Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
What are the best day hikes in the world? Certainly you must include:
Rick Deutsch is the author of One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome, our recommended guidebook to one of the most exhilarating hikes anywhere. (See video)
Rick has a dedicated website as well — hikehalfdome.com — focused on the Half Dome hike and related topics.
One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome
UPDATE – Check the COMMENTS on this post for those embittered by being passed over for “icon status” by Amanda Beard.
Owen (the fool with wit) is a big time Canadian hiker.
His favourite Canuck hike is little known Donjek Glacier in Kluane National Park.
On a 2005 adventure during high season, Owen was told there were only 10 people in Kluane’s 22000 square kilometers!
… No signage. No one around but bears, wolves and mountains.
… creek crossings in frigid conditions. Pure good times.
Fantastic Donjek photos and video clips are posted on his unique website: eyecsed.com
eyecsed.com
After my own Tombstone hike in the Yukon this past summer, the Donjek Route appeals. It’s next on my list.
The Donjek is almost a loop if you access the trail off the Alaska Highway at Duke River and finish 11km (7mi.) south of where you started at Copper Joe Creek.
I’ll check these details with Owen:
The 96-kilometre (60-mi.) advanced wilderness trek requires map and compass abilities and good trail-finding skills. It takes you across rolling open meadows, up and down steep ridges and through deep gullies before arriving at the sprawling glacier mass.
Distance:100 km (approx.)
Time:8 -10 days
Maximum Elevation: (7100′) …Note: A route is not a trail. Routes are not marked with signs or maintained in any manner. The route described here is only a suggestion that may help guide you on your trip. It describes only one of many options for hiking to the Donjek Glacier. …
Overview:
One of the most popular hikes for wilderness enthusiasts is the Donjek Route. Rising over the vast alpine of the Burwash Uplands and then descending to the toe of the Donjek Glacier, this hike typifies “pristine mountain wilderness“.
… The route follows creek and river drainage for the most part with some sections along an old road, horse and wildlife trails, and some sections, without any obvious trail at all. Route finding abilities and solid wilderness experience is essential …
If you need more inspiration, Patrick Verheyen also posted photos of his 2003 hike in the region: A walk in Kluane National Park – PBase
Ruth with her pack – larger original
UPDATE: Owen recommends Kluane National Park Hiking Guide by Vivien Lougheed. Check the COMMENTS on this post for more of Owen’s advice.
On Owen’s recommendation, we’ve added Donjek Glacier to our list of best hikes in North America.
Includes a bear at Little Yosemite campground.
Description: For some people, it’s the hike of a lifetime. It’s 5000 feet straight up to an unforgettable view of the legendary Yosemite Valley. For the full travelogue on Yosemite Park’s Half Dome Trek, including related videos, interactive map, and useful links, visit WWW.OPENROAD.TV
Click PLAY or watch it on Travelistic.
I’m fed up with traditional water filters.
Are any of the too-good-to-be-true innovations worth trying?
If so, leave a comment below this post.
MSR Miox Water Purifier with Batteries – Amazon
iStraw – official website
SteriPEN products – official website
(via Darren Barefoot)
If I won a million dollars I’d take a tour of the great wilderness lodges of the World.
If I won only a hundred thousand dollars I’d start with a tour of the American lodges.
Here’s the top 10 in the States as selected by Sherman’s Travel:
- The Ahwahnee
- Big Meadows Lodge
- Camp Denali & North Face Lodge
- Crater Lake Lodge
- Jenny Lake Lodge
- Maho Bay Camps
- Many Glacier Hotel
- Phantom Ranch
- Volcano House
- Zion Lodge
10 Best Lodges in the National Parks | National Parks Traveler
National Geographic chose these five:
- The Ahwahnee – Yosemite National Park, California
- Old Faithful Inn – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
- Big Meadows Lodge – Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
- Kennicott Glacier Lodge – Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, Alaska
- Sperry Chalet and Granite Park Chalet – Glacier National Park, Montana
Big Meadows Lodge, Shenandoah National Park – Travelocity
Yes, these lists are very subjective. More conversation starters than anything else.
On my grand Lodges tour I’d put together my own definitive top 10 list.
Any other great Park hotels you would include on your own list? Worldwide? If so, leave a comment below.
Warren Long saw I was thinking of buying an $800 Alpacka for paddle hiking.
He offered to loan me his $20 raft.
Will a Cheap-O get me across the lake to the trailhead? Sure. In most cases.
