Backpacker (March 2010)

ULTIMATE ROCKIES THE TOP TRAILS, VIEWS,
PEAKS, AND CAMPSITES
+
Dream Big!
FIND
BETTER
HIKE
NEAR YSOU
P. 22
(and stay on budget)
34 affordable epics in Yellowstone,
Yosemite, Alaska, Glacier & more
TESTED
Take Your Best Headlamps
Photos Ever Raingear
Cameras
66 PORTRAITS & MORE
TIPS FOR SCENICS, WILDLIFE,
Wine!
Hike Farther,
Feel Better
7 WAYS TO GET STRONGER
AND RECOVER FASTER
PICTURE THIS: LEARN
HOW TO CAPTURE
SUNRISE SHOTS
LIKE THIS IMAGE OF
CHILE’S CUERNOS DEL
PAINE ON PAGE 36.
MARCH 2010
Options shown. 12010 EPA 17/23 city/highway mpg estimates for 4Runner 2WD V6. Actual mileage will vary. 2Before towing, confirm your vehicle
and trailer are compatible, hooked up and loaded properly and that you have any necessary additional equipment. Do not exceed any Weight
Ratings and follow all instructions in your Owner’s Manual. The maximum you can tow depends on the total weight of any cargo, occupants
and available equipment.3V6 models only. ©2009 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

With an available 270-hp V6, 23 mpg EPA highway rating1 and available 5000-lb. towing
capacity,2,3 the all-new Fifth Generation 4Runner hauls home catches of both epic and
questionable proportions. Discover more at TOYOTA.COM/4RUNNER

®
www.bigagnes.com • 877.554.8975

March 2010
DESTINATIONS 02 FEATURES
04
:[ij_dWj_edi
22 NEW TRIPS NEAR YOU! YOU
ARE
06
41 brand-new hikes from Asheville to
87I;97CF
FAST FORWARD: REACH THE
SAWTOOTH MOUNTAINS’ HELL
HERE
08
ROARING LAKE AFTER JUST AN
HOUR OF EASY HIKING ON THE
IMOGENE PASS LOOP (BELOW).
UTM 11T 0665397E 4876679N
Whitefish, mapped by our contributors.

24 TOP 3 LUXE HIKES 10
Explore trails by day, then kick back by 12
night at these hiker-centric resorts. 14
26 NATURAL WONDERS
16
Death Valley’s blooms can blanket
100,00 acres. Plus: Colorado’s tallest 18 Ultimate Rockies Dehj^[hdHeYa_[i
;nfbeh[j^[Bem[h*.Éim_bZ[ijWbf_d[j[hhW_d"m^[h[oekÉbb\_dZY^Wbb[d]_d]f[WaiWdZX_]#j_Ya[jm_bZb_\[$
20 With 3,000 miles of world-class alpine scenery in M;;A;D:

?ce][d[FWiiBeef"?:
ice waterfall and Florida’s tiny deer.
½=E8?=>_a[9WdWZWÉi=h[Wj:_l_Z[JhW_b
the heart of the country, no other North American Im_c"Yb_cX"dWfÅh[f[Wj$J^_iIWmjeejîjh[a^Wi_jWbb$ \hecAWdWdWia_iBWa[ije<_[bZ$?d')-
]beh_ekic_b[i"oekÉbbfWiij^hek]î[l[d
range offers such easy access and immense payoff. IeWh_d]]hWd_j[h_Z][b_d[iWdZYb[WhXbk[
bWa[icWa[j^[IWmjeej^CekdjW_diWd
>[bbHeWh_d]BWa["m_j^_jia_bb[hl_[mie\Cj$
9hWc[h":[Ya[hF[Wa"WdZj^[<_d][he\<Wj["
_Yed_YfWhai"_dYbkZ_d]8Wd\\WdZ@Wif[h$
=k_Z[>_a_d]9WdWZWÉi=h[Wj:_l_Z[JhW_b"
From New Mexico to Canada, the continent’s most
22
?ZWêjh[Wikh[$9edi_Z[hj^[dkcX[hi0*& W'"&&&#\eejf_ddWYb[WdZ+$.hekj["\ehoek Xo:kij_dBodn(+"hcXeeai$Yec
f[Waiceh[j^Wd'&"&&&\[[j^_]^")&& Yb_cX[hi_dj^[YhemZ$9edj_dk[j^h[[#fbki ½=E>?=>9b_cX?h[d[Éi7hj[_d=hWdZ
28 MY BACKYARD ADIRONDACKS exalted mountains serve up several lifetimes of bWa[i"WdZ(+&jhW_bc_b[ifWYa[Z_djeW c_b[ijebWa[iêh[YWcfied[_j^[hi_Z[e\ J[jedDWj_edWbFWha$J^[d_d[#f_jY^"
if[YjWYkbWh"('-"&&&#WYh[m_bZ[hd[ii$Edbo ?ce][d[FWii$<hec;Z_j^BWa["_jÉiWd[_]^j# +$/heYahekj[^Wiikf[hX]hWd_j[WdZ
unforgettable adventure. Where to start? With this ]ejWm[[a[dZ5IWcfb[j^[X[ije\j^[

IWmjeejîÅW^_]^Z[di_joe\bWa[iWdZ
c_b[Z[iY[djedj^[O[bbem8[bboJhW_bjej^[
jhW_b^[WZ"`kije\\?:-+$J^[i^kjjb[ÉiWd[Wio
]eeZfhej[Yj_edÅWdZed[l[ho[nY_j_d]
êhi[XWYa#h_Z][#ijhWZZb[$dfi$]el%]hj[
complete guide to the best weekend and weeklong

f[Waim_j^WiêhjWffheWY^Åedj^_i'+# ,$(+c_b[iiekj^Wbed]?:-+b[Wl[WYWheh ½=EBKN;7\j[hj^[=h[Wj:_l_Z[JhW_b
c_b[beefm_j^Wi_n#c_b[i^kjjb[$Ed[ X_a["ehêe\_j$J^[mWo>[bbHeWh_d]jhW_b# jef"ifbkh][edj^[<W_hcedj8Wd\\
Our ’Daks junkie dishes on the best 24

treks, epic dayhikes, and summit climbs, of course.
YWl[Wj0M_j^f[WaXW]]_d]efj_edijej^[ ^[WZ_ie\\?:-+"ed<H)'+*M:iekjê\ Ifh_d]i>ej[b$?jÉiWcekdjW_dYWijb["
[Wij'&"'(+#\eej?ce][d[F[WaWdZm[ij IjWdb[o$CWfKI<IIWmjeej^DWj_edWb<eh[ij m_jîfWiWdZh[ijWkhWdjijecWjY^
'&"(''#\eejFWo[jj[F[Wae\?ce][d[FWii"
By Steve Howe, Rocky Mountain Editor
A[jY^kcDehj^'*"i[[9edjWYj9edjWYj j^[iY[d[ho$7ia\ehheeciedj^[=ebZ
oekÉbbmWdjWbeeeed]m[[a[dZ\ehj^_ihekj[$ (&.--*#)&&&1\i$\[Z$ki%h*%iWmjeej^Jh_f <beeh$\W_hcedj$Yec%XWd\\ifh_d]i
<hecj^[jhW_b^[WZ"^_a['$-+[Wioc_b[ije ZWjWXWYafWYa[h$Yec%^_a[i%+,)+()
peaks, waterfalls, and campsites.

HE9A?;I;L;DJI0979>;9H;;AJH7?BHKDJ>?IJ;JEDI9B7II?99;B;8H7J;I?JI)'IJO;7H?D@KBOJ;JEDCEKDJ7?D;;H?D=$9EC$ =B79?;HCEKDJ7?D;;H?D=IE9?;JO9;DJ;DD?7BIKCC?J@E?DJ>?I7BF?D;F7HJO7J=B79?;HD7J?ED7BF7HA@KBO(&#(,=B79?;H9;DJ;DD?7B$EH=$
26
12 BACKPACKER 03.2010 03.2010 BACKPACKER 13
29 RIP & GO WEEKEND ADVENTURES

Load pack. Tear out page. Go. This
month: Yosemite, Nebraska, and Maine.
35 THE PEAK MT. TAMALPAIS
Nice: wilderness solitude with Pacific
28
30
32
34
12 Ultimate
Rockies
Disappear into Yellowstone’s forgotten peaks. Bag Colorado’s
COVER
STORY
most exciting Fourteener. Hike Utah’s unknown long trail. Our

views. Nicer: It’s 20 miles from San
36 field editors pick 24 epics for your Rockies life list. By Steve Howe
Francisco and comes with a beer garden.
38
SKILLS COVER
40 Alaska { } 2010
IMAX ENVY: ALASKA VIEWS PUT EVEN
THE BIGGEST SCREEN TO SHAME.
HIKE UP 7,300-FOOT TRIANGLE
PEAK TO SCORE THIS VISTA OF THE
CASTNER GLACIER (PAGE 68).
STORY
42
36 SHOOT LIKE A PRO 44
Our top photographers share their
secrets. Plus: 6 trail-friendly cameras
46
Big
The
44 THE MANUAL SPRING SNOWFIELD 48

PHOTOS BY (FROM TOP) DUNTON HOT SPRINGS; CHUCK HANEY; DAVE MILLER; JUSTIN BAILIE; COURTESY; HOMAN PHOTO
Cross the steeps safely and avoid ava-

lanches with these guide-approved tips.
50
52 Easy
46 PREDICAMENT RAGING RIVER 8WYafWYa[hih[]WhZ
54
7bWiaWj^[mWoikh\[hil_[m
COVER >WmW__0=e_d]j^[h[_i
Wh_j[e\fWiiW][$8kjjee
STORY
Learn the best way to ford an ice-cold
e\j[d"^_a[hij^_daj^Wjj^[
jhkbom_bZi_Z[e\7bWiaW_i
56
WYY[ii_Xb[edbojeX_]
if[dZ[him_j^^[Wfie\
[nf[h_[dY[WdZWXki^fbWd[$
torrent without getting swept away. Mhed]$BWijikcc[h"ekh

j[Wcif[djceh[j^Wd
58
WcedjîYekj_d]jh_fi$
H[ikbj0'&b_\[#b_ijWZl[djkh[i
48 HEALTH HIKE FAR, FEEL BETTER \eh[l[ho^_a[hWdZXkZ][j$

8OIJ;L;>EM;
Double your mileage with our training 60 60 60

BACKPACKER 03.2010
BACKPACKER 11.2009
JejWbjh_fYeijiÅ_dYbkZ_d]]hekdZjhWdifehjWj_edWdZ
\eeZÅijWhjWj`kij(&&f[hf[hied\ehjme^_a[hi$
plan. Recover with four healthy snacks. 62
Alaska!
50 GEAR SCHOOL INSULATION COVER
64 STORY
Here’s how to choose, store, and main-
tain the right fill for your bag and parka. 66
68
GEAR 70 60 The Hikes
72 Plan your perfect trip—from a budget-friendly weekend to an
52 FIELD TEST HEADLAMPS entry-level expedition—with field reports from Steve Howe.
74
From superbright to superlight, we
review five great lamps that do it all. 76 74 The Mystery
56 REVIEW HYDRATION 78 Imagine an Alaska paradise with trout bigger than your leg, bears
and caribou traipsing by camp, and no people—except your good
Drink up with the best new bottles, 80
packs, and more. Plus: go-fast shoes. friends. This place exists. Jonathan Dorn has photographic proof.
82 He can’t tell you where it is, but he can tell you how to get there.
PEOPLE 84
86 80 The Adventure
Forty years after his own adolescent ascent of the Arctic’s
58 The upside to getting downsized? 88
Mt. Chamberlin, John Harlin returns with his 13-year-old daughter.
More time to thru-hike! Plus: wilderness 90 But can she overcome her fear of mountains? On this father-child
webcams and a record-setting paddler.
92 epic, glaciers and grizzlies may be the least of the hazards.
Hike to the cover Jon Cornforth snapped this sunrise in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile. 7 Editor’s Note 96 Eye in the Sky
03.2010 BACKPACKER 3
GPS ANNOUNCING
ENABLED™
OUTDRY®
Salt bagel wth
STAFF PICKS FAVORITE ON-TRAIL ENERGY FOOD GLOVES
chocolate GU and Honey Stinger
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jonathan Dorn PUBLISHER Kent Ebersole Almonds Protein Bar (Dark
chunky peanut butter
DESIGN DIRECTOR Matthew Bates (303) 625-1605 kebersole@backpacker.com Chocolate Cherry
Clif Luna Sport Moon Dark chocolate- Almond)
Energy Chews (Blueberry) covered pretzels EDITORIAL MARKETING DIRECTOR Charina Lumley
(303) 625-1607 clumley@backpacker.com Clif Shot Bloks
Clif Mojo bar EXECUTIVE EDITOR Dennis Lewon
(Peanut Butter SENIOR EDITOR Tracy Ross (Black Cherry)
and Jelly) EASTERN SALES MANAGER Todd Peters
Snickers MAP EDITOR Kris Wagner (917) 744-1645 tpeters@backpacker.com Sardines and
My dad’s amazing GEAR EDITOR Kristin Hostetter
GORP slices of cooked
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Shannon Davis NORTHEAST SALES MANAGER Candice Boyd sweet potato
Bulk chocolate ASSISTANT EDITOR Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan (978) 346-9385 cboyd@backpacker.com
ginger trail mix ASSISTANT MAP EDITOR Kim Phillips
Nature Valley
NORTHWEST EDITOR Michael Lanza DETROIT SALES MANAGER Chris Marcangelo
Honey Stinger Granola Bar
Organic ROCKY MOUNTAIN EDITOR Steve Howe
Energy SOUTHWEST EDITOR Annette McGivney MIDWEST SALES MANAGER Michael Byrne
Chews (Fruit INTERNS Jimy Valenti, Carolyn Michaels (773) 271-6171 mbyrne@backpacker.com Pure Protein
Smoothie) Honey Chocolate
GREEN EDITOR Berne Broudy Peanut
SOUTHWEST SALES MANAGER Michael Austry
The Cookie Queen’s Sunbelt Chewy Granola Butter Bar
Dried mango (214) 252-9971 maustry@sbcglobal.net
Backcountry Bar Bar (Golden Almond) Twizzlers
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Kelly Bastone,
EXTREME
Dried black NORTHWESTERN REPRESENTATION Nicholas Freedman
John Harlin, (707) 775-3376 nick@mediahoundsinc.com
mission figs
Sweet ‘n’ spicy Buck Tilton,
homemade GORP
WATERPROOF
Jim Gorman NORTHWESTERN ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE David McRobie
WRITER AT LARGE Steve Friedman (707) 775-2496 david@mediahoundsinc.com
Peanut M&M’s
MAP CORRESPONDENTS
PROTECTION
Kristy Holland and Brian Beer (coordinators), Amy Balfour, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SALES MANAGER Richard Taw, III
(310) 341-2341 richard@accessmediala.com
Alan Bauer, Jeremy Barnes, Nathan Barnes, Michael Blair,
Eli Boschetto, Jeff Chow, Lisa Densmore, Melissa Gaskill,
MARKETPLACE/CLASSIFIED REPRESENTATIVE Zachary Watson
Dave Miller, Rich Rudow, MacKenzie Ryan, Scott Sanders, (303) 625-1608 zwatson@backpacker.com
Casey Schreiner, Kelly Stewart, David Tate, Bill Velasquez, Spicy jerky The waterproof / breathable OutDry®
Ted Villaire, Charlie Williams, Galen Williams
OFFICE MANAGER JoAnn Hopkins
MAGAZINE PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Barb Van Sickle
PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Joy Kelley
membrane is bonded directly to the
Peanut butter banana sandwich I.T. GURU Nick Anthony PUBLISHING ASSISTANT Janine Zwetolitz inside of the glove shell, sealing all entry
Banana nut chocolate DESIGN MARKETING MANAGERS Alison Kennedy, Joanne Reynolds points, including stitching: water, snow
chip muffin ONLINE MARKETING MANAGER Sarah McBrair
PHOTO EDITOR Julia Beck Vandenoever
SENIOR ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR Genny Fullerton
RESEARCH DIRECTOR Kristy Kaus and wind are blocked on the outside.
Homemade
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Jacqueline McCaffrey trail mix
PHOTO INTERN Rita Marie Gordon
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Barbara Besser • Totally waterproof
GROUP FULFILLMENT MANAGER Jessica Bucher
PB&J sandwich
GROUP NEW BUSINESS MANAGER Tom Porcella • Windproof: keeps hands warmer
BACKPACKER.COM WEB & PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR Debbie Kane
Chocolate- • Highly breathable: manages excess body vapor
covered Clif Shot Bloks EDITOR Anthony Cerretani
espresso (Strawberry) PRODUCER Katie Herrell • Perfect fit: increased dexterity
beans ASSISTANT EDITOR Ted Alvarez READERS’ CHOICE
INTERNS Jessicca Lucier, Jordan Olmsted Best trail snack FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO:
Homemade peppered FIELD CORRESPONDENTS Berne Broudy,
beef jerky WWW.MOUNTAINHARDWEAR.COM/OUTDRY
Michael Brown, Steve Howe
Lasagna
SUBSCRIPTIONS & READER PREFERENCES Energy 12%
BACKPACKER SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTMENT bar
PO BOX 420235, PALM COAST, FL 32142-0235 37%
BACKPACKER.COM/SUBSERVICE
BACKPACKER@EMAILCUSTOMERSERVICE.COM GORP
(800) 666-3434 (386-597-4318 OUTSIDE THE U.S.) 51%
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AS THEY APPEAR ON
THE MAGAZINE MAILING LABEL WITH ALL CORRESPONDENCE.
ALLOW 8 WEEKS FOR CHANGE OF ADDRESS. TO REMOVE YOUR Vote this month at backpacker.com.
NAME FROM PROMOTION LISTS, WRITE TO THE ADDRESS ABOVE.
CHAIRMAN & CEO Efrem Zimbalist III
GROUP PUBLISHER & COO Andrew W. Clurman
FREEL ANCE SUBMISSIONS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & CFO Brian Sellstrom
BACKPACKER.COM/GUIDELINES SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS Patricia B. Fox
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ACTIVE INTEREST MEDIA

