c/backpacking-routes

The North Loop taught me to stop trusting my printed map

I ran the North Loop in Isle Royale last month and had to bail at Day 3 because a creek crossing I'd circled on my 2019 map was just gone. The beavers had redone the whole drainage, and the 'trail' I was following turned into a swamp up to my knees. I spent 4 hours backtracking to the ranger station, and that's when I realized I hadn't checked for trail updates in almost two seasons. Now I pull current condition reports from the park site before I even pack my boots. Has anyone else had a map change that forced you to scrap a whole day?

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the_wendy•4d ago

The ranger's note made me ditch my GPS track in Yosemite

Last August I hiked the north rim loop with a detailed GPS track from a popular blog. A ranger at Tuolumne Meadows saw my phone and said following someone else's route was half the reason trailheads get crowded and eroded. They suggested I read the topo map and pick my own campsites instead. I spent 4 hours reworking the trip with water sources I'd never noticed, and ended up camping solo at a spot with better views. The route was rougher but I actually paid attention to the terrain. Has anyone else switched from using shared tracks to planning from scratch? How did you deal with the extra planning time?

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betty_kelly9•8d ago

Is the JMT getting too crowded or am I just bitter?

I did the John Muir Trail last September, full 211 miles. I expected some company but it felt like a highway. We passed groups every 20 minutes, some with speakers playing music. Made camp near Muir Pass and three other tents were within yelling distance. I get that permits are capped, but it didn't feel wild at all. On the flip side, I met some cool people and the trail is safer with more traffic. So what's the deal, are we okay with crowds if it means the trail stays protected, or should we push for way stricter limits even if that means fewer people get to see it? Anyone else feel this shift?

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charles_mitchell•9d ago

That hiker's comment about my boots changed my whole packing list

Last month on the Appalachian Trail near Damascus, a thru-hiker stopped me and said my boots looked like they weighed more than my pack. I was carrying 42 pounds with a 4-pound boot setup and thought I was fine. After that I switched to trail runners and trimmed my gear down to 28 pounds. Has anyone else made a similar switch after getting unsolicited trail advice?

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mason_lopez•12d ago

GPS track said 8 miles, my legs said 14, who do I trust

Last month on the Eagle Creek loop near Hood River I followed the downloaded route and ended up doing an extra 6 brutal miles of switchbacks because some hiker's GPS data was garbage. The trail markers clearly showed the shorter path but I stuck with the app. Anyone else blindly trust a track over the actual signs and regret it?

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hugoj12•13d ago

PSA: That $120 'waterproof' map case fogged up on day 2 of the AT

Paid full price for a heavyweight dry bag map holder outside Hanover, NH and by the second morning my trail notes were soaked through condensation, so is there a cheaper trick for keeping paper readable in rain or should I just go digital?

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wren638•19d ago

The ranger who said skip the Osprey and grab a $40 pack from Goodwill

Met a ranger at Glacier last May. Told me to ditch my fancy 65L for a battered 40L I found at a thrift store. Said the weight limit was the real filter. I laughed. But he was right. Carried 22 lbs total for 6 days on the Highline Trail. Felt like cheating. My knees didn't scream. My old pack with all its straps and pockets? Now it just gathers dust in the garage. Has anyone else had success going lighter with junk gear instead of buying new?

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lilya76•19d ago

The AT hiker who told me my pack was '3 pounds of overthinking'

After 17 miles on the Shenandoah stretch, that stranger's comment made me ditch my 4-pound camera setup and swap it for a phone mount, but now I'm torn between carrying a proper lens for the Tetons hike or sticking with the lighter rig altogether, what do you all do when someone's offhand critique actually lands?

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hall.joel•19d ago

The trail marker math that finally clicked on the JMT

I was planning a Sierra section hike last spring and kept seeing mileages on my map that didn't match the signs. After like three days of confusion, I found this old ranger blog that broke down how the JMT markers are based on the original 1930s survey, not the actual current trail. Turns out the real trail is about 4 miles longer than the official 211 mile figure because of reroutes around washouts and fallen trees. That little fact saved me from a bad resupply plan near Red's Meadow. Has anyone else run into outdated trail mileage on a route they were scouting?

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spencer_park26•20d ago

Hit 500 trail miles this summer, now I'm doubting my whole route planning approach

So I finished up a 3 week stretch on the AT in Virginia and crossed 500 total miles for the year. I thought that number would feel like a big deal, but it actually made me realize how much time I spend on maps vs boots on the ground. Half the time my planned campsites were either flooded or way too crowded, and the spots I found by just walking until dark were better. My buddy swears by detailed spreadsheets and GPS tracks, says planning is everything. I'm leaning toward loose plans with big buffer zones now. Which side are you on for long trips, strict itinerary or wing it with a rough sketch? Curious if anyone else hit a milestone and flipped their system. Has anyone else dealt with this after a big mileage number?

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matthewdixon•20d ago

The ranger in Glacier told me to skip Grinnell, glad I listened

Two weeks ago I was set on doing the Grinnell Glacier trail. Parked at the Many Glacier lot by 7am and a ranger named Dave walked over while I was lacing up. He said the snowmelt had made the upper switchbacks sketchy and suggested the Swiftcurrent Pass loop instead. I almost ignored him because I read about Grinnell for months. Took his advice anyway. Swiftcurrent gave me 14 miles of views with maybe 8 other people total. No crampons needed, no postholing. Has anyone else had a ranger redirect them and it worked out way better than the plan?

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piper779•25d ago

The day I figured out my pack straps were upside down, 4 years in

On the JMT last August, my shoulders went numb around Red's Meadow and a thru-hiker asked why my load lifters were digging into my neck. I guess I'd been wearing the harness over my shirt collars or something dumb, but the fix took like ten minutes and suddenly my 30 lb pack felt like 20. Has anyone else had a gear setup they stuck with way too long because it was just what you did?

