike, so I'm curious, what's one section you're glad you didn't skip?

Got called out for being a map snob on the Lost Coast Trail

A few years back, I was planning a 3-day hike on the Lost Coast in California and was showing off my stack of paper maps. Another hiker at the trailhead just said, 'You know, your phone's GPS is more accurate for real-time tide charts than that 2012 map.' I felt pretty dumb. Now I still bring a paper map as a backup, but I always download the latest USGS data and tide tables to my phone before any coastal hike. Anyone else have a piece of gear or habit they stubbornly held onto until someone gave them a reality check?

TIL the hard way that the 'shortcut' on the Eagle Rock Loop is a total trap

I was hiking the Little Missouri Falls section last fall and saw a faded arrow pointing off the main trail. It led to a steep, rocky scramble that ended at a dead end with a huge, angry beehive in a hollow log. I had to backtrack almost a mile in the dark. Has anyone else found a 'secret' trail in Arkansas that just made things worse?

Remember when the High Sierra Trail was just a quiet line on a paper map?

I hiked it in 2015 and maybe saw five other groups over a week. Went back last fall and there were permits for specific campsites and a steady stream of people. The Instagram effect is real out there now. Anyone else have a favorite old-school route that's gotten way more crowded?

I always heard the John Muir Trail was the ultimate Sierra trek, but a ranger in Lone Pine told me the High Sierra Trail is actually more varied and sees 75% fewer people.

Got caught in a flash flood on the Colorado Trail near Twin Lakes last July. Had to make a call: cross the rising creek or backtrack 8 miles.

Just saw that the Pacific Crest Trail has over 700 trailhead registers

Read it in a 2023 trail report from the PCTA. Does anyone actually sign all of them, or do you skip some after a while?

I keep seeing people post about the 'Enchantments' in Washington without mentioning the permit system

Just saw another trip report from someone who 'just showed up' at the trailhead for the core zone. They got lucky with a walk-up, but that's not the norm. The Forest Service website clearly states you need a permit from June 15th to October 15th, and the lottery fills up months ahead. Telling people to wing it sets them up for a huge letdown or a hefty fine. How do you all plan for these high-demand routes?

My sister told me my route planning was 'all about the miles, not the moments'

We were looking at my plan for the Lost Coast Trail in California, and she pointed out I had every campsite timed to the minute but no notes on where to watch the sunset. She said, 'You're making a train schedule, not a memory.' It hit me because I'd been so focused on hitting 25 miles a day that I forgot why I go out there. Has anyone else had a trip plan totally flipped by a simple comment?

Tried to follow a trail map in the Smokies last month and ended up in a wedding

The map I printed was old and led me right into a clearing where a full ceremony was happening. The groom just shrugged and said, 'You're on time for the photos, I guess.' Has anyone else had a trail completely vanish and lead somewhere totally unexpected?

The Pacific Crest Trail through Oregon used to be a quiet dream, now it's a crowded highway

I hiked the Oregon section in 2015 and again this past August. The change is crazy. In 2015, I'd go a full day maybe seeing two other people. This year, I was in a line of eight people waiting to use the same log to cross a creek near Three Sisters. The trail is wider, the campsites are packed, and you see way more trash. I think the big movies and social media made it look too easy, so everyone wants a piece of it. The permit system tries to help, but it just packs people into the same start dates. It's not a wild escape anymore, it's a social event. Has anyone found a good, truly quiet long trail that hasn't been ruined yet?

Just got back from the Lost Coast Trail and the amount of trash left at the Mattole River campsite was honestly depressing

Hot take: I think people planning the Teton Crest Trail get the permit window wrong and miss out

After trying for three years, I finally got a permit by applying the second the online system opened at 8 AM Mountain Time, not the date everyone talks about, and I think a lot of folks miss that crucial detail.

Remember when you could just follow the cairns? Got turned around looking for the old trailhead off the PCT near Sisters because the map app was wrong.

Spent a full hour bushwhacking before I found the actual path, which was just a simple fork in the trail. Anyone else have a GPS lead them totally astray out there?

My tent pole snapped on the first night of the Lost Coast Trail

Heard that awful crack right as the wind picked up. Used some duct tape and a spare tent stake as a splint, and it held for the rest of the trip, lol. Anyone have a better field fix for a broken pole section?

My map got soaked and turned to mush on the Lost Coast Trail last fall.

I was near Shelter Cove when a sudden wave soaked my pack, leaving me with just a phone that had no signal, so I had to backtrack using trail markers for two miles to a ranger station. Anyone else have a good backup plan for when your main navigation fails?

My tent pole snapped halfway up the Eagle Cap Wilderness loop

Honestly, it was the middle section of my old Kelty pole that gave out near Mirror Lake. I had to use some duct tape and a spare tent stake as a splint for the last two nights. Has anyone else had to MacGyver a fix for a broken pole on a longer route?

My water filter housing cracked on day three of the Sawtooths loop

It was a Katadyn BeFree, and the plastic housing split right at the threads. Happened last September, about 20 miles from the trailhead. I had to boil water for two days, which meant extra fuel and a lot of waiting around. I think the cold nights and screwing it on too tight did it. Anyone have a solid filter they've used for years without this kind of failure?

I finally saw the problem with how people plan the Wonderland Trail loop.

Everyone says to start at Longmire and go clockwise, but last August I met a ranger at Sunrise who said that sets you up for the worst climb in the hottest part of the day. He told me to start at White River and go counter-clockwise to hit the big elevation gain in the morning shade. I tried it and it was a total game changer for energy and water use. Has anyone else switched up the standard direction on a classic loop and had a better hike?

Just realized I was wrong about the whole 'no permits needed' thing for the Enchantments

Back in 2015, a buddy told me you could just show up for the core zone and get a walk-up permit easy. We tried that for three years straight and always got turned away at the Leavenworth ranger station. Finally bit the bullet and entered the lottery last winter, scored a date for this August. The whole process felt like a hassle, but having a guaranteed spot changed the whole trip. Anyone else have a route they only got to do after finally playing by the rules?