c/backpacking-routes

Discovered a hidden trail in the Smokies that cut my hike by 2 miles

I was doing the Ramsey Cascades trail last month and got totally turned around near the top. A guy in a ranger vest pointed me to a little used connector trail that shaved off 2 miles and avoided a steep rocky section. It wasn't on any map I had or on AllTrails, just a worn path with a small cairn marking it. Honestly felt like I stumbled onto a secret the locals keep quiet about. Has anyone else found unofficial shortcut trails in national parks that actually work better than the main route?

Stop using your phone GPS for backcountry routes, here is why

I used to rely on my phone GPS for all my backpacking trips through the Sierras, even downloaded offline maps. Then last summer near Bishop Pass I lost signal for 2 hours and the battery died by 3pm in cold weather. Now I carry a dedicated Garmin inReach mini with extra batteries, and I print paper topo maps from CalTopo before every trip. Has anyone else had a phone fail them at a bad spot?

Realized I was folding my tent wrong for 2 years after a ranger in Yosemite showed me

I used to just shove my tent back into the stuff sack and it took forever to set up until this ranger at the campground pointed out I was crushing the poles every time. He showed me this snake coil method that takes 30 seconds tops. Anyone else have a gear habit they only fixed after a stranger said something?

Heads up: the trail near Upper Yosemite Falls is way different than I remembered

I used to charge up that trail in 4 hours with just water and granola bars, no planning. Now after turning 40 and getting a knee issue last year, I have to map out every switchback and carry trekking poles and an extra 2 liters of water. The elevation gain is 2,700 feet and hitting that granite slab around mile 3 just kills me now. Anyone else switch from fast and light to slow and packed after an injury or age change?

Just got back from the Sawtooth trail near Stanley and wow the trail markers are awful

I hiked the Alpine Lake loop last Saturday and missed three turnoffs because the wooden posts were faded to nothing. My buddy nearly twisted his ankle on a washed out section that had zero warning signs. Has anyone else had trouble following routes in that area or am I just bad at reading maps?

TIL the hard way about water crossings on the JMT

I was crossing a creek near Muir Trail Ranch last August when a loose rock flipped me into waist deep water. Soaked my whole pack including my down sleeping bag before I could even think about a dry bag. Anyone else switch to synthetic fill after something like this?

Took me 50 miles on the AT to realize I'd been packing my sleeping bag wrong the whole time

I always stuffed it in the bottom of my pack with everything on top, and after a miserable night where it came out damp and flattened, a guy at a shelter showed me to keep it in a dry sack at the top - has anyone else had a simple packing habit that just clicked one day?

Gear rental on the JMT actually saved me 80 bucks and my back

Why does nobody talk about the week-long rain on the Tour du Mont Blanc

I did the TMB last July and hit a 6 day stretch where it rained every single afternoon around 2pm. Everything I owned was damp, my boots never fully dried out, and I had to camp at Refugio Bonatti with a puddle inside my tent. Has anyone else dealt with a bad weather window ruining a whole route like that?

Used to skip switchbacks on the AT but an old hiker showed me why that's dumb

A few years back I was hiking through the Smokies and cutting every switchback to save time. Ran into this guy in his 70s who was picking up trash along the trail and he called me out on it without being mean. He showed me how the erosion from people cutting switchbacks ruins the trail for everyone and takes years to fix. Now I just stick to the path even when it feels longer. Anyone else change a habit after a random encounter on the trail?

Debate: GPS routes vs paper maps on the John Muir Trail...

I tried doing the whole JMT with just my phone GPS last summer, but when I hit a dead zone near Thousand Island Lake, I had to backtrack 4 miles. Then I switched to paper maps for the second half and felt way more confident reading the terrain... which approach do you think is safer for a first timer on that route?

Took me 4 hours to find a creek crossing that wasn't washed out on the Appalachian Trail last summer

Two trails in Olympic National Park... one was a total mess

Did the Hoh River trail last weekend and it was just mud soup the whole way. Tried the Sol Duc Falls trail the next day and it was dry and gorgeous. Has anyone else had one trail ruin a whole trip for them?

