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Backpacking TripsInformation to help you plan your own trips: Links to pictures for each trip:
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Most of these trips were 3-6 days long. For US we carried all our equipment. International trips were done caviar style, where they supplied everything, and we only carried our clothes and lunches.
| Date | Rating | Difficulty | Location | Description | How we did it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007; Aug 31 | 4 **** | low | USA, Ca; Emigrant Wilderness | Emigrant is an ideal location for beginners. Many of the trails we were on seemed to rise/fall by 500 foot increments, not very difficult. There are many lakes, so you can easily choose your daily hiking length based on your abilities. | Kerstin and I were in reasonably good shape. We averaged about 7 miles a day, working up to 12 at the end. Some lakes and campsites have been fouled by horse trip excursions, try to find out which ones in advance. As we went late in the season, all but 1 stream had dried up, and most of the lakes no longer got fresh water. About 1/3 of the lakes had gone dark red with tannins and hard to swim in due to the decomposing muck that would come halfway up to our knees. We had a great time, would recommend going earlier in the year. |
| 2006; Aug 08 | 5 ***** | low/med | USA, Ca; Desolation Wilderness | Desolation wilderness is just west of south lake Tahoe. It has breathtaking scenery and gorgeous granite mountains. It is very popular, you must have permits, and they're hard to get in busy season. Easy to hard trips can be planned here. | We went near labor day, and saw very few people. It was chilly, but there were no mosquitoes. We did a loop from the fallen leaf lake trailhead. The first day was a 5mile hike to Gilmore lake, with a bit of uphill. It's a good area for beginners. |
| 2005; March 26 | 5 ***** | med | Australia; Tasmania | Cradle mountain tours has many different hike packages, some are quite easy! | I chose the overland hike. It cost me close to $2K for 6 days. It was fantastic! You stay each night in a hut that has canned goods and food, the hike leads prepare meals, we helped with cleanup. The group size is small - ~10 people and 2 guides. I really want to do this again. The guides were awesome, and spent time explaining the ecosystem and plants as much as we wanted. I got a couple of hours of walking tour in a day. Incredible! |
| 2005; March 06 | 3 *** | med | New Zealand; Queenstown | Milford track is world known, permits are limited, and sell out 3-9 months in advance. You can hike it and stay in common huts or go through a guided tour group. Rainfall is often heavy and unpredictable. The scenery is beautiful if you can see it. | Our experience wasn't the best. You can't predict the weather, and it was really bad. We swam this trip, and saw very little of the landscape (clouds). Our first day was cancelled as the bridges were washed out. Our second day had sunshine for about 4 hours, then it rained, almost constantly until long after we finished the entire trip. We started at 7:30am in the rain, and ended each day in the rain. Bring a housing for your camera - even the waterproof ones seemed to break! Also, the guided tour we took was a mass production. Their camps were great and had good food, but the groups were of 50 people with 4 guides. Quite impersonal, with almost no time to learn from the guides. |
| 1993; Sept 12 | 4 **** | med | USA Ca; Mineral King Trailhead | Mineral king is south of Yosemite. It's very pretty with much fewer people. It's fairly high up - we crossed a pass at 11,600 feet up. | It took a while to reach the trailhead. We camped there overnight to help acclimate to the altitude. It wasn't quite enough - I had a mild headache from the altitude each day. Our second day was a bit brutal, climbing over 4,000 feet, all others were a bit easier. Make sure your trail map is up to date - we took one that was closed, and it was very difficult. |
| 1991; July 28 | 2 ** | low | USA Ca; PCT/Marble Mountains | We hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from Edna summit to Scott Mtn. Summit near Castle Crags and Hwy 5. We crossed into the Russian and Trinity Alps wilderness areas. The first part was pretty, the last part not. | I learned from our previous hike & we adopted a staggered pace. The first day we drove there and then hike only a few miles. Each day we increased the distance. We got out a day early after hiking about 12 miles, the last day was too long for me. The first part of this trip was pretty, although we bumped into men with rifles who were hunting. The last part was on open range lands, and we figured out what it meant. One lake was ringed with cow shit all around and we had to get water there. Yuck! |
| 1990? | 3 *** | med/hi | USA Ca; Trinity Alps | Most trailheads require 3,000-4,000 foot climb the first day. Combined with packing too much, this trip just about killed me. I got smarter for the next one. :) | We went a little early in the year, the north sides of our ranges and shady meadows were all snowed under. It made for a lot of variety. |
| 1989; June 01 | 4 **** | low/med | USA Ca; PCT/South of Tahoe | We started at highway 50 and echo summit, and hiked south. Karin left midway at Hwy 88 and Carson pass, and Mark and I continued onward to Hwy 4 and Ebbett's pass. The first part is easy, and was filled with wildflowers. The second part drier, more difficult, and beautiful in it's own way. | The logistics were a bit of a pain. We had 3 people, 3 cars, and it took all day to get there and put them in place. This was a 1-way hike with a car at each end, and 1 in the middle for Karin who had to leave early. The first part was easy - rolling valleys and wildflowers were very pretty. The second part was volcanic, with dry patches and secluded redwood groves. I'd estimate that part at medium difficulty as we covered more elevation and had to search more for water. It's a good second time trip. |
| 70's and 80's | misc | misc | USA; Ca | With family and friends, Rob did ~8 backpacking trips growing up. | Photos and memories didn't survive so well. |
Sometimes we're not up to roughing it outdoors all the time. Good day hiking trips mean we return each night to a hotel, hot shower, comfy bed, and yummy dinner out.
| Date | Rating | Difficulty | Location | Description | How we did it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005; May 21 | 5 ***** | low | USA, West; Las Vegas Area | About 3 hours away from Las Vegas, you can reach Zion with many wonderful hiking trails. Another hour from Zion will bring you to Bryce canyons. You can also strive for North rim grand canyon, arches, canyon lands and others. Most of these parks have nearby hotels, and a plethora of trails to choose from. | I did this trip by driving 3-4 hours a day each day. I recommend skipping the south grand canyon, and adding another day at each park. |
| 2004; May 17 | 4 **** | low | Spain; Montserrat | About an hour away from Barcelona by train, Montserrat is near the top of a uniquely shaped hill. It is a monastery, with lifts to take you all over the mountain. The trails have historical and religious significance. You can make this a day trip or stay nearby. | I explored Montserrat when I had big city poisoning. I needed to get out. I found it very peaceful and spiritual. Highly recommended! |
| 2003; Sept 01 | 5 ***** | med/hi | USA, Ca; South lake Tahoe | South lake Tahoe has a number of hotels and Casinos exist across the border. It's a 30-60 minute drive to many places to hike. Desolation wilderness, and the Mount Freel area to the south. There are many others I have not explored yet. Many of these hikes are long if you want to turn them into loop hikes. 10-14 miles on average. If you go in/out the same way, you can make it as easy as you want. | The eastern most area by the state line has many restaurants and a good place to walk at night, but it is further from the trails. If you stay far to the west, your trail commute will be much shorter. (traffic) I did it by hiking all day, planning my next hike at night, and wore myself out. These hikes are long! |
| TBD | 4 **** | low | USA Ca; Big Sur | Big Sur has a number of parks and trails. It has a lodge, hotels, and campgrounds. As it is about an hour south of Monterey, I recommend you stay here and don't commute. There are 4-5 med-high end restaurants, and a few good places for breakfast. Excellent choice for families. | I stayed at the lodge for 3 nights, and explored many of the trails up and down the coast. I brought a book, and found many places of beauty (crashing waves, redwoods), where I would stop for an hour or two and read. Quite refreshing! |