LETTERS@BACKPACKER.COM 300 CONTINENTAL BLVD. SUITE 650 JALAPENO™ GLOVE
EL SEGUNDO, CA 90245
EDITORIAL AND BUSINESS OFFICES
(310) 356-4100 Insulated, with full grain leather palm
(310) 356-4110 FAX
2520 55TH STREET, SUITE 210 and a long gauntlet.
BOULDER, CO 80301
SELLING BACKPACKER
TO SELL BACKPACKER IN YOUR RETAIL STORE, CALL
INTEGRATED MARKETING CONCEPTS AT (800) 201-3591.
Magazine
Publishers
of America
Printed on recycled
and chlorine-free paper
“Clear!”
Nikwax®cansavethelife
ofleatherfootwear.
UseNikwax®WaterproofingWaxforLeather®toresuscitateyour
smoothleatherfootwear.
Nikwax®WaterproofingWaxforLeatherTMissolventandVOCfree,waterbased
andsuitableforalltypesofsmoothleather.Itaddswaterrepellency,reduceswater
absorptionandmaintainsbreathability.Worksimmediatelyafterapplication.
AvailableinLiquidandCreamformulas. moreproductinfo:nikwax.com
WINSWEETGEAR!LikethisGoProHelmetHero.
www.nikwax.net/backpackerdrawingseverymonth
Nikwaxproductsareavailableat www.rei.com

Editor’s Note
BY JONATHAN DORN
IN MY...
PACK
First Ascent Guide Gloves
Despite 23 inches of snow
in late October, winter
didn’t hit Boulder as hard
this year, thanks to these
PrimaLoft-filled leather Sanctuary
gloves from the design WE NEED IT MORE THAN EVER. AND WE
partnership of Eddie Bauer
and the guides at Whittaker KNOW EXACTLY WHERE TO FIND IT.
Mountaineering. For active,
technical use in cold temps, I highly recom- TOUGH YEAR, EH? I’ve never had a more
mend them. (Read a full review on page 54.)
stressful one myself, thanks to the econ-
$119; XS-XL; firstascent.com
omy, increased job responsibilities, and
the pressure that comes with having to do
NETWORK more with less—and faster. We’ve enjoyed
How to join our reader panel memorable moments in the last 12 months,
Would it surprise you to
learn that I gathered feed- like winning three National Magazine
back on every feature story Awards. And unlike the thru-hikers you’ll
in this issue from a select
meet on page 58, we still have jobs. But
group of readers before
our editors assigned any you know that hamster-on-a-wheel feeling? That was me a few weeks ago, and the
of the ideas? I did, and we wheel only seemed to be accelerating. Not fun—for me, my wife, or my kids.
hope the results match what you want from
Shi Shi Beach changed all that. On paper, winter is the worst possible time to
BACKPACKER. If they don’t—or if you’d like to
join the monthly voting on content, covers, hike the northern section of Washington’s wild Olympic coast. Daylight fades just
and more—sign up for our exclusive panel at after 3 p.m., storm-fortified tides rake the narrow spits, and rain falls in king-sized
backpacker.com/readerpanel.
sheets. Sure enough, as if on cue, a 30-mph gale greeted us at the trailhead.
But there was a method to my madness. I needed to escape somewhere deeply
BOOKMARKS quiet, to a remote spot where we could completely unwind. When we phoned
Five new national park sites the park’s backcountry desk with our plan, I knew we’d found it. The ranger’s
response said it all: silence, then disbelief, then a warning, then laughter.
Backpackers intuitively understand that nature holds the best remedy for a
whacked-out psyche. Wilderness really is a sanctuary—in all of the ways the
PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) COURTESY; WWW.PATRICKLOVEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM; BEN FULLERTON
term implies. But as with other remedies, you sometimes need a really strong
dose, which is exactly what the Olympics in winter provided. Even as the wind
and waves crashed, we found a place of stillness and refuge, almost holy, like the
bosom of a church. Anywhere on earth, in any conditions, you can walk into the
woods, peel away society’s barnacles, and meditate your way back to balance.
That’s what we discovered. Endless rain? No matter. We got silly wet exploring
tide pools, then slept for 12 hours. (Wow, did that feel good.) Tides too high? We
counted ferns, studied anemones, and blissed out on an agenda-free agenda.
Need your own remedy? Shi Shi is one option (view my trip at backpacker.com/
If you’ve read my column for a few years, you
know that I shamelessly promote my favor-
hikes/578574), or turn to page 60 for a route in America’s ultimate refuge: Alaska.
ite hikes, causes, and BACKPACKER ven- Even if you have to wring puddles out of your socks—as I did—it’ll be worth it.
tures. But the latest project is one I can plug
shame-free, because NationalParkTrips.com
RELEASE YOUR INNER ANSEL
is the most comprehensive family of trip- I have an old photo from a Rainier hike that’s so vibrant it
planning sites for park fans on the web. instanty takes me back to the musky odor of the milkweed,
Visit now to research your next getaway to the tartness of the huckleberries, and my buddy’s impromptu yoga
Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, poses. I have another picture from the Catskills that could have the
Rocky Mountain, or Zion. You’ll find expert same impact—but it’s dark and fuzzy. Sound familiar? If so, we have
advice on the best outfitters, hikes, wildlife two cures. On page 36, our favorite photographers share their secrets
for nailing stellar images. And at backpacker.com/pics, our photo
viewing, and more. You can also receive
editors dispense wisdom on exposure, composition, and techniques
a free vacation kit with special offers on
that will help you produce consistently great pics like the beauties in
local accommodations and activities. the 60-plus slideshows at backpacker.com/mediacenter.
/////WEB EXTRA /
Baselayer
Natural thermal regulation works with

your body’s temperature control system
to keep you dry, warm and comfortable
COME SEE US AT...

OR WINTER SHOW Salt Lake City, UT January 21-24 BOOTH # 33051
SIA SHOW Denver, CO January 28-31 BOOTH # 1350

Inside this month...
22 New Trips Near You
29 Rip & Go: Yosemite Snowshoe
36 Photo Special: Shoot Like a Pro
46 Cross a Raging River—and Survive
52 Field Test: Headlamps
SWEET DESTINY: THE FINGER OF FATE

LOOMS OVER HELL ROARING LAKE, NEAR
THE START OF THE IMOGENE PASS LOOP IN
IDAHO’S SAWTOOTH MOUNTAINS (PAGE 13).
UTM 11T 0663235E 4876719N
10 BACKPACKER 03.2010 PHOTO BY CHAD CASE / IDAHO STOCK IMAGES

BASECAMP
BASECAMP
Ultimate Rockies
With 3,000 miles of world-class alpine scenery in
the heart of the country, no other North American
range offers such easy access and immense payoff.
From New Mexico to Canada, the continent’s most
exalted mountains serve up several lifetimes of
unforgettable adventure. Where to start? With this
complete guide to the best weekend and weeklong
treks, epic dayhikes, and summit climbs, of course.
By Steve Howe, Rocky Mountain Editor
ROCKIES EVENTS: CACHE CREEK TRAIL RUN THIS TETONS CLASSIC CELEBRATES ITS 31ST YEAR IN JULY (TETONMOUNTAINEERING.COM).
12 BACKPACKER 03.2010

FAST FORWARD: REACH THE
SAWTOOTH MOUNTAINS’ HELL
ROARING LAKE AFTER JUST AN
HOUR OF EASY HIKING ON THE
IMOGENE PASS LOOP (BELOW).
UTM 11T 0665397E 4876679N
Northern Rockies
Explore the Lower 48’s wildest alpine terrain, where you’ll find challenging peaks and big-ticket wildlife.
WEEKEND
Imogene Pass Loop, ID » GO BIG Hike Canada’s Great Divide Trail
Swim, climb, nap—repeat. This Sawtooths trek has it all. from Kananaskis Lakes to Field. In 137
glorious miles, you’ll pass through seven
Soaring granite ridgelines and clear blue Hell Roaring Lake, with its killer views of Mt. iconic parks, including Banff and Jasper.
lakes make the Sawtooth Mountains an Cramer, Decker Peak, and the Finger of Fate, Guide Hiking Canada’s Great Divide Trail,
Idaho treasure. Consider the numbers: 40 a 1,000-foot pinnacle (and 5.8 route, for you by Dustin Lynx ($25, rmbooks.com)
PHOTO BY CHAD CASE / IDAHO STOCK IMAGES
peaks more than 10,000 feet high, 300 climbers in the crowd). Continue three-plus » GO HIGH Climb Irene’s Arête in Grand
lakes, and 250 trail miles packed into a miles to lakeshore camps on either side of Teton National Park. The nine-pitch,
spectacular, 217,000-acre wilderness. Only Imogene Pass. From Edith Lake, it’s an eight- 5.9 rock route has superb granite and
got a weekend? Sample the best of the mile descent on the Yellow Belly Trail to the good protection—and one very exciting
Sawtooths—a high density of lakes and trailhead, just off ID 75. The shuttle’s an easy horseback-ridge-straddle. nps.gov/grte
peaks with a short approach—on this 15- 6.25 miles south along ID 75 (leave a car or » GO LUXE After the Great Divide Trail
mile loop (with a six-mile shuttle). One bike, or hoof it). The way Hell Roaring trail- (top), splurge on the Fairmont Banff
caveat: With peakbagging options to the head is off ID 75, on FR 315 (4WD) south of Springs Hotel. It’s a mountain castle,
east (10,125-foot Imogene Peak) and west Stanley. Map USFS Sawtooth National Forest with spas and restaurants to match
(10,211-foot Payette Peak) of Imogene Pass, Ketchum (North) ($14, see Contact) Contact the scenery. Ask for rooms on the Gold
you’ll want a loooong weekend for this route. (208) 774-3000; fs.fed.us/r4/sawtooth Trip Floor. fairmont.com/banffsprings
From the trailhead, hike 1.75 easy miles to data backpacker.com/hikes/563523
GLACIER MOUNTAINEERING SOCIETY CENTENNIAL SUMMIT JOIN THIS ALPINE PARTY AT GLACIER NATIONAL PARK JULY 20-26 (GLACIERCENTENNIAL.ORG).
ULTIMATE ROCKIES
DESTINATIONS
BAG IT!
Thompson Peak, ID
Climb the high point of the Sawtooth Mountains.
The trek to this classically craggy, 10,751-foot summit makes for a long day or sweet overnight.
Either way, it belongs on any peak lover’s must-do list because it provides one of those wild
journeys that only a remote mountain can deliver. Thompson lords over its surroundings, with
a jaw-dropper view of the Stanley Valley and the Sawtooths’ jagged spine. To reach it, hike 6.5
miles (one-way) and gain 4,200 feet from the Redfish Lake backpacker’s parking lot. Follow
the Fishhook Creek Trail northwest on timbered ridgelines to an unnamed lake basin at 9,000
feet; find good campsites here if you’re overnighting. The rest of the route is off-trail: Climb
to the 9,800-foot saddle between Thompson and Williams Peaks. From there, swing south
around the far (west) side of Thompson. Traverse across talus on Thompson’s west face to
a ridgeline saddle southwest of the summit, and make the final ascent by following climber Mix It Up
trails through the cliff bands above. (This route is not technical until the last 50 feet—an Raft Idaho’s Middle Fork of the Salmon.
exposed scramble to gain the summit block. Pack an ice axe for added security on snowfield Among river aficionados, this is the
crossings.) The way Five miles south of Stanley, on ID 75, take Redfish Lake Road west; go two
wilderness stream that makes everybody’s
miles to the trailhead. Map USFS Sawtooth National Forest Ketchum (North) ($14, see Contact)
Contact (208) 774-3000; fs.fed.us/r4/sawtooth Trip data backpacker.com/hikes/563518 life list. The bottle-green Middle Fork offers
96 miles of class III-IV rapids, deep-gorge
PITCH PERFECT: GET A JUMP ON THOMPSON scenery, superb campsites, and numerous
PEAK WITH A BASECAMP AT 9,000 FEET.
hot springs. The catch? Private river runners
UTM 11T 0659161E 4889492N have a 1 in 30 chance of scoring a permit
(applications for this year’s lottery will be
accepted until January 31). Another option:
Go in September, when low water makes
it easier to snag a permit; use an inflatable
kayak and portage as necessary. Contact
fs.fed.us/r4/sc/recreation/4rivers
JACKSON LAKE
PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) GREG JAHN / IDAHO STOCK IMAGES; JOSHUA ROPER; DAN SHERWOOD; MARK WEBER / IDAHO STOCK
WEEKEND
Moose Creek, Tetons
Find solitude with this surf-and-turf trip.
The Tetons’ problem? Alpine beauty + short
approaches = busy trails. Solution: Paddle
away from the crowds on this 30-miler. Start
at Lizard Creek Campground on Jackson
Lake’s east shore. (Rent canoes at Colter Bay
Village Marina: 800-628-9988.) Paddle .75
mile west across the lake to Wilcox Point. (No
boat? Reach the trailhead via a 7.5-mile hike
IMAGES; ROBERT PAHRE; WILLARD CLAY
south along the Glade Creek Trail.) Hike 10

miles up the Webb Canyon Trail, over Moose
Creek Divide. Place your tent at the head of
Owl Creek and enjoy stunning views of the
Teton Crest’s awesome spires. Return to
Wilcox Point via the Berry Creek Trail. Permit
required. The way From Moose, go 32 miles
north on US 89 to Lizard Creek Campground.
Map Trails Illustrated Grand Teton ($12,
natgeomaps.com) Contact nps.gov/grte Trip
data backpacker.com/hikes/563515
+ DEVIL’S BACKBONE WE SUGGEST THE RELAY OPTION FOR THIS 50-MILE TRAIL RUN OVER THE GALLATINS (MATH.MONTANA.EDU/~THAYES/RUNS/RUNS.HTML).

COOL REWARD: PITAMAKAN LAKES SOLITUDE
SEEN FROM CUT BANK PASS
Dawson Pass Loop, Glacier National Park
UTM 12U 0317465E 5377077N See the best of Montana without the crowds.
Twice voted America’s best park by BACKPACKER readers, Glacier’s
most popular trails are predictably busy during the summer, and
it’s no surprise why: The views-per-mile here can’t be beat. But
you can get the scenery without the crowds on this 17.6-mile loop
in the southern part of the park; it wanders along the ridgetops
with superb views to some of Glacier’s highest and steepest peaks.
In fact, it was this area, not the park’s northern regions, that first
inspired naturalist George Bird Grinnell to lobby for the creation of
Glacier National Park. The Blackfoot Indians rightfully called these
ridgelines mistakis: backbone of the world. From the trailhead
bridge at Two Medicine Lake’s outlet, climb Pitamakan Pass Trail
through wide-open Dry Fork to clifftop overlooks at the trail’s epon-
ymous pass. Continue to nearby Cut Bank Pass, then run the balcony
ridgeline trail (unnamed) south around Flinsch Peak to Dawson Pass.
Descend the Dawson Pass Trail through Bighorn Basin, beneath the
rugged cliffs of Pumpelly Pillar, and finish along Two Medicine Lake’s
north shore. It’s possible to do the whole trek in an aggressive day,
but better to savor it: Camp at Oldman and Noname Lakes, reserv-
ing the ridge run for day two of a three-day trek. Everywhere: Keep
an eye out for bighorn sheep and grizzlies. The way From East Glacier,
drive 4.5 miles north on MT 49, then turn left onto Two Medicine
Road and follow it 7.7 miles to Two Medicine Campground and the
trailhead bridge at the outlet of Upper Two Medicine Lake. Map Trails
Illustrated Glacier National Park-Two Medicine ($12, natgeomaps
.com) Contact (406) 888-7859; nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/back-
country.htm Trip data backpacker.com/hikes/28335
WEEKLONG
Gallatin Skyline, Yellowstone National Park
Go high for the see-it-all hike in this iconic park.
At one extreme, you have the boardwalks-and-bus-stops Yellowstone. At the other, this wild
alpine route. The 40-mile trek winds along the spine of the Gallatin Range, where you’ll cross
massive summits, skirt streamside elk meadows, and even explore a petrified forest. The route
traverses 9,888-foot Big Horn Peak (day two) and passes two more must-bag peaks: 9,855-
foot Sheep Mountain and 10,959-foot Electric Peak. Allow a half day for the straightforward
detour up Sheep Mountain from Shelf Lake, and a full day for the challenging scramble up
Electric Peak. Expect to see elk, deer, and swans along the rivers, bighorn sheep on ridges, and
probably bears. The price for such a wondrous trip? The initial 3,000-foot climb out of Gallatin
River Canyon, and scarce water sources; carry a gallon for the dry six-mile leg between Black
Butte Creek and Shelf Lake, more if you’re camping between the two. Get advance reservations
($20, beginning April 1). The way Start: Daly Creek trailhead on US 191, south of Bozeman. Finish:
Glen Creek trailhead, south of Mammoth. Map Trails Illustrated Mammoth Hot Springs ($10,
natgeomaps.com) Contact (307) 344-2160; nps.gov/yell Trip data backpacker.com/hikes/563516
ELECTRIC PEAK
UTM 12T 0512795E 4983558N

