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Backpacker – top 10 CLASSIC hikes

A pretty good list.

The Perfect Circle: Hiking the Annapurna Circuit

Chile’s Torres del Paine Circuit

Corsica’s GR 20

Peru’s Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Italy’s Alta Via 1

New Zealand’s Milford Track

England’s Pennine Way

Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro

Everest Base Camp, Tibet

Tour du Mont Blanc

Backpacker

Compare that line-up with our own top 10.

I’m headed for the GR20 myself this summer. Independently.

Europe’s toughest trek. That’s the reputation of the GR 20–the relentlessly rugged Grand Randonnée (Great Walk) that traverses 112 miles across Corsica, a Mediterranean island off the southern coast of France. This roller coaster of uneven pink granite will make you sweat, scramble, and curse as you grunt up 35,000 total vertical feet. …

Or go guided with Tour Aventure (tour-aventure.com), the only trekking company in Corsica with English-speaking guides. No permits required.

Backpacker

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climbing Bear Mountain, Arizona

trip report by besthike editor Rick McCharles

Length: 2.5 miles one way
Rating: Strenuous
Season: All year
Hiking time: 4 1/2 hours round trip

Pass required to park at trailhead

After checking with the Rangers in the Sedona Visitor Centre, very quickly I settled on Bear Mountain as my first hike in the region.

LOVED it.

But the weather was unsettled. I feared lightning (check a trip report by Justin Wright – Hiking In A Lightning Storm) but, happily, I only got a few drops of rain.

In good weather I’d call it a challenging hike due to elevation, but certainly no scramble. On the other hand, some hikers have had to be rescued. And one medic was killed by a chopper blade during evacuation. Heat emergency is the greatest danger as there’s very little shade.

Happily, I had a cool day.

via Sedona Hiking Trails

larger image

I left a Summit Stone in a tree. (PHOTO)

more photos from this day hike

official hike website

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Crack-in-the-Mountain, Havasu, AZ

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Crack in the Mountain is the name of a terrific hike on the city limits of Lake Havasu, Arizona.

6mi
3hrs

A fantastic slot canyon featuring a 7ft slide. Driving past, I’d have never guessed it was there. But a savvy Ranger at the Havasu BLM office recommended it.

… “The Crack,” this slot canyon is formed by a drainage that has carved its way through mountains then snaked around ridges, emptying into Lake Havasu.

… a geologic profusion of textures, colors, strata, crumbling mountain slopes, and shallow canyon walls mortared with rubble-filled conglomerate. The trail will take you through The Crack, up a ridgeline, and down to Lake Havasu. The eclectic geological brew along the trail creates some stunning scenery and fine Desert Bighorn Sheep habitat. …

read more on Desert USA

Instead of taking the slide, I used rope assistance. (Not easy with a camera in the other hand.)

I made a lollypop loop taking the Yellow trail through the canyon, returning most of the way on the higher Blue. Signage is fairly good on this day hike.

Special Activities and Recreation Area (SARA) Park is a county leased recreation area that is truly a sports lovers paradise. … 1,100 acre park offers a variety of recreational opportunities including softball and baseball fields, a raceway, hiking trails, a BMX track, an area to fly model airplanes, and a shooting range.

Balance Rock Cove.

more photos

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closing 70 California State Parks?

spence sends us the bad news:

Come fall, Californians could find themselves with fewer parks to visit and fewer services available at parks that are open. That was the tenor of the plan that California State Parks officials outlined Friday as they targeted for shutdown 70 of the state’s 278 parks because of budget problems.

The closure plan is far from final, and if it does come to pass the closures wouldn’t go into effect until September, said State Parks Director Ruth Coleman.

Coleman also raised the possibility of diminished services — i.e., closing bathrooms, lifeguard towers and other facilities …

read more – California State Parks closures target 70 of the state’s 278 parks

Castle Rock State Park is on the list

Mary Forgione posted the full list of Parks slated for shut down on the LA Times.

Under Schwarzenegger I never took these threats seriously. But Brown is much more courageous in cutting budget. The Parks are symbolic. He really might do it.

Check out Save California State Parks

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hiking Big Morongo, California

trip report by besthike editor Rick McCharles

A Ranger recommended this superb series of trails in the Little San Bernardino Mountains, ideal for all ability / experience levels.

… Imagine a leisurely hike through a lush, verdant canyon of willows and free flowing water. Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is truly an oasis in this transition zone between the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. The lush vegetation stands in sharp contrast to the surrounding desert slopes. More than 240 species of birds have been observed in the Preserve …

WALK the TRAILS

I did a circuit: Marsh Trail … Mesquite Trail … West Canyon Trail … part way down Canyon Trail … And then looped back Mesquite, Yucca Ridge … Desert Willow … Marsh. Perhaps 5mi altogether.

Canyon Trail

Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is a nonprofit organization supported entirely by donations and volunteers. THANKS. You are doing a terrific job.

Maps and trail signage are all high quality. Better than what you get in the National Parks. A glossy pamphlet with colour photos is available, donated by Audobon. They even provide a “Track Guide” for identifying the muddy footprints of local critters. There’s no user fee. Wow.

more photos from this day hike

Check out the Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve – official website

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Castle Rock Trail, California

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

After finishing the Cougar Crest Trail, California, I decided to hang around Big Bear.

