c/backpacking-routes

Just realized everyone overpacks for the John Muir Trail

I kept seeing people with these huge 50 pound packs and thought that was normal, but after my own trip I saw so much unused gear left in bear boxes. My buddy who does the trail every year finally told me 'If you don't use it by day three, you never will.' What's one piece of gear you always end up mailing home?

My brother said my route planning was like packing a moving truck

We were looking at my map for a 5-day loop in the Sawtooths and he pointed out I had us backtracking 4 miles on day 3 just to hit a specific lake. He said 'You're jamming stuff in just because it's there, like when we try to fit a last-minute couch. The route should flow, not just check boxes.' It hit different because he's right, I get obsessed with hitting every 'must-see' spot. Now I'm reworking the whole trip to cut that backtrack and keep the miles smooth. Anyone else have to learn to drop a cool spot for a better overall hike?

I used to plan every mile, but a washed-out bridge in the Smokies taught me to pack a paper map.

Just realized the old trail to the summit in the White Mountains is getting completely rerouted this summer.

I was up near Mount Washington last weekend and saw crews putting up new signs for a path that adds almost a mile but avoids a badly eroded section near the tree line.

Heard a ranger in Yosemite say the Mist Trail is 'just a staircase' now, which made me rethink my whole High Sierra trip.

I was planning to use it as a connector, but after hearing that, I'm looking for a less crowded alternate route to get up to Little Yosemite Valley, anyone have a good suggestion for late August?

Just realized how much the JMT permit system has changed since my first hike

Overheard a ranger in Yosemite say they get over 100 lottery entries for a single day now. Makes you wonder if the old walk-up system was better for spreading people out, or just a free-for-all?

My tent pole snapped on the Lost Coast Trail last weekend

It was the main support pole, and I had to use a ton of duct tape and a trekking pole to rig it for the last two nights. What's your go-to field repair for a broken pole section?

The Sawtooths are getting loved to death and it's a real problem

Three years ago I hiked the Alice-Toxaway loop in Idaho and saw maybe three other groups. Went back last month and counted over twenty tents at Twin Lakes alone. The trail braiding off the main path is getting bad, especially near the creek crossings. I heard a ranger say they're thinking about a permit system for next summer. Has anyone else seen a spot they used to have to themselves get totally overrun?

Overheard a guy at the trailhead say he only hikes routes with cell service now. Tbh that kinda bummed me out.

Took a wrong turn on the Timberline Trail and found something better

I was trying to do the full loop around Mount Hood in Oregon last August, aiming for three days. On the second morning, I missed a clear turn near Cloud Cap and ended up on a steep, unmarked game trail heading down into a canyon. Instead of turning back right away, I followed it for maybe an hour, grumpy and sure I'd wasted my morning. But then the trees opened up to this perfect little meadow with a cold creek, totally quiet, zero people. My planned campsite that night was a known crowded spot. I just sat there for a long time eating a granola bar, realizing I'd been so focused on checking off the 'official' route that I was missing the point of being out there. I ended up setting up my tent right there, a Big Agnes Copper Spur, and had the best night of the trip. Has anyone else had a trip get better after a plan fell apart? What's your favorite unplanned find?

Just looked at my old trail logs and hit 500 nights under a tarp

I was cleaning out my gear closet and found my first trail journal from 2012. I started adding up all the nights I've slept under a simple tarp instead of a tent, and the number surprised me. It was over 500 nights, spread across trails from the Oregon Coast to the Long Trail in Vermont. It made me think about how my kit has changed but that basic shelter hasn't. I used to fuss over the perfect tent, but after a wet trip on the Superior Hiking Trail where my tarp saved the day, I just stuck with it. It's lighter, faster to set up, and lets me watch the stars. I guess I never realized how much that one choice shaped all my trips. Does anyone else have a piece of gear they've used for way longer than they planned?

Got turned around on the High Sierra Trail near Hamilton Lake

My map got soaked and the trail markers were faint. I backtracked to the last clear creek crossing and used my compass to reorient, adding about two hours to the day. Anyone have a better method for navigating when the trail just disappears?