Mix It Up
GET MAPS Climb at Idaho’s City of Rocks.
Access digital maps
for these trips and
With 600 established routes of all levels,
more Rockies hikes on some of the finest rock around, “The
at backpacker. City” arguably has the country’s dens-
com/ultimaterockies.
You’ll get turn-by-turn est concentration of high-quality rock
directions and a digital climbing. The routes—half trad, half
topo you can print or sport—scale 2.5-billion-year-old granite
download to your GPS.
Plus: Text maps and spires that thrust 300 feet from the Snake
directions to your phone. River Valley. Avoid summer’s intense heat,
Simply text imap and
the Trip ID (the numbers
and if the City is busy, just slide over to
at the end of the hike’s neighboring Castle Rocks State Park, with
URL) to 32075 (for the its concentration of bolted sport routes.
trip above, text “imap
563516” to 32075). Contact (208) 824-5519; nps.gov/ciro
/ WEB EXTRA/ //// WINTER PHOTO FESTIVAL THIS MARCH EVENT IN WEST YELLOWSTONE SHOWCASES TOP SHOTS (NPS.GOV/YELL).
MAP DATUM: WGS 84 03.2010 BACKPACKER 15

ULTIMATE ROCKIES
DESTINATIONS
Central Rockies
From rugged thru-hikes to the country’s highest concentration of Fourteeners, you’ll find it all here.
FACE UP: STARTING AT CHASM

» GO LONG See a summer’s worth of
LAKE, THE CLARK’S ARROW
ASCENT OF LONGS PEAK IS Rockies scenery on a high-altitude
STEEP AND STEEPER. ultramarathon. The Leadville 100 tops
out at 12,600 feet (bike race: Aug. 14;
UTM 13T 0448688E 4456694N
trail run: Aug. 21). leadvilletrail100.com
» GO SOAK For your post-Leadville
recovery, head to Antero Hot Springs
Cabins, tucked creekside between two
Fourteeners in southern Colorado’s
Collegiate Range. anterohotsprings.com
» GO STEEP Shelf Road, just north of
Cañon City on CO 9, has more than
1,000 bolted routes on high-friction
limestone. blm.gov/co/st/en.html
PORCUPINE PASS
UTM 12T 0544411E 4513106N
WEEKLONG
Highline Trail, UT
Discover Utah’s best-kept secret.
PHOTOS BY (FROM LEFT) KIRKENDALL-SPRING; STEVE HOWE; RANDALL LEVENSALER; LARRY ULRICH; GLENN RANDALL
Well-traveled 19th-century explorer Ferdinand
Hayden called Utah’s vast Uinta Mountains—
with their gorgeous pine forests, high-alpine
meadows, and graceful symmetry—his favor-
ite range. See why on the 78-mile Highline
Trail, which arrows right along the spine of the
Uintas, seldom dipping below timberline as
BAG IT!
it traverses a range with more than 100 sum-
Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park mits topping 12,000 feet. The track crosses
eight major passes and affords plenty of
Climb this iconic summit on an uncrowded sneak route.
opportunities for peakbagging detours and
No fewer than 78 of the Rockies’ 100 highest peaks lie in Colorado, but even with all of that sweet layover camps. Highlight: From the
competition, 14,259-foot Longs Peak is in a class by itself. Credit its striking profile, excellent pass on the shoulder of King’s Peak (Utah’s
rock, and spectacular approach. Not surprisingly, crowds of hikers storm the standard Keyhole high point at 13,528 feet), ascend a boulder-
Route in good weather. Avoid this bottleneck—and goose the adrenaline factor—by taking the field to the summit. Camp on benches at the
13-mile Clark’s Arrow Loop. The clockwise traverse ascends 6,300 feet via the scrambly Loft/ head of Painter Basin for a head start on the
Clark’s Arrow Route and descends the Keyhole. Start at 2 a.m. at the Longs Peak trailhead and summit climb—and superb views over an
hike 4.5 miles to Chasm Lake, beneath the gigantic East Face Diamond. From Chasm, scramble idyllic meadow. Schedule at least seven days
steep slabs, then a straightforward but very narrow ramp (class 3) that leads south across cliffs for this life-lister. The way Start: From Vernal,
to The Loft, a wide saddle between Longs Peak and Mt. Meeker. Cross the broad, flat Loft and Utah, drive 20 miles north on US 191; turn
drop down a steep, loose gully until you reach the base of the Palisade Cliffs. Find the faded west on FR 018, and go 13.5 miles. Turn north
paint splotch called Clark’s Arrow, then begin a 1,500-foot, class 3 scramble up Keplinger’s on FR 043 and go 10 miles to Leidy Peak trail-
Couloir, until you intersect the Homestretch, the upper section of the standard route. Ascend head. Finish: Highline trailhead on UT 150 at
the final 350 feet to the broad summit. Complete the loop by returning on the Keyhole Route, Hayden Pass. Map Trails Illustrated High Uintas
which rejoins your inbound trail at Chasm Lake Junction. Caution: Snow, ice, rain-wet rock, and Wilderness ($10, natgeomaps.com) Contact
thunderstorms can complicate any climb on Longs. The way Longs Peak trailhead is nine miles Wasatch-Cache National Forest, (801) 236-
south of Estes Park, off CO 7. Guidebook Colorado Scrambles, by Dave Cooper ($25, chessler- 3400; Ashley National Forest, (435) 789-1181
books.com) Contact (970) 586-1242; nps.gov/romo Trip data backpacker.com/hikes/563530 Trip data backpacker.com/hikes/563528
+ ////// PIKES PEAK ASCENT TACKLE THIS CLASSIC COLORADO TRAIL RACE—GAIN 7,815 FEET IN 13 MILES—IN AUGUST (PIKESPEAKMARATHON.ORG).

BEST CAMPSITE AMEN: THE BOWL OF TEARS, BELOW THE EAST
FACE OF MOUNT OF THE HOLY CROSS
Mount of the Holy Cross Loop, CO
Scramble to a remote refuge on this peak’s secret side. UTM 13S 0373522E 4369590N
Want to pitch a tent in one of the most sublime spots in all of the
Rockies? You’ll find it in the isolated Bowl of Tears cirque, midway
around a 12-mile loop that tops out on 14,005-foot Holy Cross. The
clockwise route skirts the peak’s spectacular, cross-shaped eastern
cirque, ascending Notch Mountain, Halo Ridge, and Holy Cross Ridge,
with in-your-face-views of the mountain all the while, and descending
the standard North Ridge Trail (which gets moderate traffic). From
the trailhead at 10,300 feet, follow the Fall Creek Trail southwest for
three miles, climbing switchbacks to gain the south shoulder of Notch
Mountain (site of an emergency shelter in case of bad weather). To
reach the aforementioned campsite, stay on the trail .3 mile west-
northwest from the shelter, then scramble south-southwest down
1,000 feet of class 2 talus; now camp lakeside in the magnificent
Bowl of Tears, and thank us later. Continue the climb by ascending
south, then west past an unnamed lake, and scrambling easy slopes
to Holy Cross Ridge, .4 mile and 500 feet below the summit. To reach
the summit from the Notch Mountain shelter, continue west, hugging
the trailless ridgeline south, then west, then looping north to gain the
summit after 2.75 miles and another 1,000 feet. For your descent,
hop boulders and faint trail down the North Ridge, making sure you
turn north at 13,400 feet to follow the ridgeline. The way From Minturn,
drive 2.85 miles south on US 24. Turn west on Tigiwon Road (high
clearance) and continue eight miles to the trailhead. Map USGS quad
Mount of the Holy Cross ($8, store.usgs.gov) Contact (970) 827-5715;
fs.fed.us/r2/whiteriver Trip data backpacker.com/hikes/564861
SNEAK ROUTE
Green River Lakes, WY
Hike to the heart of the Winds and take the back door to an 11,695-foot peak.
The Wind River Range is famous for its soaring granite peaks, countless alpine lakes, and
solitude. But most great trips here require long approaches. Not so with this stunning 14-mile
round-trip. You’ll see iconic Square Top Mountain, pass through moose habitat, and walk along
an emerald-green stream—while gaining little elevation. Peakbaggers: In late summer, climb
Square Top via a seldom-used sneak route by fording the rib-deep Green and ascending Marten
Creek to Marten Lake; scramble up the 1,600-foot, class 2 gully that rises directly above the
lake. The way From US 191 north of Pinedale, take WY 352 east; when it turns to gravel, continue
22 miles to the trailhead. Map Earthwalk Press Northern Wind Rivers Hiking Map and Guide ($10;
rei.com) Contact fs.fed.us/r4/bthf/offices/pinedale Trip data backpacker.com/hikes/564863
Mix It Up
Ride the Monarch Crest Trail, CO.
This might be the single best one-day
mountain bike ride in the country (empha-
sis on mountain). The 36-mile route starts
at an elevation near 11,500 feet and stays
there for 12 miles, with expansive views of
the central Rockies all the while. But bet-
ter keep your eyes on the trail—it plunges
3,800 feet down fast singletrack, through
pine and aspen forest, to end in the small
town of Poncha Springs. Start early to
avoid thunderstorms, and pack plenty of
flat repair gear. The Monarch Crest Bike END IS NEAR: SQUARE TOP
MOUNTAIN RISES OVER THE
Map is essential ($12; absolutebikes.com). GREEN RIVER VALLEY.
Shuttle: High Valley Bike Shuttles, (800)
UTM 12T 0598253E 4786413N
871-5145; monarchcrest.com
MOUNTAINFILM IN MAY, WATCH THE BEST NEW ADVENTURE FLICKS IN THE ROCKIES’ PRETTIEST TOWN: TELLURIDE (MOUNTAINFILM.ORG).
ULTIMATE ROCKIES
DESTINATIONS
Southern Rockies
Find a stash of uncrowded trails, peaks, and lakes in the range’s forgotten south.
HIGH WATER MARK: PLAN AN OVERNIGHT

AT 12,090-FOOT HIGHLAND MARY LAKES.
UTM 13S 0272622E 4182262N
WEEKLONG
Continental Divide Trail, CO » GO WILD Immerse yourself in the coun-
try’s first federal wilderness area: New
Hike high on this above-treeline route through the Weminuche Wilderness. Mexico’s Gila Wilderness. From Gila Cliff
If you have six months to hike the entire Be sure to stay at Twin Lakes and the alpine Dwellings National Monument, connect
3,100-mile CDT, go for it. If you only have ponds beyond Squaw Pass. In late July or early the Gila River’s West and Middle Forks
a week, choose this 100-mile section. The August, you’ll wade through Indian paintbrush for a 62-mile loop. Go in early fall for low-
path hugs the Continental Divide for all but and alpine bluebells, particularly on Highland water river crossings. fs.usda.gov/gila
six of its miles, providing a matchless stroll Mary Plateau. For the descent, detour north » GO FAST Ride the South Boundary Trail,
through Colorado’s largest designated wil- to Stony Pass and Stony Gulch. The way outside of Taos. Ascend three miles,
derness. Start at the 11,700-foot trailhead at Start: Wolf Creek Pass is on US 160, 23 miles then bomb down singletrack for 22
PHOTO BY BRET EDGE
Wolf Creek Pass and hike north. You’ll stay east of Pagosa Springs. End: Howardsville mostly downhill miles. taoscyclery.com
between 11,500 and 12,500 feet until the is 4.5 miles east of Silverton on CO 110. Map » GO ANCIENT Visit the 400-room pueblo
last day (lightning alert!), and, despite the Trails Illustrated Weminuche Wilderness and at Bandelier National Monument, then
elevation, it’s a moderate journey with few Telluride/Silverton/Ouray/Lake City ($12, hike the rugged 22-mile round-trip to the
big climbs or descents—until the 3,000-foot natgeomaps.com) Contact fed.us/r2/sanjuan rock art at Painted Cave. nps.gov/band
plunge at the end. Life-list camping abounds: Trip data backpacker.com/hikes/563539
+ ////// ADVENTURE RACE PADDLE, BIKE, TREK, AND MORE AT JULY’S AXS ADVENTURE RACE SERIES IN DURANGO (GRAVITYPLAY.COM).

Here’s to towns with storied pasts. And backwater places without names.
To the spirit of adventure and a cold drink at the end of it.
Welcome West. Loaded with adventure. Hip slung in history. Step back at wyomingtourism.org

ULTIMATE ROCKIES
DESTINATIONS
WEEKEND
Twilight Peaks, CO
Explore a secret wonderland in
the West Needle Mountains.
Despite their impressive appear-
ance from Molas Pass between
Durango and Silverton, most hik-
ers pass by the twisted, slabby
West Needle Mountains on their
way to somewhere else. Too bad,
because one of Colorado’s best
WHEELER’S ROCK-STREWN RIDGE
peakbagging weekends is a climb
of the three Twilight Peaks— UTM 13S 0462687E 4045778N
North, Central, and South are
each a hair more than 13,000 feet
PHOTOS BY (FROM LEFT) JAMES KAY; TOM TILL / AGE FOTOSTOCK;

BAG IT!
high. From Molas Pass, hike six miles to Crater Lake. It’s moderately
popular, so keep going before setting up your basecamp. Continue Wheeler Peak, NM
a quarter mile southeast, climbing across metamorphic slabs to the
Climb to the crown of the Sangre de Cristo Range.
obvious pass above Crater Lake. Cross it and drop several hundred
feet, then turn southeast and traverse beneath the rugged face of Start early to get up and down New Mexico’s highest peak before
North Twilight. Pitch camp here at an unnamed lake perched at summer thunderstorms roll in. The 16-mile out-and-back gains 3,800
feet, ending with a long ridgewalk to Wheeler’s 13,161-foot summit. En
DEREK MOGENSEN; LAURENCE PARENT

11,700 feet and surrounded by craggy summits. To the south, you’ll
have views across the yawning gulf of the Animas River gorge. The route, you’ll likely see bighorn sheep and golden eagles (and brazen,
Twilight climbs are rugged but technically straightforward class 2- pack-ravaging marmots—don’t leave your stuff unattended). Two
3 scrambles. Allow a full day for any two of the peaks. Aggressive routes start at Taos Ski Valley: Take the Bull of the Woods/Wheeler
parties might be able to bag all three in a day. Take helmets for the Peak Trail (it avoids the ski runs and steep talus slopes you’ll find on
solid but rarely traveled rock slabs, and a light rope in case of trouble the Williams Lake Route). The way From Taos, drive 19 miles northeast
or routefinding errors. The way Crater Lake Trail #623 starts from the on NM 552 and NM 150. Continue beyond the Taos Ski Valley one
Andrews Lake Day Use Area, off milepost 63, just south of Molas mile to the Bull of the Woods trailhead, at Twining Campground. Map
Pass on US 550. Map USGS quad Snowdon Peak ($8, store.usgs.gov) USGS quad Wheeler Peak ($8, store.usgs.gov) Contact (575) 586-
Contact fs.fed.us/r2/sanjuan Trip data backpacker.com/hikes/563531 0520; fs.fed.us/r3/carson Trip data backpacker.com/hikes/563533
findmeSPOT.com
Prepare Yourself.
Communicate. Track.
Summon Help.
Help and SOS buttons give access to

SPOT’s satellite GPS technology emergency assistance via satellite Record and share waypoints, photos
lets you communicate your current if needed. and stories of the trip with friends,
location and that you are OK with a families or others.
push of a button.

Mix It Up
Climb a sheer face on Wham Ridge, CO.
This stunning—yet moderate—route climbs
13,864-foot Mt. Vestal’s northeast face.
The remote location keeps traffic low, but
the reward for your effort is a triangle face
of hard quartzite with plenty of solid holds
and protection placements. The standard
center-to-right-skyline route is only 5.6,
PECOS BALDY LAKE
but you’ll face 1,500 feet of climbing in a
storm-prone range. Experience necessary. UTM 13S 0441660E 3974355N
Take a 60-meter rope and cams to three

inches. Contact fs.fed.us/r2/sanjuan SOLITUDE
Truchas Traverse, NM
Hit three 13,000-foot peaks in the wildest wilderness south of Glacier.
The steep and craggy Sangre de Cristo Mountains—far from any major metro areas—serve
up plentiful alpine surprises at the Rockies’ off-the-radar southern end. Tag 13,102-foot South
Truchas Peak—the highest point in the range—plus West Truchas and Middle Truchas on
this 14-miler. Start from the Quemado Creek trailhead on the western slopes (requires a high
clearance vehicle and permission from the Truchas Land Grant; get trailhead directions when
obtaining permission, 505-351-4250). Hike 1,900 vertical feet and five miles up the rough
Quemado Creek Trail to a high-alpine basin above a small waterfall, below the west face of
North Truchas Peak. Camping? Find a good spot near the basin’s southern wall. Scramble
routes linking the triple crown are obvious; climb 13,066-foot Middle Truchas, then South
Truchas, then 13,024-foot North Truchas. Alternative: Make it a long weekend by starting from
Jack’s Creek Campground, on NM 63 north of Pecos, for a 25-mile round-trip on Trails #25 and
#257 (and add Pecos Baldy Lake to the itinerary). Map USFS Pecos Wilderness Map ($13, see
Contact) Contact (505) 757-6121; fs.fed.us/r3/sfe Trip data backpacker.com/hikes/563534
HELP PROTECT WHAT YOU LOVE

DID YOU KNOW
98% OF PAPER PRODUCTS
ARE MADE BY CUTTING
DOWN MORE TREES?*
* Based upon national consumer sales of non-recycled

household tissue paper products at food stores,
drug stores, and mass merchants - 07/05/09.
©2009 Marcal Manufacturing, LLC
WE’RE DOING OUR PART YOU CAN HELP