On the advice of a couple of PCT thru hikers, I checked into the hostel. Sarge greeted me warmly, wondering if I qualified for special PCT hiker rates.

I told him, “Not until next year.”

After checking in I headed for the other essential local hike, Castle Rock.

Distance: 1.5 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 700 ft

You’ve got to find a way to get up there:

If you only have one hour to spend in Big Bear, this is the trail for you. It is actually less than 1.5 miles, but you may want to explore around the area just a bit. You get inspiringly incredible views of Big Bear Lake from the vantage point on top of Castle Rock.

The climb isn’t for the faint of heart though, and acrophobics should steer clear. The trail itself is very steep, and you gain 600′ in about half a mile. However, it is so short, it can’t be called anything but easy. To get to the top, you must scramble, and there isn’t an “easy” route up …

Local Hikes

Here’s the vista from the top.

more photos

… It snowed that night and next morning. Some sort of record cold spell for May 17th.

I enjoyed Castle Rock more than Cougar Crest. The final scramble is FUN.

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Hiking Kananaskis, Alberta CA

Guest post via Greg Lynch of Scenic Travel Canada:

Hiking in Kananaskis (Alberta, Canada)

Tucked in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada, are a collection of provincial parks that few international hikers ever experience. Kananaskis Country is an uncrowded wilderness area one hour west of Calgary, the gateway to the Canadian Rockies. Adventure-seekers looking for a lesser known mountain paradise can get their high-altitude thrills in Alberta’s unspoiled backyard.

Millions of visitors unwittingly pass K-Country on their way to the more popular Banff National Park says Greg Lynch, an avid hiker & adventure seeker with Scenic Travel Canada. Outdoor-lovers can hike, bike, kayak and canoe over hundreds of miles in undeveloped territory in the Front Range.î

There are plenty of things to do in Kananaskis Country, Alberta including:


  • Take a road trip from Calgary on the highest paved highway in Canada. Highway 40 is open from June 15 to December 1 and winds through the pristine wilderness along the Highwood Pass. From your vehicle, youíll get mile panoramic views of snowy peaks and endless valleys.

  • In spring, prior to the opening of Highway 40 to traffic, many cyclists enjoy the open road all to themselves as they ride 95 kilometers from end-to-end. The best time to go is one month prior to opening (June 15). Any earlier, the road is still covered with snow.

  • Take a mountain bike excursion to the Alberta-BC border. Carnarvon Lake is a small turquoise lake along the Continental Divide. You’ll follow an old logging road, ford rivers, scale a rock-wall and even take a chilly dip in the cold, colourful water.

  • Saunter around Upper & Lower Kananaskis Lake and enjoy a classic Canadian mountain scene. A small boat launch is available for anglers, kayakers & canoeists. Hiking trails wind around the shore and deep into the surrounding canyons. You may recognize this picturesque location from movies such as X-Men & Brokeback Mountain.

  • Slow down and enjoy a picnic at one of the many family recreation sites such as the Mount Lorette Picnic area. The green-water ponds are stocked with fish to introduce little anglers to the solitude & thrill of fishing.

  • Take a bike tour around the only hotel in the area, which hosted the G8 summit meeting of world leaders in 2003. Paved trails wind through thick forests and along the immaculate Kananaskis River.

      • There are lots of mountain adventures for thrill-seekers just outside of Calgary and Banff, Alberta.. On your next trip to the Canadian Rockies, head off the beaten path and enjoy the undeveloped and wild places of Kananaskis Country.

I’m happy to give K Country this shout out. I post too infrequently on my own backyard. (I live less than an hour away in Calgary.)

… Brokeback Mountain and the G8 Summit site are unlikely tourist attractions, I’ll admit.

One of my favourite EASY cycling adventures, by the way, is to start at high Highwood Pass. And coast on down into Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.

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Cougar Crest Trail, California

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Visiting Big Bear, California for the first time, I made the obligatory hike up from the Discovery Center.

Distance: 5 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 1500 ft

… Breathtaking views (and a climb requiring breath to be taken!!) are “de rigeur” along the Cougar Crest Trail, located north of Big Bear Lake.

The trail, well-marked and generally in good condition, continues two miles (mostly north) until reaching a junction with the Pacific Crest Trail …

On a clear day, the Mojave Desert can be seen in the distance, and the views of San Gorgonio, Holcomb Valley, and (of course) Big Bear Lake are absolutely awesome. …

Local Hikes

When I reached the PCT trail, I met a couple of hikers confused on how to continue up to Bertha Peak.

EveryTrail map and photos.

I posted a few more photos taken with an iPod Touch.

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Suicide Rock, Idyllwild CA

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

In lovely Idyllwild, California, I inquired at the Ranger Station for the best hike in the area.

They recommended Suicide Rock, Deer Springs Trailhead … just a mile away.

6.5 miles round trip
2000 ft elevation gain

Lovely. A relatively easy day hike.

I did see one snake of indeterminate make and model. (A hiker told me that he had seen a Rattler about a year earlier on this same trail.)

more photos

Check Local Hikes for more information.

You can continue to the summit of San Jacinto Peak from that same trailhead.

What is this, by the way?