Met a guy in the Wind River Range who swore by hiking 30 miles a day

I was on day three of the Cirque of the Towers loop last September, filtering water at Big Sandy Lake. This older guy, maybe 60, rolled up with a tiny pack and told me his plan was to do the whole loop in two days. He said, 'If you're not covering ground, you're just camping.' I stuck to my seven-day plan and saw way more. Who's right, the speed hiker or the slow traveler?

Just spent 4 hours trying to find a safe river crossing on the Eagle Rock Loop that the map said was a bridge.

My map reading skills in the Wind River Range were saved by a squirrel

I watched three separate groups confidently head down the wrong drainage because they only looked at their phone screens, not the actual ridge lines. Has anyone else seen people trust GPS over basic terrain features?

My uncle said the West Rim Trail in Pennsylvania was too easy. He was dead wrong.

He called it a 'walk in the park' and said to skip it. I did the full 30 miles last fall and the rock scrambles near Pine Creek nearly broke me. Anyone else have a route that was way tougher than people said?

A guy at the trailhead told me my map was wrong and he was right

I was about to start the Highline Trail in Glacier, feeling good with my printed map from a popular hiking site. A guy gearing up next to me asked which way I was going. When I showed him, he pointed and said, 'That creek crossing is marked wrong. It's a quarter mile north of where your map shows it. I got soaked there last year.' I almost brushed him off, but I changed my plan and found the real crossing spot just where he said. It saved me from a cold mistake and a lot of bushwhacking. Now I always cross-check my main route map with at least one other source, like a ranger station update or a recent trail report, before I head out. It feels like a small step but it makes a big difference. Has anyone else had a map steer them wrong on a big hike?

I was packing way too much food for my trips and didn't know it

I finished a 4-day loop in the White Mountains last fall and hauled out over 3 pounds of uneaten snacks. The moment I dumped it all on my kitchen counter, it clicked. I had been following generic meal plans from old guidebooks that called for huge calorie counts. My actual hiking pace and appetite were much lower. Now I pack about 1.5 pounds of food per day and actually eat it all. What's a better method for planning food weight on a 5 to 7 day trek?

A ranger in Yosemite told me they're seeing a big shift in how people plan the John Muir Trail.

He said over the last two years, about 40% more hikers are booking their permits for the southbound route starting in Yosemite Valley. The old advice was always to go northbound from Whitney Portal to avoid the high passes early on. But he thinks the new permit system and wanting to finish on the highest peak is driving the change. It made me rethink my own plan for a 2025 attempt. Has anyone here done the JMT southbound recently and have thoughts on the pros and cons?

A ranger in the Tetons told me my route planning was all wrong

I was set on doing the Teton Crest Trail last summer, had my permit and everything. At the trailhead, a park ranger looked over my plan and said, 'You're trying to do too much in one day... you'll miss the whole point.' He pointed out that my second day had me hiking 18 miles with a 3,000 foot climb, just to camp at a spot with no water. He was right, I was so focused on miles that I picked a bad site. I changed it right there, cut that day to 12 miles and picked a camp by a lake. It was slower, but I actually saw things instead of just grinding. That talk changed how I plan every trip now. How do you balance distance with good campsites on a long route?

A squirrel in Yosemite stole my map and I had to navigate by memory

I was checking my route at Glacier Point and a bold little guy just grabbed the paper right out of my hand! Ended up relying on trail markers and a vague memory of the John Muir Trail. Anyone else have a wildlife encounter totally mess with their plans?

PSA: The Highline Trail in Glacier got way more crowded after a big magazine feature

I hiked it in 2019 and maybe saw 20 people all day. Went back last August and it felt like a line at times, with over a hundred folks on the main stretch near Granite Park Chalet. It's clear the 'best hike in America' article from that outdoor magazine a couple years back really drove traffic. Has anyone else seen a favorite quiet route get popular fast?

My tent pole snapped on the Lost Coast Trail last weekend, had to MacGyver a fix with a stick and some duct tape

Got totally lost trying to find the trailhead for the Enchantments loop... what should have been a 30 minute drive took me almost 3 hours.

Choosing between the John Muir Trail and the Wonderland Trail last summer

I had to pick one for my big trip, and I went with the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier. It was a tough call, but I only had ten days free. The loop was incredible, but the river crossings in early August were way higher than I expected. Anyone have a favorite late-season alternative for that area?