We’ve been a friend to trees since 1950, Purchase 100% recycled paper products like
because of our commitment to recycling Marcal® Small Steps,™ tell your friends and family, and
and the future of our forests. ask your current retailers to carry Marcal® Small Steps™
Learn more at: www.MarcalSmallSteps.com
LOCAL HIKES
DESTINATIONS
Glacier NP: Dawson Pass Loop
Discover solitude in this alpine paradise by hik-
NEW TRIPS NEAR YOU! ing in the park’s uncrowded southern half. This
17.6-mile circuit crosses dramatic ridges that
It’s never been easier to find one. Each dot on our map represents native Blackfoot called mitsakis, or “backbone
a GPS-enabled trip you can view online, beam to your printer or of the world.” This is the area that first inspired
naturalist George Bird Grinnell to lobby for the
mobile, or save to your personal profile on backpacker.com. The creation of the national park. (p. 15)
freshest batch: 41 new hikes below from Asheville to Whitefish.
Get These Maps!
> Adirondack Park: > Logan, UT: Ricks
Cascade Mtn. Canyon (ID: 298557)
(TRIP ID: 369196) > McCall, ID: Rapid River
> Amicalola Falls SP, GA: (ID: 32382)
Len Foote Hike Inn > Morristown, NJ:
to Springer Mtn. Speedwell Park
(ID: 384038) (ID: 413023))
> Anchorage: Bird Point > New York City: John
(ID: 517323) Kieran Nature Trail
> Asheville: Little Lost Loop (ID: 541154)
Cove Cliffs Loop > Phoenix: Geronimo
(ID: 40828) Cave via Peralta Trail
> Austin: Enchanted (ID: 250144) Portland:
Rocks Loop > Portland, ME: Casco Ramona Falls
(ID: 555380) Bay Loop (ID: 34985) Beat the crowds to
> Blue Ridge Parkway, VA: > Portland, OR: 120-foot Ramona
Harkening Hill Columbia Slough Falls (Mt. Hood
(ID: 533212) (ID: 43605) NF’s most popular)
> Boulder, CO: Saddle > Portland, OR: Ramona by tackling this
Rock Trail (ID: 527518) Falls (ID: 536188) 14.4-miler in winter.
> Chattanooga: South > St. Louis: Walkers
Cumberland Three Island (ID: 330391)
Gulf Hike (ID: 540693) > Santa Barbara: Romero
> Cheyenne: Guernsey Canyon (ID: 540654)
SP (ID: 398174) > San Francisco: Lands
> Chicago: Blackwell End (ID: 562858)
Forest Preserve > San Gabriel Mtns., CA:
(ID: 541006) Mt. Islip (ID: 562861)
> Chicago: Morton > Seattle: Fifteenmile
Arboretum Heritage Creek (ID: 378746)
Trail (ID: 554127) > Seattle: Lodge
> Crested Butte, CO: and Beaver Lakes
401 Trail (ID: 533097) (ID: 541030)
> Denver: Beaver Brook > Springfield, IL:
Trail (ID: 370976) Beaver Dam Lake
> Great Smoky Mtns. NP: (ID: 330520) Santa Fe: Truchas Traverse
Albright Grove Loop > Springfield, MO: Big Up for a big, 14-mile day? Deep
(ID: 42377) Piney Trail (ID: 399755) in the Sangre de Cristo Range lie Austin:
> Guadalupe Mtns. NP: > Tallahassee: three 13,000-foot peaks connected Enchanted Rocks Loop
Smith Springs Wakulla River Loop by a high ridgeline. (p. 21) The native Tankawa
(ID: 555344) (ID: 44939) believed that “ghost
> Harrisburg, PA: > Vail, CO: Gore Lake fires” flickered atop
Governor Dick Park (ID: 522504) 1,825-foot Enchanted
(ID: 42333) > Vancouver, WA: Dog Legend Rock. Explore this
> Hays, KS: Castle Rock Mtn. Loop (ID: 417637) 640-acre batholith
BACKPACKER subscribers per
(ID: 370988) > White Mountain NF: Mt. square mile by zip code (an underground rock
> Indiana Dunes NL, IN: Waumbek (ID: 550154) formation uncovered
HIGHEST
20-200
Little Calumet River > Whitefish, MT: Fish 8-20 by erosion) on a
(ID: 344270) Trails (ID: 453619) 4-8 4.4-mile loop.
> John Day Fossil Beds > Yellowstone NP: Black 2-4
NM, OR: Blue Basin Sand Geyser Basin 1-2
(ID: 536378) (ID: 300051)
DENSITY
WWW.TEDVILLAIRE.COM; GEORGE WUERTHNER;
0.5-1
A. JACKSON FRISHMAN; GALEN A. WILLIAMS;
0.3-0.5
0.1-0.3
PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP)
0.075-0.1
Send these trips to your mobile phone or 0.05-0.075
access them on Backpacker.com. You’ll get 0.025-0.05
LOWEST
directions, trail beta, a map, and more—at no 0.01-0.025 FREE FIELD GUIDES
charge from us! Text imap and the Trip ID to 0.0003-0.01 Want to collect and share GPS hikes like our editors
32075. To view them online, type backpacker
and map contributors? Download step-by-step
BRETT HOLMAN
.com/hikes/Trip ID. Example: For Anchorage’s New trips directions for new GPS units by DeLorme, Garmin,
Bird Point hike, text “imap 517323” to 32075. Or All Backpacker.com trips
go to backpacker.com/hikes/517323.
and Lowrance at backpacker.com/hikes/usinggps.
+ /// MAPS ///


READER
HIKES
OF THE
Bangor: Big Moose Mountain MONTH
Think there’s nothing in Maine outside
of Acadia, Baxter, and L.L.Bean? This
21-mile lollipop loop, 70 miles north
Springfield, IL: of Bangor, proves otherwise. Explore
Beaver Dam Lake quintessential North Woods terrain
Moment of truth: along the shore of Moosehead Lake
Beavers didn’t really and test yourself with a 2,000-foot
build this dam. But climb of Big Moose Mountain. (p. 33)
the lake is still a
fetching centerpiece
to this 750-acre park SHENANDOAH NP
and the highlight of HIKE SLOW, SEE MORE
this 2.9-mile loop.
Three reasons not to rush
the Jones Run-Doyles River
loop: giant hardwoods to
nap under, colorful wild-
flowers to photograph, and
several waterfalls to admire.
Bruce and Barbara Gaisse
advise doing this seven-
miler counterclockwise.
Start at Browns Gap and
drop 1,300 feet to Jones
Run, then ascend again on
Browns Gap Turnpike past
a Confederate solider’s
gravestone. backpacker
.com/hikes/487721
Adirondack Park:
Panther Gorge
Candidate for best
vista in the state?
The mountain
view from the
streamside lean-to
in the Adirondacks’
Panther Gorge. Hike
in nine miles from TRINITY ALPS, CA
Elk Lake. (p. 28)
SWIM IN ALPINE LAKES
Looking for a remote
camping paradise? In a
recent trip report on this
hike, Scot Glarson describes
six days of amazing peak-
bagging and cross-country
boulder-hopping—with
endless views of Cascade
volcanoes. His 20-mile
route starts at Big Flat
trailhead, then switch-
backs to the Caribou Lakes
Springfield, MO: Big Piney Trail Atlanta: Len Foote Hike Inn region. backpacker
All-star map contributor Charlie Ultralight done right: .com/hikes/494580
Williams uncovered another Ozark Backpack eight miles in
Highlands winner with this waterfall- Amicalola Falls SP, but leave
and overlook-packed overnighter in your tent and bag at home Most tweeted
the Paddy Creek Wilderness. It’s 16.5 by making reservations at the national parks
miles round-trip. off-the-grid (but posh) Len
1. Yosemite
Foote Hike Inn. (p. 24)
2. Zion
3. Fiordland (New Zealand)
THE ONLINE TALLY 3 8 0 0 TOTAL TRIPS 0 0 6 2 NEW TRIPS 1 1 8 MAP CONTRIBUTORS JOIN THE TEAM BACKPACKER.COM/POSTATRIP
DAYHIKES
DESTINATIONS
Luxe Hikes
TOP 3 Hit the trail, then hit the oh-so-soft mattress at one of these hiker-friendly lodges.
NAVAJO LAKE TRAIL, CO MULESHOE RANCH, AZ AMICALOLA FALLS SP, GA

HIKE TO A HOT SPRINGS AND PRIVATE CABIN. DISCOVER A DESERT OASIS. TREK TO AN OFF-THE-GRID BUNKHOUSE.
The Navajo Lake Trail is the most popular Hike a mile down Hot Springs Creek, to its The tarp-and-alcohol-stove set will be
path in Colorado’s Indian Head Wilderness. confluence with Bass Canyon, and you’ll skirt steaming when they spy your tiny daypack.
But that doesn’t mean much—the nearest deep pools, picnic under shady cottonwoods, That’s all you’ll need for this posh overnighter
town is Dolores (population 857), an hour and undoubtedly see at least a few of the 180 near Springer Mountain, the southern termi-
away. That isolation is the big payoff for hik- bird species that inhabit the area. Then back- nus of the Appalachian Trail. From the park-
ers and the main draw of nearby Dunton track to the 6.5-mile Vista Trail to hike a well- ing area at the top of Amicalola Falls, follow
Hot Springs; the ghost town turned lodge marked path that climbs saguaro-dotted hills green blazes five miles—crossing oak- and
provides off-the-map seclusion, five-star to sweeping views of the Galiuro Mountains. pine-topped ridges and trickling creeks—on
dining, and off-the-charts luxurious private Then pinch yourself and ask: Where are all gentle grades to the Len Foote Hike Inn. This
cabins. The trail starts at 9,393 feet and gen- the other people? Three things keep this solar-powered haven has 20 rooms, each with
PHOTO BY DUNTON HOT SPRINGS. TEXT BY STEVE FRIEDMAN, DENNIS LEWON, AND SHANNON DAVIS
tly ascends for almost three miles through Nature Conservancy paradise from being a bunk and bedding. Dinner (family style) is
sloped meadows laced by Engelmann spruce overrun: 1) Except for birders, few know about served nightly at five and six. And there are
and, come summer, rife with larkspurs, blue- it; 2) a long dirt-road approach keeps casual two main rules: Check in at the visitor cen-
bells, and sunflowers. The last mile gains visitors away; 3) it’s day-use only—unless you’re ter before 2 p.m., and—our favorite—no cell
1,000 feet through tight switchbacks to a staying at one of the rustic-comfortable casitas. phones or iPods allowed. Make it an 11-mile
ridge, then descends a quarter-mile to rock- Right outside your door: hot springs (available loop by returning via the Appalachian Trail
ringed, pale green Navajo Lake. Windswept for overnight guests only), and a 22-mile net- Approach Trail, one mile west from the Inn.
and deserted, its quiet solitude is the perfect work of trails that winds through the desert.
pairing to the opulence back at the resort. RECHARGE
Nine miles round-trip from the lodge. RECHARGE Hit the Sunrise Room to browse its library, play
The kitchen-equipped casitas are strictly DIY a board game, warm up by the fire, or sit in on a
RECHARGE (bring your groceries). But you’ll feel pam- program on green techniques like composting.
With rates starting at $600, you should pered after a few days of hike-soak-hike- ($70/person/night year-round; hikeinn.com)
grab as many fresh-baked cookies as you soak-repeat. (From $125/night; nature.org)
can. duntonhotsprings.com THE WAY
THE WAY From Atlanta, head north
THE WAY From Willcox, take Airport linking GA 400, US 19, GA 9,
From Dunton Hot Springs, Rd. north 15 miles. Bear GA 136, and GA 52 69 miles
drive 3.3 miles northeast on right at the fork with mail- to Top of the Falls Rd. Turn
FR 535 (West Fork Rd.) to boxes and continue 14 right to reach the visitor
the trailhead. miles to the headquarters. center in .5 mile.
+

You’re going to need
a bigger map.
® ®
The Subaru Outback. Motor Trend’s 2010 Sport/Utility of the Year. More room
for adventure. Twenty-nine miles to the gallon.* The go-anywhere capability
of Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. Those who enjoy pushing limits have found
their perfect match. Love. It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.
® †
Outback. Well-equipped at $22,995
Subaru is a proud partner of Leave No Trace and a proud supporter of National River Cleanup. *EPA fuel estimates for 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i with CVT up to 29 hwy. Actual mileage may vary.
†
MSRP excludes destination and delivery charges, tax, title and registration fees. Dealer sets actual price. Outback 2.5i Premium pictured has an MSRP of $24,295.

DAYHIKES
DESTINATIONS
Natural Three treks
Wonders to life-list
PHOTOS BY (FROM LEFT) KENNAN HARVEY; MICHAEL H. FRANCIS; CHUCK HANEY. TEXT BY SARAH STEWART
phenomena
Colorado’s Tallest Frozen Waterfall

See a 365-foot cascade turned to ice.
The Wonder Each November, Bridal Veil Falls freezes solid and
clings to Telluride’s glacier-carved canyon wall like candle wax on
a wine bottle. The state’s highest free-falling waterfall has lured
expert ice climbers every winter since Mike Weiss and Jeff Lowe’s
nationally televised first ascent in 1974. By May, Bridal Veil Creek
thaws and again cascades the length of a football field to form the
San Miguel River headwaters.
The Way From Telluride, take Colorado Avenue east until it dead-
ends at the Idarado Mine parking lot to pick up a 3.5-mile out-
and-back route to the fall’s peak. Switchback 1.2 miles up Bridal
Veil Falls Road to the base of the waterfall; look up, and you’ll see
a century-old hydroelectric plant–that still provides about five
percent of Telluride’s power–perched at the brink. Climb another
.5 mile for eye-level views of the frozen falls; pack snowshoes and
heed avalanche warnings. visittelluride.com

America’s Death Valley’s Wildflowers
Smallest Deer Trek through lush fields that thrive on just two
inches of annual rainfall.
Glimpse miniature deer that
barely escaped extinction. The Wonder During the first two weeks of March, blooms here can
blanket several hundred acres with colors like sunshine-yellow desert
The Wonder Endangered Key deer, gold and violet-and-red desert fivespot. And that’s in an average year.
a Labrador retriever-size subspe- Keep an eye on winter rain: Consistent moisture throughout fall and
cies of white-tailed deer, occur only winter (as opposed to intense, isolated downpours) is more effective
in the Florida Keys. About 10,000 in breaking through the tough coating that enables some wildflower
years ago, rising seas separated the seeds to lay dormant for decades. Under optimal conditions, blooms
Keys–and the deer’s larger ances- can exceed 100,000 acres.
tors–from the North American The Way No matter what season, canyons hold more moisture.
mainland. The stranded deer Park at the Titus Canyon Mouth parking area to access a six-mile
shrank, generation to generation, in out-and-back into Fall
response to the islands’ less nutri- Canyon, a shady slot
tious food sources. Only about 50 that nourishes notch-leaf
Key deer remained in the mid-20th phacelias and endemic
century, due to habitat loss. Federal protection, slower speed limits, Death Valley sage. Go
and the 1957 establishment of the National Key Deer Refuge have north along the base
boosted today’s count to between 600 and 700. of the mountains for .5
The Way Key deer roam the refuge and its trails year-round, especially mile, then turn into the
at dawn and dusk. Take Key Deer Boulevard north three miles from US 1 mouth. Hike another 2.5
to access Watson Nature Trail, a .7-mile loop through Big Pine Key’s ver- winding miles through
dant forest. Or link old fire roads for a four-mile loop around No Name the crevice to a 35-foot
Key–where deer flock to a freshwater lake contained in a limestone dry falls (scramble the
bowl. On Watson Boulevard, about five miles northeast of the visitor right side to access nar-
center, look for barriers marking a fire road that leads into a tropical rows beyond). Find daily
hardwood hammock. Pick up a map at the visitor center (staff will bloom updates at nps
highlight the route). And pack bug dope. fws.gov/nationalkeydeer .gov/deva/planyourvisit.
Follow your own path in Texas. To take this vacation or plan

your own Texas adventure, just visit Travel Tex.com/tripplanner.
Or for your free Texas StateTravel Guide, Accommodations
®
Guide and Texas Map, go online or call
1-800-8888-TEX (ext. 5408).
© 2010 Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism. JPFB10

