Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
Just kidding.
His is the greatest hike of all time, all things considered.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Andy will finish his hike on November 3rd at the Grandview Point in the Grand Canyon. He will be coming out of the canyon between noon and 3:00. Probably closer to 3:00. Please come and join us for the celebration. We will be getting together some place in Flagstaff on Saturday evening. Come join the party.
(via The Adventure Blog)
The cyberhobo tipped me to an unprecedented feat on the CDT:
Francis Tapon has finished the first documented yo-yo (through-hike in both directions, in one season) of the Continental Divide Trail, with Garret The Onion finishing soon after. Congrats to them both for an amazing and inspiring feat!
My first thought was, “both should be credited with the CDT Yo-Yo”. The Onion certainly should not feel he came in “second”.
There is so much variation in route on the CDT that the two adventures cannot be compared.
Francis Tapon trip website.
For the Onion, check his amusing LAST post on the trail: Can I Mex? Mex I Can.
Not much of a thru-hiking story, none the less I recommend this light-hearted, comic adventure.
Kintaro Walks Japan is a documentary film produced and directed by Tyler MacNiven. It is an account of MacNiven’s journey walking and backpacking the entire length of Japan from KyÅ«shÅ« to HokkaidÅ, more than 2000 miles in 145 days.
MacNiven cited three reasons for the journey. On his first trip to Japan in 2002, he fell in love with the country. It was on this trip that a friend nicknamed him “Kintaro,” which means “Golden Boy,” because of his blond hair. Occasionally accompanying him on the trip was his girlfriend, Ayumi Meegan, whose father, George Meegan, completed the longest unbroken walk in recorded history – a nearly 7 year sojourn from the southern tip of Argentina to the northern tip of Alaska. Inspired by their story, MacNiven conceived of the task after learning that his father, whose parents were foreign missionaries, was born in an unknown location in HokkaidÅ. Armed with a desire to impress Ayumi and find his father’s birthplace, as well as an interest in Japanese culture, MacNiven set sail to Japan. …
Kintaro Walks Japan – Wikipedia
You can watch the movie for free on Google Video (67min). Or buy it on Tyler’s official website .
Here’s a very short sample …
Kintaro Walks Japan – official website
(via Jaman)
American Hiking Society’s Jeffrey Hunter linked to a New York Times article: Appalachia’s Other Trail.
But what is the Benton MacKaye?
Seems I’ve just started hearing about it.
The Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT) is a footpath of nearly 300 miles (480 km) through the Appalachian mountains of the southeastern United States. It is designed for foot travel in the tradition of the Appalachian Trail (AT).
Running from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Davenport Gap on the northern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (the Smokies), the BMT passes through some of the most remote backcountry in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, including eight federally designated Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas. For further information on the trail, visit the BMT Vital Info page.
For Hikers
There are numerous access points and trailheads along the BMT route creating many options for one-way and loop hikes, and several more in combination with local trails. Longer hikes are possible on the BMT by doing a partial or full thru-hike. And the longest walks are done by also using the three major intersecting trails, the Pinhoti, the AT, and the 900-plus mile Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
Because the BMT intersects the AT at each terminus and in the middle, three large hikable loops are formed in a figure 8: a lower circle of 364 miles, an upper Smokies-only walk of 158 miles, and ‘The BMT Loop’ – a complete circuit hike of over 500 miles. The Georgia Loop, “toughest hike in Georgia”, is a 55-mile triangle of the BMT, the AT and the Duncan Ridge Trail. In the Eastern Continental Trail; the 4400-plus mile route from Key West, Florida to Cape Gaspe, Quebec, Canada; the BMT connects the Pinhoti and Appalachian Trails. For more hiker information, check the Hiker Resources page.
(via American Hiking Society’s Southeast Trail Program – Benton MacKaye Trail Featured in NY Times)
Craig Stanton is done.
He’s finished the Pacific Crest Trail.
I’ve never hiked longer than 11-days. But I empathize with all thru-hikers that must exit the simplicity of trail life. And rejoin the real world.
That shower felt so good. The dirt left me and I shall not stink that much for a very long time. My feet have dried and I’ve called home. The adventure is over, now it’s re-entry.
Quote of the day: “Have you come far?†The german tourist
Distance today: 23 miles. Total distance: 2663.5 miles
The JMT is our #2 hike in the World, about 220mi of trail without crossing a road.
I’ve been section hiking it over the past 3yrs. This summer I thought I’d try to knock off about 110 miles.
I brashly announced I’d hike 20mi / day from Bishop Pass to Tuolumne in 6 or 7 days.
It was not to be.
My first mistake was underestimating the difficulty of the required elevation loss and gain. This thing is a roller coaster!
larger map – PCT.org
I started from South Lake near Bishop after hearing great things about Bishop Pass and Dusy Basin. Both are gorgeous!
My favourite section of many favourite sections was Evolution Basin.
vista from John Muir Pass to Evolution Basin
But the BIG story of my hike was Hurricane Dean. More exactly, the remnant circulation of Dean which brought serious thunder storms to California and Nevada.
threatening skies
One day I was pinned down in my tent losing 5hrs of daylight. Here’s the hail outside my tent.
Another morning I awoke early to a cloudy day. A storm climbed up from the valley to pound me. (I hid in low brush to avoid death by lightning.)
When the storm finally cleared, I had been walking for days in wet socks and shoes. My feet, for the first time in many years, were blistered.
I love the JMT — but had to exit over 30mi earlier than planned, limping out at Red’s Meadow Resort.
My only complaint with the John Muir Trail is that it’s a horse track.
hiking pack animals
Historically it was pioneered for animals. The trail drops down to valley and water on regular intervals. Animals need grazing. I don’t.