Finished the Colorado Trail segment near Breckenridge solo

Ran into an older guy at a stream crossing who noticed I was checking my map too much and just said 'the trail tells you where to go if you stop thinking about it' - then he walked off before I could ask what he meant. Has anyone else had a random stranger say something simple like that which actually stuck?

Took me 5 years to figure out I was packing my bear can wrong

Last summer on the Uinta Highline Trail, I stopped to dig out my dinner and realized I had to unpack half my bag to get to the bear can. It was buried under everything because I always put it in first. A guy I met at the trailhead near Kamas said he puts his can in sideways at the bottom, then layers his tent and clothes above it. That one tip saved me 15 minutes of digging every night for the rest of the trip. How do you all pack your can without losing your mind over access?

My favorite sleeping pad split a seam on day 3 of the JMT last August

I had to patch it with duct tape and a cut up water bottle for the remaining 200 miles, and honestly that fix held better than the original seam ever did, has anyone else found a permanent hack for these inflatable pads?

PCT vs AT for a first long hike: PCT wins by a mile

Did the Appalachian Trail in 2022 and the Pacific Crest Trail last summer. The AT was constant mud, roots, and humidity. Spent half my time soaked. The PCT had way better trail conditions and I only got rained on twice in 4 months. My knees didn't ache every morning either. Anyone else find the AT overrated compared to the PCT?

Hit mile 47 on the JMT before my filter clogged solid - that's what I get for skipping a pre-filter

Was running a Sawyer Squeeze and thought I could get away with just backflushing at camp. By day 4 the flow was down to a trickle. Had to dig out the dirty bag and improvise with a bandana. Lost almost an hour trying to fix it on the trail. Anyone else carry a backup pre-filter or just me?

My homemade GPS track for the John Muir Trail ended up 15 miles off

I spent 6 hours plotting my John Muir Trail route on a GPS app last winter, only to realize in August at Red's Meadow that I had missed a critical switchback near the Ansel Adams Wilderness. The digital map I used was from 2012, and trail reroutes had added 15 extra miles. Has anyone else found old GPS data causing big problems on a long trek?

Got caught in a nasty storm on the Lost Coast Trail last month

I hiked the Lost Coast Trail near Shelter Cove in Northern California about 4 weeks ago. The weather looked clear when I started, but 8 miles in a surprise hailstorm rolled off the ocean with no warning. I had to hunker down under a rock overhang for almost 2 hours while the trail turned into a muddy mess. My cheap rain jacket soaked through in the first 20 minutes, and I ended up shivering with my emergency bivvy sack. Has anyone else dealt with sudden coastal storms on a hike that totally caught them off guard?

Showerthought: Didn't realize how much elevation gain the JMT really has until I mapped it out myself

I was planning a section of the John Muir Trail and I calculated the total vert for just the first 60 miles from Happy Isles to Red's Meadow. Over 14,000 feet of gain. That's basically climbing Everest from base camp twice in a week. My buddy says that's just part of the route and no big deal. But I'm looking at my training and wondering if I'm crazy to attempt it without more prep. Who's right here? Is the JMT's elevation actually that intense or am I overthinking it?

Update: The trailhead for the Lost Coast is getting wrecked by people parking wrong

I was up at the Mattole River trailhead last weekend and saw at least five cars parked in the grass, blocking the gate for the shuttle. They're ignoring the clear signs and it's creating a huge mess when the shuttle bus can't get through. How do you handle crowded trailheads without ruining it for everyone else?

Overheard a guy at the trailhead say he never brings a map anymore, just his phone

Got turned around trying to find the old fire lookout trail off the PCT near Sisters, Oregon. That detour ate up almost four hours.

Showerthought: A ranger in the Sierras said something about trail grades that stuck with me

I was at the Lone Pine visitor center last fall and overheard a ranger telling a group that a 10% grade means you gain 10 feet for every 100 feet you walk forward. I always just thought 'steep' or 'not steep'. Now I check the grade on my map before a big climb, and it helps me plan my day way better. Anyone else have a simple map detail that changed how you plan a route?