EPICENTER
DESTINATIONS
s
PEAK feet) get
DED
UN C ROW (3,200 s neigh-
2. s it e
opkin than of th
Mt. H s traffic not one an
s th
far le Why? It’s s higher bit as
1. BEST SHORT HIKE . k
bors 46 pea it’s ever d at NY
y
The 2.5-mile hike to Rooster ’s t
area feet. Bu e trailhe sses
a
Comb’s 2,762-foot summit 0 h
4,00 . From t ridge cro es
is a great way to notch an n ic
sce here th e b
.5 m il
b
PACK loop Adirondack summit in just
a iver 2 clim
ACK ing 73 (w usable R Valley), 2,120
ST B .6-mile aks us k, half-day. You’ll pass chunky e in
10. B E
33 h Pe roo the A of Keen and ga ssy
a ig B gain h — o
e
Mak d the H alamit k
y rock formation s and sout summit -mile M
e .2
n C
arou n Pass, hn’s Bro otch
o just over 1,500 feet along an to th on the 3
In d ia
rcy , J o
n
e N
dik at impeccably maintained trail. feet— de Trail.
a a
M lo
Mt. y, and K our car walk End at outcrops with views Casc
e y
Vall . Leave ws, but oad to of Keene Valley.
s o r
Trail h Mead wn the j to
t o
Sou iles do ndack L trip’s
m .
two at Adir lking at e days
o
t a iv
sta r
r o ad four to f
w
avoidBudget
.
end
CLIMB
3. EASY ICE
Brook Falls
Hit Roaring
a sunny
(NEI 3) on ot
The 400-fo
afternoon. e
9. BEST SN angles mak
Avalanch
OWSHOEIN
G climb’s low t for begin-
ea
wonderla
e Pass is
a the route gr your first
it’s
nd of deep ners, but if e.
snow nest , hire a guid
le
1,000-foo d between time on ice uides.com
rg
t cl
trail, startin iffs. The cloudsplitte
g
Adirondac at the
k Loj (ask
about co
nditions he
reliably co re), is
vered all
and follo w
ws moder inter
grades fo ate
r 4.5 mile
s.
ar HIKE m-
FALL g Spe
ATER gin DAY su
. B EST W ot Han scent T RAINY kip the t
8 fo le S S s
80- Opa 4-mile er 4. BE ed in? the We mile
The on the 1 Upp k r -
ia a Soc ikes fo d a 7.5 s
Falls . Do it v g at the hawus h a n llow fore
ive r n in Ta mit Trail fo
R beg
in on r ail e
ead ink Rive . The tr River b ble
loop s trailh omb. L ed a
k c loop usable er Aus hen
Wor in New ok, Flow pear A w
d S the hing L miles. T ot
o
Roa mity Bro anging fter big o
a reac in four o 150-f turn
Cala s, and H on’t go s ford- e t re
d e Lak .2 mile ls and il.
Lan Trails. D p requir ice. e a l ra
hik bow F River T
lls
Fa –the lo o nt tw
s sce Rain e East
rain e Opale h
h via t
ing t
6. TOP
7. BEST EPIC tle? Hike
C
Spend AMPSITE
st your met
Want to te nge in th
three o e night be MOUNTAIN
ile Great Ra f ne 5. FAVORITE t only
the 24.8-m ht peaks, peaks the four tall ath Gothics is no
a day. Yo u’ll ba g eig in the est 4,736-foot t its flanks
llest Marcy, Ad , bu
e state’s ta Haysta irondacks— my top hi ke t,
including th t. Marcy), and Skylig c st ski descen d
ot M ht—in k,
Panth d
an host the be an
(5 ,344 -fo at Rooster Gorge ering route,
feet. Start ’s er m ou nt aine
gain 9,500 d end at lean-t remote stre rock climb,
ilh ea d an o. Five a backcountry p faces and
Comb tra trailhead Panth trails le mside ee
Keene Valle
y’s Garden er a too. It has st ly all aspects.
Drop a appro Gorge. The d to ar
elps Trail). ac s slides on ne miles from the
(o n the Ph I do: Beg from th h is a nine-m hortest 5.2
or do what Approach ene
shuttle car, ride.
e Elk L
ake tra er
il
ilhead in Ke et to
ke rs fo r a ilhead Garden tra fe
other hi . bing 3,200
Valley, clim it.
ics ’ su m m
Goth
In the past six years, Why the Adirondacks? How do you beat the crowds?
Jan Wellford, 28, has There’s a rugged beauty and Avoid the Garden and
spent 480 days in the remoteness here that you Adirondack Loj trailheads
Adirondack backcoun- can’t find anywhere else on during summer and holiday
PHOTO COURTESY. MAP BY JOSH COCHRAN
try. He works at The the East Coast. The park weekends. The rest of the
Mountaineer, a gear shop is huge, but the mixture of park is all yours, all the time.
in Keene, NY, and has public and private lands also When to visit?
summited the area’s 46 gives the ’Daks a distinct fla- For dry trails, tamer humid-
highest peaks five times. vor that you won’t find in any ity, and fewer bugs, August
national park. I’d be happy in to October. For reliable
ADVENTURE PLANNER the High Peaks for a lifetime, snowpack and generally
Get beta on 18 more and that’s only one small sec- sunny days, target February
Adirondacks hikes at back- tion of the Adirondacks. to April.
packer.com/adirondack.
+ /////WEB EXTRA /

Rip PENTHOUSE VIEW: EARN THIS EXCLUSIVE VISTA OF

OF EL CAPITAN AND THE THREE BROTHERS WITH A
MELLOW HIKE TO DEWEY POINT.
UTM 11S 0266215E 4176298N
&Go
Dewey Point
Yosemite National Park, CA
Discover the rewards of winter

camping on this easy snowshoe trek.
Do it Strap on snowshoes,
and you’ll enjoy some of
Yosemite’s most remark-
able pinnacle-top views
in total solitude. And this
beginner-friendly 7.2-mile
(round-trip) snowshoe trek is a perfect
place to start. The route crosses gentle,
rolling terrain dotted with lodgepole pines,
PHOTO BY DAVE MILLER; BACKSIDE: TOM & PAT LEESON (TOP); D. COX/OSF / ANIMALS ANIMALS. TEXT BYJIMY VALENTI. MAPPED BY DAVE MILLER
ending at 7,385-foot Dewey Point, with

views of Half Dome and Clouds Rest. From
Badger Pass Ranger Station (1), snowshoe
northeast along Glacier Point Road (don’t
walk in the machine-groomed cross-country
ski trail) for .7 mile to a junction (2) with the
Ridge Trail—an alternate, more strenuous
route to Dewey Point. Stay straight and
ascend moderately for another quarter-mile
to the Meadow Trail (3) (directly across from Data Map
Summit Meadow). Turn northeast (left), mi.
and if there isn’t a path already broken, fol- .7 .2 .9 1 .8 3.6
low the triangular reflectors through the
trees. In .9 mile, you’ll reach Dewey Meadow 2 3 4 5 6
(4). Surrounded by red fir and lodgepole 1
pines, this long, flat meadow is the perfect
place to break and scan for animal tracks 7,400 ft
(flip the page for a field guide). From here, 7,250 ft
continue north to cross the meadow, then
head .5 mile through dense, lichen-covered Day 1 Day 2
pines and drop into a small valley. Reach Total Miles: 7.2
the junction of the Ridge and Meadow Trails
(5) in .3 mile. Soon after, you’ll get your first
glimpse of Half Dome and Clouds Rest.
Continue north as the route roller-coasters
Trip miles to parking at Badger Curry Village has most
to the top of Dewey Point (6), 3.6 miles from Planner Pass Ranger Station. supplies. Rent snowshoes at
the trailhead. El Capitan, towering 3,500 Badger Pass cross-country
feet above Yosemite Valley, soars directly Permits Required. Self-regis- ski center ($19.50/day, 209-
across from you; Mt. Hoffman and Mt. Driving From Yosemite ter at Badger Pass Ranger 372-8444, yosemitepark
Conness rise to the northeast. Camping on Village, take CA 140 west Station (209-372-0740; .com/BadgerPass.aspx).
Dewey Point proper isn’t allowed, so cruise 6.1 miles to CA 41/Wawona nps.gov/yose).
200 feet back into the woods; find a level Rd.; turn right and go 9.3
site off-trail and away from snow-loaded miles. Turn left on Glacier Gear up Yosemite Mountain MAP & MORE Send a topo,
trees. Return the way you came. Point Rd. and drive 5.1 Shop (209-372-8396) in photos, and route info to
your cell by texting “imap
51745” to 32075.
//// MOBILE //
WEEKENDS
DESTINATIONS Dewey Point
Snow captures Coyote

Key paw prints that go
unnoticed outside of
Hot spot Dewey
Meadow
See This
Skill winter. Here’s how to
determine who left what.
ID it Claws are evident,
and the inside toe is
slightly larger than the
GREAT GRAY OWL
If you wake to a series
of deep, rhythmic
Mountain lion outside. The front “whoos,” it’s probably
Hot spot Anywhere foot is larger than the this 2.5-pound owl,
Identify you find mule deer, hind. No claws? It’s Yosemite’s largest.
animal particularly in rugged probably a fox. It perches in the broken tops of tall trees near open
meadows. The endangered owl is distinguished by a
tracks terrain with ledges
white mustache (fuzzy feathers beneath the beak)
ID it The front track is Mule deer
round, while the back Hot spot Where and black bow tie (dark chin feathers). It averages
track is oblong. Claw meadows and 27 inches tall with a massive 60-inch wingspan.
marks are usually absent forests meet Concentric circles ring its yellow eyes. Facial discs
and four toes form a ID it Heart-shaped, (called ruffs) focus sound to its ears—it can hear
slight arc. The inside toe with a convex wall. prey burrowing beneath two feet of snow. And to get
is larger. Prints are the Prints are larger than that concealed rodent? The owl can crash through a
diameter of a baseball. a white-tailed deer’s. snowpack that would support a 180-pound hiker.
Traffic congestion in
Camp
Locals Know Chat
Yosemite Valley has
become such a concern–
Yosemite’s notoriously cunning black bears
don’t stop thieving in the winter. Even if hour-long entrance lines
snow covers the Badger Pass parking lot,
you still need to bearproof your car. Though
are common–that officials are con-
they’re not as active during the winter sidering banning private cars. Visitors
months, many black bears skip hibernation registered at a hotel or campground
if they can continue to feast on Snickers and
fast-food fries from your floorboard. “Your
would be allowed to enter, while
car is just a can, and their claws are the can others would use a free shuttle bus
opener,” says Yosemite Park Ranger Keri (or bicycles). According to a recent
Cobb. “I’ve seen them punch out windows
just to get a tube of toothpaste. It happens
survey, 84 percent of visitors listed
every month of the year.” Store all food in a sightseeing or taking a scenic drive
locker at the trailhead and use a canister on as their only activity. Discuss: Is this
the trail. Food is anything with a scent, including canned goods, trash, and toilet-
ries. Be extra-vigilant if you own a minivan. These cars represented 29 percent of
regulation good for the park, even if it
the 908 vehicles ravaged by bears between 2001 and 2007, though they made up causes a drop in overall visitation?
just seven percent of all the cars in the park.
On The Menu THE

GROCERY LIST
(AISLE #)
IN NEAREST
STORE BELOW
Breakfast 1 Dewey’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese Valley View Pancakes [ ] Granola bars (2) [ ] ½ C. powdered
On the road So good, you’d eat it at home A hearty breakfast on the ledge [ ] ¹⁄³ C. sun-dried milk (6)
Lunch 1 tomatoes (4) [ ] 8 oz. (2 cups)
Bacon and lettuce 2 cups shell pasta 1 cup pancake mix [ ] ½ C. frozen shell pasta (8)
wraps ½ cup powdered milk ½ cup frozen blueberries blueberries (4) [ ] ½ head lettuce
Dinner 1 1 tablespoon parsley Syrup to taste [ ] 1 package flour (back wall)
Dewey’s Mac ‘n’ ½ teaspoon salt tortillas (5)
Cheese ½ teaspoon pepper Grease and warm pan on [ ] 5 oz. Swiss cheese (5) Pack Salt, pepper, mus-
Breakfast 2 2 tablespoons mustard medium heat. Combine pancake [ ] 1 package precooked tard powder, dried pars-
Valley View ¹⁄³ cup sun-dried tomatoes mix, blueberries, and ½ cup water. bacon (5) ley, syrup
Pancakes 5 ounces Swiss cheese, diced Pour batter onto the surface to [ ] 1 C. pancake mix (6)
Snacks form a four-inch pancake. Let
Granola bars Boil 3½ cups water. Add cook for two to three minutes.
pasta and tomato. Cook until When bubbles have risen to the
al dente. Drain. Stir in dry surface but have not broken, turn NEAREST
ingredients, then the cheese. pancake and cook other side one GROCERY STORE
Turn off heat and stir until to 1½ minutes. VILLAGE STORE IN YOSEMITE VILLAGE
cheese melts evenly. 9011 Village Drive,
Yosemite NP, CA;
* PIT STOP Drop by the Mountain Room for the Flatiron Steak and a slice of raspberry
cobbler. 9006 Yosemite Lodge Dr., Yosemite, CA; (209) 372-1274; yosemitepark
(209) 372-1253
+ .com/Dining_MountainRoom.aspx

Rip SHADY BUSINESS: THE AUTHOR

EXITS A GROVE OF GREEN ASH
&Go
NEAR THE TRAILHEAD.
UTM 13T 0617033E 4729013N
Soldier Creek Loop

Fort Robinson State Park, NE
Explore an unknown Nebraska

wilderness for a surprising dose of
rolling hills, wildlife, and solitude.
Do it With Wyoming and

Colorado as neighbors, it’s
no wonder Nebraska gets
overlooked. But the northern
panhandle has a pocket
of rugged hills with tricky
routefinding and a genuine feel of wilderness
exploration. And because the crowds will be
a state away, you can have it all to yourself
on this 11-mile figure-eight loop. From the
parking area at the North and Middle Fork
trailheads (1), walk 500 feet northwest to
the Trooper Trail (2). Go through the gate
(close it behind you), cross Soldier Creek,
and hike to a pine grove where you’ll cross
the Boots and Saddle Trail (BST) (3).
(Several game trails intersect the path in the
first three miles; when in doubt, maintain a
northwest course.) Go straight into a vast Data Map
shortgrass prairie, and soon reach another
PHOTO BY BEN FULLERTON; BACKSIDE: TOM & PAT LEESON. TEXT AND MAPPING BY BEN FULLERTON
mi.
grove. The Trooper Trail cuts south here, but .1 1.9 .7 .6 .4 .5 .7 .7 2.2 .3 .9 2
two use trails continue east. Take the trail
on the right (4), to begin a 2.2-mile off-trail 1
3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
loop to access seldom-tramped grasslands
2 4
with great camping. In .6 mile, pitch camp
(5) in an open field near a trickling stream.
4,700 ft
The next day, hike cross-country northwest 4,100 ft
and cross a dry riverbed (6), then make your
way toward the slope straight ahead (it’ll be Day 1 Day 2
covered with sunflowers in July). Gain the Total Miles: 11
top and continue south-southeast until you
crest a third hill (7), where you’ll encounter a
barbed-wire fence; follow the ridge east and
close the loop by rejoining the Trooper Trail
Trip park. Drive seven miles to white gas and duct tape.
(8). Now, backtrack southeast .7 mile to the Planner the trailhead (4WD rec- (308) 665-1600
BST (9) to start a second loop. From here, ommended).
you’ll roll along gentle hills with side-cut Contact Fort Robinson State
ravines (and little shade) to a creek crossing Driving From Crawford, Map USGS quad Smiley Park: (308) 665-2900,
(10). The trail turns left here, forks at mile 8.1 take US 20 three miles Canyon ($8, store.usgs.gov) ngpc.state.ne.us/parks
(11), and traces its way around the fingers west to Fort Robinson
of a ravine system. Gain one last highpoint State Park. Turn right onto Gear Up Herren Brothers
at mile nine (12), then enjoy a long descent Soldier Creek Rd., the first True Value Hardware on MAP PLUS Send a topo,
through wild plum and grape (blooming in right after entering the 2nd St. in Crawford has photos, and route info to
June) to the trailhead. your cell by texting “imap
490445” to 32075.
//// MOBILE //
WEEKENDS
DESTINATIONS Soldier Creek Loop
Despite the lush grasses and convective moisture loss

Key wildflowers, hiking through
Fort Robinson is strikingly
from hot wind. REI’s new
Sahara Shirt ($50, rei.com)
See This
Gear similar to desert hiking: There’s
precious little shade. Here are
four key pieces of gear for stay-
is featherlight and sports
multiple, well-hidden vents.
GOLDEN EAGLE
Soldier Creek’s remote,
grassy plains provide ideal
ing unbaked. Bandanna It has myriad hunting grounds for pred-
Sun uses. Turn any cap into a atory birds. The shrill call
Sun hat Choose one that pro- sun hat. Keep sweat out of
protection tects the top of your dome, your eyes. Shade your neck.
you’ll hear is likely a red-
tailed hawk (look for them
ears, and the back and sides Dunk it in a creek and use it high in trees). But the real
of your neck. The Outdoor to cool your head and neck. prize here is the golden
Research Sun Runner Cap eagle, which is dark brown with golden accents on
($30, outdoorresearch.com) Sunscreen Go for a cream the neck and wingtips. A golden uses its huge wing-
provides complete coverage, instead of gel-based span (up to eight feet) to ride thermals upward for
but it’s more versatile than lotions or sprays. Creams a high-and-wide view of its vast hunting grounds. A
most: Remove the skirt, and moisturize; gels often have master of soaring, it can go hours without flapping its
it’s a normal lightweight cap. skin-drying alcohol as an wings. After spotting prey, it can tuck its wings and
ingredient. Our longtime swoop in for the kill at speeds up to 200 mph.
Long-sleeve shirt A lightweight, choice: A one-ounce tube of
loose-fitting nylon with Dermatone Skin Protection
SPF protection shields your Creme with Zinc Oxide, SPF
skin and helps minimize 36 ($5, dermatone.com).
Locals Know
Fort Robinson, now a state park, was first built as
Camp In 1989, a wildfire sparked by a single lightning a temporary frontier outpost in 1874 to monitor
Indian activity. It grew to be the largest military
bolt torched 48,000 acres in the Soldier Creek
Chat Wilderness and neighboring Fort Lewis State base on the northern Plains and was used as a
U.S. Army training ground through World War II.
Park. It denuded the landscape of grasses and It once held a herd of 12,000 horses, a K-9 Corps
training center, and a weapons-testing field where
trees and burned so hot that even minerals in the soil soldiers put experimental cannons, like the mul-
were destroyed, thus delaying regrowth. Previous tibarreled Hotchkiss Gun, through their paces.
programs to suppress fires jacked up the level of “It’s a historical treasure,” says Dave Nixon, retired
25-year curator of the on-site Trailside Museum.
destruction by creating more fuel: The overgrown “And the best view is from Red Cloud Buttes to the
forest canopy burned longer and hotter than if the north. Bighorn sheep were introduced to this area
trees had been allowed to blaze over the years. Discuss: in the 1970s, and they huddle on the north side.”
To gain this vantage and spot sheep, hike a six-
Should the park work to balance prescribed burns and mile out-and-back on an unmarked but well-worn
fire suppression, or just let Mother Nature handle it? trail from where Soldier Creek Road turns to dirt.
On The Menu THE