I’d much rather stay HIGH on — for example — the Sierra High Route. This is a mostly off-trail adventure running in parallel with the JMT which tries not to drop down into the valleys.
Check out all my photos from the JMT on flickr.
If you might want to hike it yourself, check our JMT besthike information page.
The Superior Hiking Trail is a 235-mile long distance hiking trail along the rocky ridgeline above Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota. The trail is located within the Superior National Forest on both public and private lands, and is privately maintained. The trail currently begins near Two Harbors, Minnesota, extends along Lake Superior through seven state parks, including Split Rock and Tettegouche state parks. …
Ultimately the trail will begin on the Wisconsin border near Jay Cooke State Park, and will end by connecting to the Border Route Trail, which passes through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The SHT is a proposed segment of the 4,000-mile North Country Trail.
The Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA) is currently building 40 miles of trail through the forests and ridges of Duluth, MN. 22 miles of trail have been completed in and around Jay Cooke State Park and Duluth, MN. Future plans are to complete a segment of trail between Duluth and Two Harbors. When completed the trail will measure approximately 300 miles in length.
Considered one of the best hiking trails in the country, Backpacker Magazine named the Superior Hiking Trail the trail with the “Best Trail/Camp/Shelter conditions”, the trail with the “Best Signage” in the country, and one of the most scenic trails in the nation …
If interested, get the guidebook:
Complete and up to date maps, info on campsites, and mile-by-mile description of the trail. The Guide can be used for both day hikes and backpacking.
Day hikes from trailhead to trailhead are 5-11 miles in length. A through-hike is 205 miles. Also includes the new 39-mile section of trail through Duluth built in 2004-2006. …
Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail details over 270 miles of wilderness footpath on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Mile-by-mile descriptions lead the casual hiker or ardent backpacker through hardwood forests of birch and maple, and into boreal forests of spruce, pine and fir–a region thriving with spectacular wildflowers and diverse wildlife. This landscape, once carved by ancient glaciers, is dominated by Lake Superior, the largest-area freshwater lake in the world. The Superior Hiking Trail weaves along the Sawtooth Mountain range–easily the most impressive scenery in the Midwest.
Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail provides information on trailhead access, parking accommodations, designated campsites, scenic overlooks and linkages to the seven Minnesota State Parks along the trail. Complete trail maps are included in each section. Whether you have two hours or two weeks, an afternoon or a weekend, this guide will enhance your hiking experience.
map – SHTA.org
more photos – SHTA.org
Married couple Erin McKittrick (Molecular Biologist turned jewelry artist) and Bretwood (Hig) Higman are incredible adventurers.
Where to begin …
Currently they are on a 9 month trip from Seattle to the Aleutian Islands in Alaska by human power:
Journey on the Wild Coast will be an unprecedented four-thousand-mile expedition along the northern edge of the Pacific Ocean, through some of the most rugged terrain in the world. No road or trail follows this steep and fragmented coastline.
We’ll be traveling through forests, between islands, around glaciers, and across the tundra – by foot, packraft, and skis. No one has done this before.
I’ve subscribed to their trip blog. It’s an expeditions to explore environmental issues.
I’ve you’ve any doubt Sig and Erin have the ability to finish it, check their previous Alaska Treks. Wow!
Blockade Glacier – 2005
Steve Sergeant of Wildebeat.net pointed me to a very professional trip report posted by Brian Frankle on his ULA (Ultralight Adventure) website.
Perhaps Hayduke is not so dangerous after all.
This was the first ever thru hike of the 800mi+ route. Brian seems to have handled it with ease. (Of course he is an accomplished long distance hiker.)
I tackled the Hayduke Trail in typical long-distance hiker fashion: frequent re-supplies, higher daily mileages, and with a focus towards lightweight equipment.
This presented some challenges and resulted in a longer distance hiked than the described route, but I think this strategy is critical to implement if you plan to tackle this rugged and demanding route… especially so in the context of thru-hiking the Hayduke.
Brian’s trip report (including resupply points).
Just last night in Moab, Utah I met a hiker setting out for just a short section of the Hayduke.
He was worried. Worried about water supply. Worried about getting lost.
Researching the famous walk in Spain, I started (as usual) with Wikipedia:
The Way of St. James or St. James’ Way, often known by its Spanish name, el Camino de Santiago, is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where the remains of the apostle, Saint James the Great, are said to be buried.
The standard route — the Camino Francés (French Way) — is 800km route from Roncesvalles in the Pyrenees. But there are many variations starting as far away as France, Germany, and further afield.
(larger version – Regenisis.org.au)
I got interested in this walk, more religious pilgrimage than “best hike”, after reading an excerpt from a new book by Ward called All the Good Pilgrims : Tales of the Camino de Santiago.
Robert Ward has always enjoyed travelling, especially on foot. When he discovered the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago in Spain, he felt compelled to walk and experience this historic road. From his first journey along the Camino de Santiago, Ward fell in love with the pace, landscape, history, art, and romance of this old pilgrimage path.
Above all, however, Ward fell in love with the people of the Camino—both the welcoming Spaniards and the pilgrims who come from all over the world to find out what it means to travel five hundred miles, one step at a time.
In All the Good Pilgrims, Ward returns to Spain to walk the Camino for the fifth time. He thinks he knows what he’s getting into but, as his many Camino journeys have taught him, the Camino never runs out of surprises. Each day brings new lessons, friendships, questions, memories, gifts and challenges, reminding Ward that it isn’t the pilgrim who walks the Camino—it’s the Camino that walks the pilgrim.
An engaging travel narrative, All the Good Pilgrims is a personal and insightful tour of the Camino de Santiago, as Ward takes readers on a secular pilgrimage in which he reflects on his past journeys and contemplates the mysterious and enduring allure of this ancient and historic road.
besthike.com 