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tarabell•26d ago

Finished a 40 mile stretch on the AT last month, first solo trip

I hiked from Damascus to the Virginia border over 4 days and finally got my pack weight under 25 lbs. The last morning my shin splints nearly ended it, but I slowed down and made it to the pickup point with an hour to spare. Anyone else struggle more with the mental game than the miles on solo trips?

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the_diana•1mo ago

That Utah canyon route took me 4 extra days to figure out

I planned a 5 day loop near Escalante and ended up spending 9 total because the route markers were basically gone after that storm in spring. GPS said one thing, the actual terrain said another, and I burned a full afternoon backtracking along the Paria River. Ended up relying on a paper map and a compass I almost left home, which felt stupid since I've done desert routes for years. Has anyone else had a marked route just vanish on them, or was it just my luck?

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lilya76•1mo ago

Why does every PCT guide skip the water cache spot near Hikertown?

Passed through last month and the guides all say 'fill up at the store.' Nobody mentions the actual cache is 2 miles past the store, hidden behind a fence. I watched 4 people turn back because they missed it. This causes a real problem in July when the taps at the store run dry by noon. I carried 5 liters out of there and still felt short. How do you all find the unofficial caches that the blogs never list?

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ray356•1mo ago

The John Muir Trail was a totally different animal in 2019 vs last month

I hiked the full JMT back in 2019 and it felt like a crowded sidewalk the whole way. Campsites near Red's Meadow were packed by 3pm and I had to share spots with people I didn't know almost every night. Last month I went back for a section from Muir Trail Ranch to Bishop Pass and it was like a ghost town. I saw maybe 4 other hikers in 5 days, and one of those was a ranger. The difference was timing, I did it in late September both times, but the permits this year were way easier to grab. I got mine 2 weeks out and there were still slots open. Anyone else notice the crowds thinning out that much or did I just get lucky with weather and the seasonal calendar shift?

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jade_jenkins•1mo ago

Had a guy at Glacier Point tell me my route was wrong, and he was right

Last August I was heading up the JMT segment past Cathedral Lakes and this older hiker stopped me, saying I'd miss the cutoff if I kept going east. I brushed him off for 20 minutes, then checked my map and he'd saved me an extra 4 miles of useless climbing. Anyone else ever had a stranger's offhand advice beat their own planning?

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the_diana•1mo ago

Water filter froze solid on the Lost Coast, had to boil everything for 2 days

Camped up near Shelter Cove last weekend and my filter cracked overnight when temps dropped to 28. I was stuck boiling creek water for me and my buddy until we hit the next town. Anyone else carry a backup filter on coastal trips or do you just risk it?

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the_simon•1mo ago

GPS battery died 11 miles in on the Superior Trail and I had to go old school

I heard some kid at the trailhead say paper maps are dead weight, so of course I left mine at home. Halfway up the section near Split Rock, my GPS unit just blinked out with 11 miles left. I ended up using the sun and a sketchy memory of the ridgeline to find the cutoff. It worked out, but I was sweating the whole time. Am I the only one who still carries a physical map as backup or is that just boomer behavior?

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sean_cooper58•1mo ago

Tried the JMT northbound vs southbound, one direction was way easier

Did the John Muir Trail in two parts, first southbound from Yosemite last summer then northbound from Whitney Portal this fall. Going southbound meant dealing with 13,000 ft passes early when I was still fresh, but the sun hit me harder on the north side. Northbound felt smoother for pacing since the big climbs came later, plus I hit Lone Pine for a burger after day 3. Anyone else notice the trail conditions or water sources shift depending on which way you go?

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the_thea•1mo ago

I think the Pacific Crest Trail is overhyped for thru-hiking.

Stayed at a hostel in Bishop and every single person was obsessed with the PCT but had never done the Sierra High Route. I took the High Route last June for 8 days and saw maybe 3 other people the whole time. Anyone else skip the busy trails for something less crowded?

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the_wesley•1mo ago

Shoutout to paper maps for keeping me from getting lost on the Pacific Crest Trail last summer

Back in the 90s, I used to rely on paper maps and a compass for every trip. Last summer on the PCT near Mount Whitney, my phone battery died and I had zero service for three days. I pulled out an old folded map I had tucked in my pack and navigated by landmarks like I used to. Has anyone else found that modern gear fails when you need it most and forced you back to basics?

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the_harper•1mo ago

I just crunched the numbers on my PCT permit odds and they are depressing

I applied for a Pacific Crest Trail permit for a late April start date last week. The lottery had over 3,000 applicants for only 35 permits per day in that window. I did the math and that is roughly a 1% chance if you don't snag a walk-up. Has anyone else actually gotten one through the lottery system or is it mostly people who scored cancellations?

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mia700•1mo ago

Tried the PCT vs. JMT approach for resupply last summer

I did the JMT with full resupply boxes and it was a nightmare hauling that weight. Switched to bouncing food caches on the PCT section this year and saved 8 pounds per leg. Anyone else ditch the resupply boxes for caches?

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wade871•1mo ago

Tried using AllTrails offline maps on the JMT last month and almost got lost near Muir Pass

I downloaded the offline map for the whole JMT route on AllTrails before we left. Figured it would be fine since I had cell service at the start. But right around Muir Pass the GPS signal got real spotty and the map kept freezing on me. Finally figured out the app needs to fully load the trail data while you still have signal or it won't cache right. Had to backtrack half a mile to find a clear patch of sky to get the GPS to lock again. Now I always test the offline map by turning on airplane mode before the trip to make sure it actually works. Anyone else run into GPS glitches on specific sections of the JMT?

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