GROCERY LIST
(AISLE #)
IN NEAREST
STORE BELOW
Lunch 1 Fort Robinson Ramen Cheyenne Cayenne Tortillas [ ] 2 bagels (2) [ ] 1 pack precooked
Peanut butter and Take-out flavor in camp A spicy bean burrito [ ] 2 flour tortillas (2) chicken (4)
honey sandwich [ ] 3 granola bars (2) [ ] 1 C. refried beans (4)
Dinner 1 Fort 2 packs chicken ramen 3 tablespoons tomato paste [ ] Raisins (2) [ ] 3 Tbs. tomato
Robinson Ramen 1 package precooked chicken 3 tablespoons powdered milk [ ] Garlic pepper, paste (4)
Breakfast 2 Oatmeal ½ tablespoon garlic pepper 1 cup instant refried beans chili powder (3) [ ] 8 oz. peanut butter (5)
with raisins 3 tablespoons olive oil Dash chili powder [ ] Honey (3) [ ] 3 Tbs. powdered
Lunch 2 Cheyenne 3 tablespoons soy sauce 8 ounces cheese, cubed [ ] 3 Tbs. olive oil (3) milk (5)
Cayenne Tortillas 3 tablespoons peanut butter 2 flour tortillas [ ] 2 packs instant [ ] 3 Tbs. soy sauce (5)
Snacks Granola bars, oatmeal (3) [ ] 8 oz. cheese (5)
bananas, peanut Cook noodles per directions, Mix tomato paste, powdered [ ] 2 packs ramen (4) [ ] 2 bananas (produce)
butter then cover to keep warm. milk, and instant beans
Add oil to fry pan and sauté together. Boil two cups water
chicken. Once browned, add and pour into mixture while stir-
soy sauce, peanut butter, and ring. Add seasoning and cheese NEAREST
ramen seasoning packet. Stir cubes. Spoon onto tortillas. GROCERY STORE
until creamy. Add to noodles.
ABSALON FOOD CENTER
* PIT STOP Head to the Fort Robinson Restaurant inside the park’s main lodge. They’ve got
the best bison bacon burgers and iced tea in the region. 3200 NE 20; Crawford, NE;
202 Main St., Crawford, NE;
(308) 665-2772
(308) 665-2900
+

Rip
&Go
Big Moose Mountain

Maine Public Reserved Lands
Little Moose Unit, ME
PHOTO BY TIM SEAVER; BACKSIDE (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): COURTESY; TIM SEAVER; COURTESY OF THE MOOSEHEAD MARINE MUSEUM TEXT AND MAPPING BY CHRIS KEENE. ILLUSTRATION BY SUPERCORN
Hike to an historic fire tower and

camp beside secluded ponds.
Do it See what makes the

Moosehead Lake region
the gem of Maine’s North
Woods on this three-day,
21-mile lollipop. Start at the
Greenwood trailhead (1), five
minutes west of Greenville, and after a few
perpetually muddy spots, rise through fir
and spruce to an overlook (2) of Moosehead
Lake’s west cove. At just over one mile (3),
you’ll see Big Moose Mountain’s stony,
3,196-foot summit (where you’ll stand the
next day). Crest Little Moose’s ridge at 1.6
miles and weave your way through stunted
spruce to the top (4). From here, descend LITTLE BIG VIEW:
.8 mile to Papoose Pond (5) and then .4 YOU’LL REACH THIS VISTA
OF BIG MOOSE LAKE
mile to the Loop Trail (6). Turn left onto the
FROM LITTLE MOOSE
loamy path, and take it .9 mile to the Notch MOUNTAIN WITHIN TWO
Ponds Trail (7); track along a hardwood MILES OF THE TRAILHEAD.
ridge 2.2 miles to a sharp drop over loose UTM 19T 0447681E 5033564N
Data Map
rocks. Continue .1 mile to a campsite at Big
mi.
Notch Pond (8), a remote bog teeming with
underwater vegetation like coon’s grass— .2 .8 .6 .8 .4 .9 2.3 3.4 .4 1.2 1.8 4.7 3.5
perfect for moose-spotting. 4 6 7

On day two, return to the Loop Trail and 1 3 8 10 11 12 13
go downhill to reach the Mountain Road
5
2 9
Trail. Cross over an old dam (9) and ascend
slate stairs to the Mountain Road trailhead 3,500 ft
(10). Turn right and follow a dirt road 1.2 0 ft

miles to reach the Firewarden’s Trail to Big
Moose Mountain (11). The blue-blazed path Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
meanders gently through maple and beech, Total Miles: 21
but after passing the dilapidated warden’s
cabin in 1.2 miles, it spikes—gaining 900 feet
in .6 mile to an overlook (12) of Moosehead’s Trip is in the left corner of the Permit/Contact No permits
many islands. From here, it’s .5 mile to Big
Moose and a sprawling North Woods vista Planner parking lot. are required, but camp only
stretching from Moosehead (Maine’s larg- in designated sites. Maine
est lake at 37 miles long and 18 miles wide), Gear up Northwoods Bureau of Parks and Lands:
to 5,267-foot Katahdin, the state’s tallest Driving From Bangor, take Outfitters in Greenville: (207) 287-3821, maine.gov/
peak. Head 3.6 miles back to Little Moose’s ME 15 north 70 miles to the (866) 223-1380, doc/parks
trailhead and, 1.1 miles later (staying left at (only) light in Greenville. maineoutfitter.com
a junction), Little Moose Pond’s campsite Turn left, and drive another
(13); listen for loons in this serene enclave. 2.9 miles to Moose Map USGS quad Big Squaw MAP PLUS Send a topo,
On the final day, head 3.5 miles back to the Mountain Inn. The trailhead Pond ($8, store.usgs.gov) photos, and route info to
Greenwood trailhead. your cell by texting “imap
555483” to 32075.
//// MOBILE //
WEEKENDS
DESTINATIONS Big Moose Mountain
is that this is also when the

Key area’s notorious black flies
make their debut. Solution?
See This
Gear Pack some DEET and dress
like a Mainer. Dark clothing
attracts the winged blood-
BIG MOOSE FIRE TOWER
The only way to spot a forest fire in 1905? Go look for
one in the forest, on foot. Not very efficient, or safe.
suckers, so wear lighter, Two Greenville locals, concerned with protecting the
Bug khaki-hued shirt and pants. area’s most important asset—trees—suggested put-
Try ExOfficio’s long-sleeve ting a watchman on a mountaintop—specifically, Big
protection Buzz Off Baja shirt ($80, Moose. Big Moose’s
exofficio.com). It’s impreg- fire tower, essentially
nated with permethrin, a just planks nailed to
man-made version of a a tree, was the first
natural insect repellent in the country. With
A found in certain chrysan- map and alidade, the
themum plants. ExOfficio watchmen would pin-
says it will last through 70 point the smoke, then
Come July, the tourists pick washes, and when used in run down through the
up. But you can have the tandem with insect repel- trees to give the alert.
trails (and campsites) all to lent, the author, a life-long
yourself—if you head out in Mainer, has been pleasantly
B early June. The only caveat surprised with the results.
Camp In 2000, the Maine Indian
Tribal-State Commission
Chat and the Maine State
Locals Know Legislature confabbed
to pass a law eliminating the word
Sure, the solitude, wildlife, and surround-
ing pine-blanketed mountains make “squaw” from the names of state
Moosehead Lake special—but they aren’t
the only attraction. Before or after your
landmarks, reasoning that its use
hike, go for a ride on the 250-ton S.S. is offensive to native peoples. Most
Katahdin, a steamship that’s been plying sites were renamed “moose”–like Big
the lake’s waters for nearly a century. The
115-foot long, 26-foot-wide boat is the last
and Little Moose Mountains. There’s
of a fleet of eight; each one towed 6,000 even a peak in Baxter State Park now
cords of wood per trip across Moosehead. named Moose Bosom. Discuss: Do
Three years after “Ol’ Kate’s” final log drive in 1975, she became a National
Historic Landmark and has since been serving as a passenger ship. She runs
you agree with the name changes?
daily at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday from the end of June through And is there a better name than
early October. Fall foliage season is primo. $32, katahdincruises.com Moose Bosom in any wilderness?
On The Menu THE

GROCERY LIST
(AISLE #)
IN NEAREST
STORE BELOW
Breakfast 1 Big Moose Shepherd’s Pie Fire Tower Tuna [ ] 1 pouch tuna (1) [ ] Honey roasted
On the road An easy-as-pie pub dinner A filling sandwich with a spicy kick [ ] Mini Oreos (1) peanuts (4)
Lunches 1 & 2 [ ] Reeses Pieces (1) [ ] Peanut butter (7)
Peanut butter & 2 ounces instant potatoes 1 pouch tuna [ ] 1 can creamed [ ] Pepperoni
Fluff on bagel 3 ounces jerky, diced 1 bagel corn (2) (back wall)
Dinner 1 8-ounce can creamed corn 2 slices pepper jack [ ] Instant potatoes (2) [ ] Pepper jack (deli)
Big Moose Pinch of salt & pepper 2 ounces pepperoni, sliced [ ] Marshmallow [ ] 3 Bagels (deli)
Shepherd’s Pie Fluff (2) [ ] Jerky (deli)
Breakfasts 2 & 3 Boil one cup water. Stir in Split bagel, add pepperoni to [ ] Dried apple (3)
Instant oatmeal w/ potatoes; remove from heat both halves, then throw on the [ ] Instant oatmeal (3) Pack Salt, pepper
diced dried apples for one minute. Add diced jerky, tuna and pepper jack. Serve. [ ] Maple syrup (3)
& maple syrup creamed corn, salt, and pepper. [ ] Yogurt raisins (3)
Dinner 2 Stir and serve.
Fire Tower Tuna
Snacks
Reeses Pieces, pea- NEAREST
nuts, yogurt raisins, GROCERY STORE
Mini Oreos INDIAN HILL TRADING POST
148 Moosehead Lake Rd.,
* PIT STOP Hit the Stress Free Moose Pub & Café on Moosehead Lake Road in
Greenville for a Cranberry Salad Wrap and a shot of Moose Piss, a concoction
Greenville, ME; (207) 695-2104
of Stoli Raspberry, tequila, and “secret ingredients.” (207) 695-3100

EPICENTER
DESTINATIONS
The
Peak
PHOTOS BY (FROM TOP) ED CALLAERT; KIRKENDALL-SPRING; GOOGLE. TEXT BY TIM SHISLER. GOOGLE EARTH PROVIDERS: GOOGLE EARTH, TERRAMETRICS, DIGITALGLOBE, USDA FARM SERVICE AGENCY
SUNNY SIDE UP: PACK A HEADLAMP TO

NAVIGATE YOUR RETURN AFTER CATCHING
MT. TAM’S SPLENDID SUNSET VIEW, SEEN
HERE FROM BOLINAS RIDGE.
UTM 10S 0533033E 4196194N
The Best... COAST

TK
Mountain biking
Mt. Tamalpais, CA Welcom to fat-tire

ground zero. Locals
REDWOODS
You don’t need a million-dollar penthouse to savor love linking Samuel

the best view in San Francisco. Just hike to Mt. Tam, P. Taylor State Park
as locals call this iconic peak. Twenty miles north and Loma Alta Open
of the city, it’s the centerpiece of a 6,300-acre Space Preserve via
pocket of undeveloped woodland, lakes, and open the Bay Area Ridge
meadows laced with more than 50 miles of trail and capped by Trail for 10.6 miles of
one of the best views on the West Coast: a 360-degree panorama fast singletrack and
of the mighty Pacific, San Francisco Bay, and, on a clear day, the killer scenery.
Sierra Nevada a couple hundred miles to the east. But the view isn’t
even its best feature. What is: the opportunity for a real wilderness App
experience amidst redwood forests, grasslands, and rugged coast Download Tom
within minutes of one of the most densely populated areas of Harrison’s Mt. Tam
the country. map to your iPhone
With a road to the summit, the top can get busy, but you can nab ($5, apple.com). It’s
the same view from its uncrowded ridges on this stout 14.8-mile out- as detailed as the
and-back. From the Dipsea trailhead in Mill Valley, climb 671 stairs paper version—and
MT. TAM AND BOLINAS RIDGE
into the heart of Mt. Tamalpais State Park. Continue under a canopy cheaper.
of coast redwoods paralleling Muir Redwoods National Monument.
From here, the trail climbs steadily to Windy Gap before losing Campsite
elevation to the base of Cardiac Hill. This long (and aptly named) Hawk Camp
climb tops out at 1,360 feet, where views of Campground in the
Stinson Beach and the Pacific open up. Enjoy Marin Headlands is
a gradual downhill to Stinson Beach and its centralized for hik-
perfect arc of soft sand (picnic, anyone?), TAM TRAILS, ing and biking. It’s a
then retrace your steps. Just before reaching PLUS Get maps, pho- 2.7-mile hike or ride
the trailhead, sidehike .7 mile on the nar- tos, and GPS data for on the Bobcat Trail
Mt. Tam hikes—and 58 from Bunker Road.
row Sun Trail to a paved path leading to the
other treks within an
Alpine Tourist Club, built in 1914 by German Free. (415) 331-1540,
hour of San Francisco—
immigrants.This private club opens its out- at backpacker.com/ nps.gov/goga
door beer garden on weekends until 5 p.m. hikes/sfo.
+ /// MAPS ///

BASECAMP
Composition
Just getting started? Master
these basic rules to improve
all of your pictures.
» Clean your background.
Position subjects against
an uncluttered space,
making sure that no
branches intersect some-
one’s body or peaks rise
out of your friend’s head.
» Include a strong anchor
in the foreground, such as
the people in the photo
at left, a cluster of flowers
(see right), or a boulder.
This helps provide scale
and creates leading lines
that draw viewers into the
image. “If you just shoot
a mountain, it will end
up too far away and too
small,” advises photogra-
pher Tomas Kaspar.
» Make subjects pop. Place
them against a contrast-
ing background, like light
rocks if they’re wearing
dark clothing, or bright
green moss if they’re
wearing red.
» Use the rule of thirds. This
adage is too often ignored
as amateurs instinctively
center their subjects.
Imagine two vertical and
two horizontal lines run-
ning across the frame;
position your subject
where the lines cross.
Shoot Like a Pro

Leave space for the sub-
ject to look or move into.
» Shoot at dawn and dusk.
Low-angle, golden light
creates texture and mini-
Want to capture photos as gasp-worthy as the ones mizes harsh contrast.

» Don’t forget to turn your
you see on magazine covers and gallery walls— camera. It’s no surprise
that tall peaks lend them-
without spending a fortune on gear or enrolling in selves to vertical compo-

sitions, while coastlines
photography school? Our go-to shooters share their make more sense hori-
zontally. But try all scenes
secrets on technique, equipment, and cameras. The with both perspectives;

you might find a surprise.
scenery, well, that’s up to you. By Steve Howe » Be selective. Your photo

needs a strong theme—
don’t try to fit everything
into one shot.
REPEAT IT Frame your shot to include similar shapes and colors—such as a curved branch over a dome tent.

Landscapes
Wide angle
The inspiring scenes you see in this
magazine? Chances are they were taken
with a wide-angle lens (14-24mm). Shorter
focal lengths keep subjects tiny against
a grand landscape. “You convey a sense
of place with wide-angle shots,” says
photographer Jon Cornforth. “You give
somebody the feeling that he’s standing
there.” Here’s how to get them.
» Include an interesting foreground

object, then get close—set the camera
within two feet of flowers or rocks.
» Shoot at the highest f/stop possible
(f/11 to f/22) to increase your depth of
field. “This lets you shoot from three
feet away to infinity, and everything will
be in focus,” says Cornforth. (See right.)
» Tiny apertures require slower shutter
speeds, so a tripod is essential for a
crisp image. To prevent blur from a
shaky trigger finger, use a cable release
or the self-timer delay; both keep your
hands off the camera.
Zoom PRO TIP: TAKE YOUR TIME

Longer lenses also make for striking landscape shots because
they compress the scene, making background peaks look One of the biggest mistakes made by amateur landscape
more imposing—as if they’re rising right behind your subject photographers? Shooting too quickly, says pro Tomas
(see photo at left). Use a 70-200mm telephoto lens with an Kaspar. When you find a vista that grabs you, take a
SLR. (Using a point-and-shoot? Get crisper photos with an
optical—not digital—zoom of at least 10x.) Also, remember
moment to look through your camera to find the perfect
that small slices of the landscape can make for unforgettable angle. “What you see in the viewfinder is different from
photos—think a moonrise over a ridge or a rainbow plunging what your eye sees,” says Kaspar. Scout for a shot with
into a distant canyon. Zoom in to grab the details. the perfect foreground, beautiful light, and no distracting
branches or other features. “It shouldn’t be point-and-shoot;
it should be point-look-and-shoot.”
PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) PATITUCCIPHOTO; JON CORNFORTH; TOMAS KASPAR
Macro
Detail shots of blossoms, lizards, and bugs add variety to your
slideshow. Emphasize the subject with a shallow depth of field that
keeps the object in focus while artfully blurring the background.
» Choose subjects carefully. Close-ups emphasize flaws as
well as beauty, so hunt for the brightest flower in the bunch.
» Set your point-and-shoot to macro mode, which will make
the depth of field smaller, and focus to within an inch of the
lens. Or use an aperture between f/4 and f/8.
» Shoot macros on cloudy or foggy days, when diffused light
erases harsh shadows and brings out tiny details. Even better:
Use a polarizing filter to reduce glare (see page 38). But skip
close-ups when wind moves your subject around—unless
you’re after a blurry foreground and background.
» Dark shadows on your subject? Pro fix: Use a portable
diffuser to soften the light. Easier: Fill in shadows with a
reflector made from a white piece of paper, shirt, or piece of
foil. Easiest: Use your fill flash (dial it down one or two stops).
SCOUT IT OUT Find prime shooting locations before you arrive by checking trip reports, Panoramio, and Google Images.
TECHNIQUE
SKILLS
Landscapes
Water
Want your waterfall or stream photos to look silky and
fluid, like the shot at right? Use a tripod and set your shutter
speed between ½ second and 2 seconds. This will capture a
blurred-water effect. Shoot on cloudy days or at dusk for
best results; on sunny days, add a polarizer.
Snow
Challenge: Convince your camera not to turn the white to
gray. Fix: Overexpose the shot, taking several photos between +1
and +2 to dial in the right exposure, or use the snow mode on
a point-and-shoot. Don’t worry about balancing exposure
for your snowshoeing pal: “Snow acts as a reflector, so the
subject ends up a little lighter, too,” says Tyler Stableford.
PRO TIP: USE A POLARIZING FILTER

Digital photo-editing programs have made most lens filters
obsolete—except the polarizer. This screw-on filter elimi-
nates reflections and deepens colors. “It makes the green of
the stems or the yellow of the leaves really glow and pop,”
says Jon Cornforth. Attach one to the front of your lens,
place yourself at a right angle to the sun (not in front of or
behind it, or the polarizer won’t work), and rotate the glass
element until glare, reflections, and haze diminish.
is to dial down the flash,” says Tomas

When To Shoot What Zuccareno. “You don’t want to wipe
AT DAWN AND DUSK Portraits out shadows—just soften them a bit.”
He takes the flash down ¹⁄³ of a stop
» Wide-angle scenics. These Get a classic shot of friends or family. from the default setting. Or use your
grand landscapes reach peak
headlamp to light the subject, moving it
magnificence in low-angle light: » The best light comes at dawn and closer or farther away until you get the
An SLR’s large sensor wrings dusk (but don’t shoot too early, or you’ll right look, advises Michael Clark.
maximum light out of the scene. Or get puffy eyes). Position yourself so » Keep faces lean with a 200mm zoom
choose a point-and-shoot that can that your subject is slightly sidelit, and lens with a wide-open aperture (try
take photos in the uncompressed use a fill flash to soften the shadows on f/5.6); stand about 10 feet away. This
RAW file format (instead of JPEG), his or her face (see below). “The trick puts faces in focus while blurring the
which lets you extract more light
background. Got a
and correct exposure problems
point-and-shoot?
when editing.
Set your camera
to portrait mode
ON OVERCAST DAYS
and keep the
» Deep forest scenes, slot canyons,
subject at least 10
fall foliage, and close-ups of
feet in front of the
flowers and bugs. They’re best
background.
when clouds erase distracting
» Self-conscious
shadows and bring out rich details.
subjects? Give
them a task
AT HIGH NOON
(cooking, bear-
» Silhouettes. Put your subject in
bagging), then
shadow in front of a brightly lit
have them pause
background and expose for the
and look while you
lightest parts of the scene.
snap the pic.
+ SHOOT AFTER STORMS Get striking photos by positioning a sunlit subject in front of a dark, brooding sky.