I’m not on a 4000mi Pacific coast mega-adventure.
Well played, Warren. I’ll try a cheap raft first before buying an Alpacka.
Janet Wilson, as part of her 50th birthday fitness program, decided to walk our #1 hike in the World.
She did the research, bought the gear, finished a series of training hikes (adding 5lbs each time), grabbed her husband … and headed for the wild Shipwreck Coast.
… I suggested to my husband that for my birthday he give me, not some extravagant present or party, but his support and partnership in tackling a big physical goal: hiking the West Coast Trail.
It was something I had always wanted to do, but now I was not at all sure my aging carcass could withstand the training, let alone reach a point where it could carry a 40 pound pack over rough terrain for 7 days. But I decided to try. I read every book and web account on the trail I could find.
… we bought all the rest of our gear: the Mutha Hubba tent and footprint, Exped 7 Downmats (a bit heavy, but I knew I needed a great sleep to recover at nights), MontBlanc DownHugger sleeping bags, a SilTarp II for the inevitable rainy days, MSR’s Superfly stove and fuel canisters (3), hiking poles (purchased last and on impulse, but one of the best purchases we made) and a Katadyn Vario MicroFilter …
See Janet’s entire trip report – WesternWilson – The West Coast Trail, September 2007
Congratulations. We are proud of you Janet!
We’ve linked Janet’s trip report to our West Coast Trail information page.
UPDATED October 12, 2007
I finally heard back from The Parks Listens Panel Team (Ipsos-Reid) regarding their confusing Parks Canada survey and $1000 contest. The entire email is reprinted in the comments below.
A quick summary for those like me mightily confused:
There are two separate links:
www.join.parkslistens.ca is the official website for individuals who have received an invitation card to join the Parks Listens panel ($1000 contest)
www.parkslistens.ca is the login webpage for individuals who have already registered with the Parks Listens panel.
In order to clarify eligibility to participate in the Parks Listens panel and the prize draw contest, we have added more information to both web pages.
questions to parkslistens-parcecoute@ipsos-reid.com
original post from September 28th, 2007 below =====
I want to thank Frank Grigel of the Canada Parks Listens project.
He’s the first person who has acknowledge to me from the Project that he listens.
BACKGROUND:
I love Parks Canada — but complain consistently that their Park Entrance fees and User Fees are much higher than the USA:
So far as I can see, Parks Canada is a typical, socialist government bureaucracy unaccountable to the Canadian taxpayer.
The one hope I might have some input into policy was an initiative called PARKS LISTENS.
At least they made an effort to collect input from the users of the National Parks.
Though I’ve been getting email surveys circulated by Parks Listens since the beginning, the Project to me seems to have been bungled. It’s run not by Parks Canada, but the Ipsos-Reid Corporation.
I have no idea where the Project is going. The time line. Nothing.
If you check the official website — www.parkslistens.ca — you will be none the wiser. (This redirects to http://iaf.ipsos.ca/iaf/parkslistens.html)
No information is available to the general public.
To promote the project, Parks Listens offered some $1000 prizes to those who join up to participate in their on-line surveys. The catch is … YOU NEED TO BE INVITED AND HAVE A PASSWORD. AND FIND THE RIGHT PAGE ON THE INTERNET TO REGISTER.
This process works for some, but not for many others.
In frustration, people ended up on this blog … venting. As am I.
Finally Frank sent us this message:
I work on the Parks Listens project. A person recently contacted us and said that when they tried to access http://www.join.parkslistens.ca that they were referred to this blog. I assure you that our site is operating and we receive new entries every day.
If you type http://www.join.parkslistens.ca into a search engine (such a Google) you are referred to this blog. Please try typing http://www.join.parkslistens.ca into your browser’s address. If you are still having problems, please contact us at parkslistens-parcsecoute@ipsos-reid.com.
I apologize to anyone who had trouble registering for the contest. It is real and the next entry deadline is October 31, 2007.
Thanks again, Frank.
I will refer people to the correct URL and email address.
But, seriously, why doesn’t Ipsos-Reid explain the project — and the contest — on the website? Here’s what it looks like today:
How friendly or helpful is was this?
Please tell Ipsos-Reid to put full information on the Project and Contest on the site. And to link to the seemingly hidden contest registration page so that those with invitations can find it.
Yeesh … Ipsos-Reid is one of the biggest and best survey companies in the World. They have thousands of employees.
How can they have messed up this Project so badly?
official website — www.parkslistens.ca/
besthike.com 