Action a point-and-shoot camera to action subject with your camera. Release the
When you’re dealing with a subject in mode for a similar effect. For the best shutter as you pan along. “It creates a
motion—a hiker, cyclist, or falcon in flight— results, scout out the location before- neat painterly effect,” says Zuccareno.
you have two choices: Stop the action or hand. “Try to hone in on the most pho- Blurred pans work especially well when
pan along with it for a blurred effect. togenic 10 feet in the whole area,” says the subject is backlit, notes Stableford,
Patitucci. Set up, then wait for your because the brighter background
subject to enter that spot. emphasizes the difference between
Stop action the crisp subject and the blur. Use this
To snap a trail runner in midstride or technique when basic point-and-shoot
to freeze the water droplets around a Blurred pans cameras struggle in low light.
paddler, increase your shutter speed To catch your subject in focus against a
to at least 1/500 of a second (make it blurred background (see below), slow
1/1,000 of a second or more for faster your shutter speed to between ¹⁄30 and Take control of the action
subjects, like cyclists or your friend ½ a second. Holding the camera as » Don’t wait for action shots to pres-
leaping into a swimming hole). Set steady as possible, follow the moving ent themselves. You’ll miss fleeting
opportunities, and never create the
kinds of shots the pros imagine—then
make happen.
» When you know photo ops will
come fast and furious—fording a river,
scrambling a cliff band—set your
camera on program. Carry it in your
unzipped chest pack, turned on, with
the lens cap off and the neck strap
around your neck.
» “Take cool angles—get down on
your knees or scramble up on a rock
and look down,” advises Zuccareno. “If
somebody’s jogging, maybe it’s a shot
of his foot leaving the frame.”
» Use a wide-angle lens and get close,
with the action coming toward you, for
a sense of movement and immediacy.
Or walk just behind and to the side of
PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) STEPHEN MATERA; KEN ARCHER; PATITUCCIPHOTO; TOM ZUCCARENO
your subject, shooting over his shoulder

and including the terrain ahead.
PRO TIP:
SHOOT Summits
MORE Resist the urge to take the standard “conqueror on the
“When some- mountaintop” photo. A hiker posed against a featureless
blue sky? Boring. Instead, emphasize the steepness of the
thing cool is approach and the surrounding peaks by scrambling above
happening, let your subject and shooting down with a wide-angle lens.
it rip and delete Include a plummeting ridgeline to show depth—even better
the junk,” says if one side of the ridge is in shadow—and minimize the sky.
Dan Patitucci. Set
your camera to
its fastest frame GET INSPIRED!
rate (at least BACKPACKER’s new photo and video
center is your one-stop shop for
three frames photography tips, gear, and hundreds of
per second) and dramatic shots. Check out reader galleries,
watch trip slideshows from our editors,
shoot until all of and improve your game with Senior
the action has Associate Photo Editor Genny Fullerton’s
instructional blog. backpacker.com/
stopped. mediacenter
/////WEB EXTRA /
TECHNIQUE
SKILLS
Night
Problem: Night shots often contain lots
of digital noise, or graininess. Solution:
“You want to use the lowest ISO you can,”
says Stableford, “and take as long of an
exposure as you need. Shooting at a low
ISO, you’ll get a cleaner image with more
detail.” Here’s how to get four night shots.
» Campfire Night scenes demand a

shutter speed of a second or longer, so
steady the camera on a sandbag or tri-
pod. In manual mode, bracket the shot
with exposures just over (+1) and under
(-1) what the meter suggests. Throw
some dry tinder on the fire right before
you shoot to make it flare up and illumi-
nate your subjects, advises Stableford.
» Glowing tents Use a small “slave flash”
(they cost as little as $18; bhphoto- get,” advises Archer. That way, you’ll be
video.com). Put one inside your tent
(facing away from your camera for Wildlife ready when the bull elk raises his head
or the bear looks toward you.
more diffused light); the remote flash The secret to catching life-list animals on » Remember the rule of thirds, and leave
triggers when its sensor registers your camera: patience. If you do get lucky, avoid active space for the animal to look or
camera’s flash. Or turn your headlamp startling the animal: Wear natural colors, move into (like the bull elk above).
to its brightest setting and leave it on avoid shiny items, and approach your » Use a 100-400mm zoom lens with the
in the tent (but the slave flash lets you quarry slowly, from downwind. largest aperture you can. (Archer uses
shoot with faster speeds). f/5.6 to f/11). This lets you shoot at
» Light painting Mount your camera » Find the perfect backdrop first, then wait faster speeds in low light, when many
on a tripod and compose a shot. for a chance to place the animal in it. “If I animals are most active.
Set the shutter to “bulb” and leave it see a mountain that I want, I’ll move » To catch an animal in motion, increase
open for a minute or more. During the myself to where I can frame the elk your shutter speed and pan along with it as
PHOTOS BY (FROM LEFT) TYLER STABLEFORD; KEN ARCHER; JULIA VANDENOEVER (SATURATION); GENNY FULLERTON (6)
long exposure, use your headlamp to looking toward the mountain,” says it moves. Use about a 1/1,000 for small,
“paint” the scene with light. The cam- wildlife photographer Ken Archer. quick mammals. For eagles in flight,
era will catch the light streaks, allow- » Observe your subject until you can begin Archer shoots at least 1/2,000 and
ing you to draw images or even words. to predict its movements and behavior. tracks the bird as it passes. Release
» Stars Grab a tripod and locate “The more time you spend with an the shutter and continue panning for a
Polaris, the North Star—around which animal, the better photo you’re going to few more seconds.
all other stars appear to rotate—and
compose it according to the rule of
thirds. Leave the shutter open for one
to four hours.
Exposure: A Primer
Aperture, shutter speed, and ISO work together to determine the amount of light
that reaches your camera’s sensor; you must adjust one when you change another.
Shutter speed controls the length of time the shutter is open; f/stop controls how
wide the aperture opens; ISO is a measure of the camera’s sensitivity to light.
SHUTTER
APERTURE SPEED ISO USE IT
f/22 To capture a large depth of field (such

½ second 100
(tiny pinhole) as a landscape shot) on a sunny day.
f/5.6 1/500 or To capture a shallow depth of field

100
(wide open) 1/1,000 (portraits, close-ups) on a sunny day.
f/5.6 To freeze a moving subject in low-

1/500 800
(wide open) light conditions.
+ FIND YOUR PREY Go where hunting isn’t allowed—wildlife is more likely to engage in natural behavior around humans.

Software
Editing Refine your work with these
With digital photography, shooting is just the start. The technology lets you optimize top programs.
images after you take them. Michael Clark, author of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom: A
Professional Photographer’s Workflow, shares these tips on polishing images in any program. PICASA AND APPLE iLIFE 09
Pros Let you organize photos into
albums; easy, one-click editing and
resizing; manually geotag shots
in Google Earth; great for sharing
photos with friends (iLife links to
Facebook and Flickr); can be used
to buy prints and posters; iLife also
edits movies and burns DVDs
» White balance Fine-tune colors with » Recovering highlights If one part of Cons Allow only basic editing
this adjustment—great for fixing the your image is overexposed (such as adjustments
orange or reddish skin tones you get the lightest areas on the tree root, Best for Casual photographers who
at dawn and dusk, when the light above), use the recovery slider to bring want hassle-free editing and easy
changes too fast for your camera to the bright spots into balance with the photo-sharing features
set auto white balance accurately. rest of the shot. Picasa: Mac/PC; free; picasa.google
.com. iLife: Mac only; $79 (comes
with most Macs); apple.com/ilife
COREL PAINT SHOP PRO PHOTO X2

Pros Processes some RAW files;
can do basic edits as well as more
advanced fixes, such as changing
perspectives to eliminate
converging lines and combining
» Saturation Use this tool to make col- » Contrast Make dark tones darker and different images to get the perfect
ors pop (or alternately, to desaturate light tones lighter with this tool. This exposure (HDR photos); auto-saves
tones for a muted look). But don’t go adjustment helps subjects pop on original files
overboard—Clark sticks to a maximum photos with lots of gray and brings Cons PC only; doesn’t support RAW
of +15. Many printers can’t reproduce out details on distant peaks—but files from all cameras
oversaturated hues. again, don’t overdo it. Best for Advanced enthusiasts who
want more editing control at a
bargain price
PC only; $99; corel.com
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 8

Pros Includes basic editing tools
as well as advanced; handles RAW
files; allows you to create
panoramas, correct skin tones,
change perspectives, and merge
» Localized adjustments This tool lets » Crop Remove clutter or dead space
photos of pals by combining the
you fine-tune exposure or saturation with this tool. Ideally, you do that
best individual portraits into one
on a small section of a photo, rather when you compose the shot, since
image (Group Shot); saves editing
than changing the entire image—for you lose data when you shave off
history of each shot so you can dial
example, to edit just a subject’s face. parts of the photo in processing. But
back if you turn the sky green
“This can take you from zero to hero when you need to clean up a hasty
Cons More complex to learn; no
pretty fast,” says Clark. shot, cropping works wonders.
batch processing; compresses files
every time you save, which slightly
» Remove unwanted objects, such as dis- reduces quality. (Need more orga-
tracting boulders or an inconvenient nization and searchability, better
fence post, from the image with the photo quality, or to process lots of
Clone Stamp or Healing Brush. These files? Upgrade to Adobe Photoshop
tools take sections from other areas Lightroom, $261.)
of the photo and superimpose them Best for Serious photographers
over the objects you wish to erase. Mac/PC; $99; adobe.com
BALANCE EXPOSURE Use the gradient tool to fix too-bright skies with too-dark foregrounds.
TECHNIQUE
SKILLS
sharp 12MP digital noise as well as cameras three

photos. The times the price. You can even com-
Your Shot image stabi-
lization and
bine multiple exposures in-camera
for the perfect photo. Bonuses: Runs
Panasonic DMC high ISO set- on trail-friendly AAs and takes HD
LX3K tings reduced video. Bummer: No focus dots in the
With a Leitz blurring in low-light conditions, plus viewfinder; loud kit lens scares away
f/2.0 lens that it packs 3x optical zoom and is slim skittish wildlife. $650 (includes 18-55mm
creates very enough to fit in your pack’s hipbelt lens); 1 lb. 7 oz.; pentaximaging.com
sharp lines, saturated colors, and pocket. $379; 7 oz.; olympus.com
quick autofocusing, this 10.1MP model Nikon D300s
performed the best out of the four Olympus E-P1 This could
point-and-shoots we tested. The The new be the last
lower pixel count reduces interference, breed of camera you’ll
which cuts digital noise in low light. “four thirds” ever need: The
Testers also praised its manual con- digitals might D300s shoots
trols (rare in a compact) and excellent become the 12.3MP images
black-and-white reproduction, and ultimate trail camera. With the optics, and captures HD video through most
it shoots in RAW. Bummer: No long advanced sensors, and interchange- compatible lenses, from fisheye to
telephoto capability (the lens stops at able lenses of a DSLR, compacts like telephoto. The result: a two-in-one
80mm). $500; 8 oz.; panasonic.com the E-P1 take outstanding stills and gadget that gives both aspiring and
video—at sandwich-size. Our tester seasoned photographers full control
Pentax Optio clipped the E-P1 to his hipbelt on a in lens choice, exposure, and aperture.
W80 six-day hike and came home with The Active-D mode preserves fine color
Testers images good enough to print in and shadow details on sunlit faces and
declared this future issues. Downside: There’s no wispy clouds that often trick the sen-
waterproof, viewfinder, so you must compose sors on other cameras. Other highlights:
freezeproof, shots with the display. That chews dual memory cards; 10 in-camera
crushproof, 12.1MP camera “a joy to through a battery every 150-200 editing features, including the ability to
use,” citing its deck-of-cards size, 24- pictures, and that’s with no playback. trim movies on the LCD screen; and a
140mm zoom range, excellent video, $800; 12 oz.; olympus.com GPS connection for auto-geotagging.
and saturated colors. Menus are easy Downside: Movie clips are limited to
to navigate and features impressive: Pentax K-x five minutes. $1,699 (body only);
The panorama mode automatically Perfect for hik- 1 lb. 14 oz.; nikonusa.com
stitches photos together, and face ers who want
detection mode captures great por- to upgrade to Tripod picks
traits. Downsides: long shutter lag; a DSLR with- » Serious shutterbugs The Impact 1018A
autofocus struggles in low light. $300; out cashing in extends to 53 inches and adjusts easily.
4.4 oz.; pentaximaging.com their 401(k), $40; 2 lbs.; bhphotovideo.com
the small, fairly » Ultralighters Mold Joby’s Gorillapod
Olympus Stylus Tough-8000 light K-x’s intuitive menus help begin- Flexible Mini-tripod to steady a camera
Tough is right: This waterproof point- ners produce crisp, 12.4MP shots. It on any terrain. $22; 1.6 oz.; joby.com
and-shoot survived stream dunkings, also excels in low-light conditions » Multitaskers REI’s Four Winds Travel Staff
thunderstorms, and accidental four- (great for landscapes and wildlife): is a trekking pole that doubles as a
foot drops, all the while delivering Superb high ISO performance controls monopod. $80; 8.5 oz.; rei.com
Photo Survival Guide » Even with waterproof cameras, condensation from cold, humid
» Pack 2GB of card space per day if you’re shooting a lot of RAW conditions can form inside the housing. Put cameras and gear
images. Bring even more if you’re after action or people in a zip-top bag before leaving a warm house or tent. That
photos and will be firing in continuous mode—or need to way, drops will condense on the bag, not your lens. Remove
capture just the right expression or position. your camera when temps equalize. This also works when
» Shield your camera from mild precipitation with a freezer or you’re going from the cold outdoors to a warm tent. Don’t
PHOTOS BY COURTESY
garbage bag. When not in use, keep it dry in a roll-top drybag blow on the lens, or you’ll create more condensation.
(we like models from Pacific Outdoors and Granite Gear). » Subzero temps require three to four times the battery power of
» If your camera gets wet anyway, revive it by putting it in a zip- summer climates. Swap alkalines for lithium batteries, which
top bag with a desiccant packet or a dry paper towel. Suck the air last longer and work better in the cold. When they’re not in
out, close it tight, and keep the package warm overnight to use, keep all batteries warm in an inner pocket or sleeping
force moisture into the absorbent items. bag, or rubber-band a chemical handwarmer around them.
+ STAY JUICED Pack one spare battery for every two or three days when using a point-and-shoot.

.9#3OHO3PRING3TREET7EST6ILLAGETH!VE3!.&2!.#)3#/,EVEL7ESTFIELD#ENTER-ARKET3T

TECHNIQUE
SKILLS
14
Assess the snow
The “In spring, the days are longer and temps rise—so heat pen-
etrates the snowpack more deeply,” says Caroline George,
Manual a Utah-based guide. That can saturate layers, destabilizing

the snowpack and increasing the risk of avalanches. In these
conditions, slopes are safest in the morning, after cold over-
Cross a spring night temps have refrozen and consolidated the snow. Travel
before 11 a.m., when the sun starts turning the surface snow
snowfield to slush. “If you’re sinking in farther than your boot top, it’s
time to get off the steep slopes,” says Andrew Councell, a
Colorado-based guide. Here’s how to handle a day up high:
Ascend >> Weather Check the forecast and recent conditions through local reports. Avalanche
Switchback up softer spring slopes by
risk increases after several warm days and overcast nights in a row, or after spring storms
kicking flat, evenly spaced steps into
dump fresh snow or rain on top of older, crusty layers.
the snow with the toe of your boot.
>> Angle “Spring snow can produce slides at lower angles than in winter,” says George.
Prevent a serious fall with a self-belay:
Late-season slides occur most often on slopes between 27 and 45 degrees. Pack an incli-
Holding your axe in your uphill hand,
nometer to check angles accurately; we like Backcountry Access’s Slope Meter ($24).
plunge the spike and shaft into the
>> Terrain East- and southeast-facing slopes soften before those facing west or
snow. Take two steps forward. When
southwest, because the sun hits them first. Leeward slopes are also less stable than
you’re in a balanced position—uphill
windward aspects.
leg bent in front of you, downhill leg
straight—pull out the shaft and replant.
DESCEND
2
To turn, plunge the spike into the snow
and plant your feet in a level, duck- On gentle slopes, head straight down instead of
footed stance, facing up. Switch hands
traversing diagonally, says Councell. On steep
and swing the new uphill foot forward
in the new direction before moving the
descents, switchback down, plunging your heels
axe up. Run into a short icy section? Use into the snow in a rhythm and keeping your knees
your ice axe, not your feet, to chop a slightly bent. Hold your axe in the uphill hand and
few steps, says Councell. plant the shaft for balance and self-belay. Glissade
If you’re descending
a rock-free slope
STOP ANY FALL WITH SELF-ARREST with a safe runout,
PHOTOS BY JUSTIN BAILIE. ILLUSTRATIONS BY SUPERCORN. TEXT BY JENN FIELDS (SNOW);

sliding down the
Feet first on your back Hold the axe
NICOLE SPIRIDAKIS (COUSCOUS). NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS BY MELISSA STOOS-GILROY

If you diagonally across your chest—one
hand gripping the shaft and the other
snow is much faster
(and more fun) than
5
walking. Councell’s
gripping the head, near your ear. Roll
fall... toward the pick and flip onto your
stomach. Press all of your weight onto
preferred method:
Sit down and slide
on your feet and
3
the pick to dig it into the snow and butt. Place one hand
kick your toes into the slope to stop. on your axe’s head
(pinkie toward the
Headfirst on your stomach Reach pick) and the other
forward and to the side and dig the on the shaft at your
pick into the snow. Pivot around the hip. Press the spike
axe head and dig in with your toes. into the snow at your
side to steer and slow
down. (Note: Never
Headfirst on your back Dig the pick glissade in crampons;
into the snow at your hip. Twist onto the points can catch
your stomach and let your legs swing in the snow and make
around to get in position to stop. you lose control.)
+

SURVIVAL GEAR: ONE COIN
dirtbag / gourmet
Couscous
This satisfying whole grain is filling, fiber-rich, and ready
in less than five minutes.
DIRTBAG GOURMET
Salmon-Tomato White Bean Chili
Couscous with Couscous
Prep time 1½ cups sun-dried tomatoes, chopped Prep time 2 cups whole-wheat couscous
2 min 2 cups instant whole-wheat couscous 10 min 6 cloves garlic
6 ounces salmon jerky, shredded 2 onions
½ teaspoon curry powder 2 red bell peppers
½ teaspoon salt 1½ cups dried corn
½ teaspoon black pepper 2 cubes vegetable bouillon
2 cans white beans
Cook time AT HOME Cook time 2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
8 min Place curry powder, salt, and pepper in a 15 min 2 teaspoons dried basil
zip-top bag. 2 teaspoons dried oregano
Price $6 per serving Price $5 per serving 1 teaspoon chili powder
Weight 3 ounces per IN CAMP Weight 4 ounces per 1 teaspoon salt
serving Place the tomatoes in a pot and cover with serving 1 teaspoon pepper
Serves 4 three cups water. Bring to a boil and cook Serves 4 ½ cup olive oil
for two minutes. Remove from heat, add
the couscous, stir, and cover. Let sit for five AT HOME
Calories 414 Calories 937
minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Drain and rinse the beans, then double-bag
Fat 6 g Fat 33 g in zip-top bags. Combine salt, pepper, and
Remove lid and stir in the curry powder, salt,
Carbs 76 g Carbs 146 g spices in another zip-top bag. Transfer oil to
pepper, and salmon.
Protein 35 g Protein 29 g a spillproof container.
IN CAMP
Boil 2½ cups water. Add the vegetable bouillon and stir. Add cous-
cous; remove from heat and cover. Let sit for five minutes, or until
the water is absorbed. While couscous is cooking, slice garlic cloves
and chop onion and bell pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium
heat and add the garlic, onion, pepper, and spices. Cook for five
minutes, until the pepper is tender. Add the beans, sun-dried toma-
toes, corn, and ¼ cup water. Cook three more minutes, until the
vegetables are heated through. If desired, add more water to make
more sauce. Pour the chili over the couscous and serve.
WOW YOUR FRIENDS

Want to bring Thai taste to the trail? Looking
for an impressive camping dessert? Trail Chef
has you covered. Learn how to bake campfire
cupcakes in an orange (yep, you read that
right) and whip up quick-and-tasty Pad Thai
for backpackers in our latest videos. Find it at
backpacker.com/padthai.
////// VIDEOS
Minutes Hours 03.2010 BACKPACKER 45
SURVIVAL
SKILLS
THE PREDICAMENT
Swept Away
On your final day of backpacking with two friends in Your heavy pack drags you
Denali National Park, you must cross a wide river to underwater. You desperately try
S reach the park road. You can see several four-inch

standing waves in the channel. Probing with your
to release the straps, but your
numbed fingers can’t grasp the
T trekking pole, you determine the silty water is just

under knee-deep along the bank. Your move?
buckles. In a panic, you inhale a
A
lungful of icy water—and drown.
A) Toss in a rock to B) Cross here—the waves Four days later, Lunchbox The
R judge depth in the

middle of the channel
indicate shallow water,
and the river passes the
Cadaver Dog sniffs out your
waterlogged corpse several miles
T “Knee Test” Uh-oh—midway across, the deep,

fast-moving river sweeps you off of your
down the river.
feet. (Shallow ripples, not standing

A) No
waves, indicate a safe place to cross.
Narrow channels and river bends tend
to be deeper and faster. And the Knee
Test? Your last living thought might be
to curse the friend who passed it off as
gospel truth.) Your head plunges under
When you heave a rock into the river, B) Yes
you hear a deep “ker-plop” sound. the icy water as you struggle to stay
What does this mean? afloat. Did you unbuckle your hipbelt
and sternum strap before you started?
A) The river is B) The river is
shallow enough too deep—scout
to cross safely for a better spot
PHOTOS BY COURTESY (TOP); RITA MARIE GORDON. ILLUSTRATION BY HEADCASE DESIGN (LEFT); SUPERCORN (RIGHT). TEXT BY ELISABETH KWAK-HEFFERAN
Smart move. You wriggle out of your pack
and manage to keep your head above water.
What’s the best way to get to shore?
A) You need power to B) Lead with your feet.

get out of the strong Face downstream, with
Moving upriver, past a few tributaries, you find several
current. Swim forward, your knees bent and
potential crossing spots. Which do you choose? headfirst in freestyle toes up, and backstroke
position, and stroke as to steer to a safer spot.
A) A narrow B) A spot where C) A wide D) A bend hard as you can for the
channel the river splits channel in the opposite bank.
into several river
braids
The surging water is

much too powerful—
you tumble
downriver. The last
You’re ready to go. What’s the safest technique? thing you see are your
friends’ horrified
Good choice—wide channels and braids A) Maintain a straight B) Face upstream and faces right before
tend to be shallower, and therefore line across the river, sidestep across, angling your head smacks
perpendicular to the slightly downriver and
safer, to cross. What’s the best way to into a huge rock.
direction of the current stabilizing yourself with
make it to the other side?
trekking poles
A) Link arms B) Cross one by
with your friends one—if someone You maneuver into a calm eddy, then
to form a tripod slips, the others make your way back to the bank—but
and cross won’t be dragged you and your pack are soaked, and
together—you’ll down, too you’re still on the wrong side of the
stabilize each
Nice form—but going solo river. Are your extra clothes stored in
other
makes it more likely that you’ll drybags or trash compactor bags?
lose your footing. Flip a coin to
see if you’ll make it. A) Yes B) No
A) Heads B) Tails
Without a dry sleeping bag or

You change into dry clothes, the cold wind makes you
clothes and huddle in your hypothermic within minutes. Your
Sidestepping carefully, you make your sleeping bag until you friends, who crossed before you, go
way across. Once on shore, you hike to warm up. Rescuers arrive for help—but no one comes in time
the road and catch the bus. A few with a video camera in hand, to prevent your core temperature
hours later, you and your friends toast and a few months later, you from dropping too low to recover.
a successful trip with a cold beer at find yourself starring in the Hypothermia can kill within hours.
Talkeetna’s West Rib Café and Pub. park’s new river safety film.
+

Scramble Safely READER TIPS
Add security on steep terrain with the simple hip belay. Tight seal
For added insurance against
While ascending a class 3 summit, you and your partner encounter a stretch of particu-
larly sketchy terrain: exposed, steep, and rocky. The route is stable—your partner’s nerves, leakage, I always wrap all
not so much. Turn back? Not if you packed a rope and know how to perform a hip belay. the bladder threads on my
Requiring only a coil of rope, this old-school technique provides added security on nontech-
nical peaks, gentle snow slopes, moderate canyoneering Platypus reservoir with pipe
trips, or any terrain where technical climbing methods
are unnecessary. “When moving in the mountains, speed thread tape, which creates a
and efficiency are key, and the hip belay allows a team to tighter seal (it’s available at
do just that—it’s lightning-fast and stable,” says Jackson,
Wyoming-based Exum Mountain guide Cara Liberatore. hardware stores). Twenty-
Here’s how to do it:
eight trips, hundreds of nights
Tie in out, and no leaks yet.
Using one end of a single climbing rope, tie the
easy-to-adjust bowline knot snugly around your waist; Bryan Bradley,
have the climber do the same. For added security, tie
backup overhand knots right next to the bowlines at both Buffalo Grove, IL
ends. Use a 30-meter length of rope for alpine scram-
bling; a 12-meter rope is usually sufficient for shorter
downclimbs while canyoneering.
Brace position
To belay your partner, you’ve got to be comfortable ascending
without protection. Scramble up ahead and find a solid terrain
feature, such as a large, live tree or a boulder that’s too big to fit
your arms around. Test the feature for stability before commit-
ting. Sit down and brace at least one straightened leg (both, if
possible) against the feature; this is your brace leg.
Hand position
Position the rope so that your brake hand is opposite your brace leg (for example, if your
brace is your right leg, use your left hand to brake). If both legs are equally braced, either
hand can brake. Your other hand is your guide hand. Pull up any slack between you and your
partner, then flip the rope over your head so that it rests below your backpack. Water bed
Belay method For a pillow, I use kids’ water
Use the traditional slip-slap-slide method to belay: As your partner wings, sliced down the seam
climbs, remove the slack by pulling the rope back around your body
with both hands. Slip your guide hand back up and use it to pinch (carefully). I take two and wrap
(“slap”) the two strands of rope together in front of you. Then slide
your brake hand back toward your body without ever taking it off of
them in a shirt, then inflate
the rope. Drop the brake strand from the guide hand and repeat. them about halfway for a great
Stop a fall night’s sleep. They cost about
While using the hip belay, always keep a tight leash on your partner—you should feel his
weight on the rope at all times. If he falls, immediately bring your brake hand down and
a buck for two, pack down tiny,
across your body, wrapping the rope farther around your core. The friction of the rope and weigh about two ounces.
against your body stops the fall.
John “Jay44” Hines,
Practice Cedar Park, TX
Perform the hip belay on low-angle terrain with
an experienced partner or Submitted via the Trailhead Register
guide until you become forum, backpacker.com/community
comfortable with the tech-
nique. And be aware of the WATCH & LEARN
hip belay’s limitations: If the Check out a step-
by-step photo demo
belayer weighs significantly
of proper belay and
less than the climber, the safety technique
terrain increases to 5th from Associate
class, or no natural brace Editor Shannon
features exist, you’ll need Davis by going to
more advanced belaying backpacker.com/
skills to proceed. hipbelay.
// PHOTOS ////
HEALTH
SKILLS
Eat For Recovery
Double your trail miles—or just boost your
OUTFITTING YOUR DREAMS energy—with protein-rich snacks.
“Carbs are critical to

EQUIPMENT recovery, but they can’t
do the job alone,” says
Stacy Sims, Ph.D., an
exercise physiologist
1
and sports nutritionist
at Stanford University.
“To get glycogen into
your body and repair
the muscle microtears
that occur during any strenuous workout,
you need protein.” To reap the benefits, Sims
CLOTHING recommends eating 20 grams of protein
immediately after a hike or workout (also
snack on protein-rich foods throughout the
day, aiming for a total of .6 gram per pound
of body weight on high-exertion days). Whey,
egg, and soy sources are easiest to digest. We
tested 10 recovery products to bring you the
WWW.CAMPMOR.COM three best new choices—plus one old favorite.
FOR OUR FREE CATALOG CALL Best for workouts Hammer Nutrition Recoverite
& MORE! 1.800.CAMPMOR (800.226.7667) Testers reported noticeably less next-day
fatigue when they downed a Recoverite after
OR WRITE US AT: PO BOX 680-6BP a tough hike. This milky drink hits the sweet
MAHWAH, NJ 07430 spot with a 3:1 ratio of complex carbs to whey
protein isolate (an easy-to-digest protein
derived from milk) and it’s full of antioxidants
and electrolytes. Best flavor: strawberry.
Calories 170 Fat 0 g Carbs 33 g Protein 10 g
($2.69 per packet; hammernutrition.com)
Best for the trail Clif Shot Roks

Crunchy on the outside and nougat-soft in
the middle, these malted milk ball-like bites
are easy to pop on the move and contain two
grams of highly digestible protein per piece.
Testers reported that the Roks prevented
bonking on long days and reduced muscle
fatigue the morning after. Bonus: Roks never
melted, even in the hottest summer weather.
2
Best flavor: peanut butter. Calories 270 Fat
4.5 g Carbs 38 g Protein 20 g ($3; clifbar.com)
3 Best for a sweet tooth PowerBar Recovery

This caramel-filled, chocolaty bar may taste
like junk food, but its 12 grams of highly
digestible whey and soy protein isolates
elevate it above typical vending machine fare.
It’s like a candy bar with nutritional value and
full recovery benefits. Best flavor: peanut
butter caramel crisp. Calories 270 Fat 10 g
Carbs 30 g Protein 12 g ($1.60; powerbar.com)
Best value Eggs

This favorite meets all our essential amino
acid requirements and packs six grams of
easy-to-absorb protein per egg—and is also
an excellent source of antioxidants like cho-
line and selenium. Carry them in a reusable
plastic egg crate, crack a few into a water
bottle and scramble them in camp, or hard-
boil a few and stash them in a plastic bag (in
cool weather, they’ll last for 48 hours). Calories
78 Fat 5 g Carbs .5 g Protein 6 g ($.25 per egg)
+

Spring Training
Want strong knees when hiking season starts?
Work your hamstrings now.
Sure, you could hike yourself into shape come spring—but you could hike yourself right
into an injury in the process. A too-sedentary off-season can shorten and weaken your
hamstrings, and that means feeble knees. “The hamstrings keep the knees safely aligned
as you hike,” explains Suzie Snyder, an adventure racer and strength-and-conditioning
MEDICINE
coach based in Wallingford, Connecticut. Strong hams support your pack’s weight and help
ligaments stabilize the knee over uneven terrain, especially when you’re descending with
MAN
a pack. “Work those muscles, and you’ll hike downhill faster and reduce the risk of knee BUCK MAKES YOU RIGHT.
injuries,” Snyder says. Strengthen your hamstrings with these three exercises; for maximum
benefit, do them three times per week, starting six to eight weeks before your first big trip. Urine Trouble
Q: Will drinking urine when no
ALTERNATING LUNGES
>> How Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, take a water is available allow you to
large step forward, shifting your weight to your front leg survive longer?
while bending the rear knee and dropping the hips toward Dan, Toronto, ON
the ground. Keep your front shin vertical and your thigh par-
allel to the floor. Pause briefly, then step back to a standing
position without dragging the front foot. Alternate with the A: Let’s all take a step back from the pee
other leg for 20 lunges total. Work up to three sets of 20 bottle, shall we? True, liquid is vital to pretty
reps per leg. After two weeks, drop to three sets of 10 reps much every human function—losing just two
while wearing a 10-pound backpack. Add five pounds to the percent of your body fluid results in confu-
pack per workout until you reach 30 to 40 pounds. sion, fatigue, and a 25 percent reduction in
>>Why Lunges work the hamstrings and glutes, which “apply the body’s ability to function normally, and a
the brakes as you hike downhill,” Snyder says. Wearing a 10 percent loss of fluid can be fatal. And true,
loaded pack raises your center of gravity and challenges your you’re constantly losing water (to the tune of
balance, which trains your hamstrings to steady the knees 2.5 liters per day) through sweating, breath-
over loose rock or uneven ground. ing, and elimination. But pee isn’t the answer
when your reservoir runs dry. As dehydration
STABILITY BALL LEG CURLS progresses, urine output decreases, which
>> How Lie face-up on the floor with legs extended and heels on top of a stability ball. Lift ups the concentration of waste products like
your hips off of the floor and pull your heels toward your butt, keeping your toes and knees uric acid, ammonia, calcium, and sodium
pointed up. Hold your hips high and straighten your legs; do three sets of 10. When that move contained in the little you do produce (that’s
becomes easy, try them one-legged: Extend one leg toward the ceiling while you roll the ball why dark pee is a sign you need to drink up).
toward your butt with the other. Those substances could speed dehydration
PHOTOS BY RITA MARIE GORDON (LEFT); STEVEN G. SMITH. TEXT BY BERNE BROUDY (EAT FOR RECOVERY); KELLY
>>Why Each time you step down, the at best, and induce vomiting at worst. The
hamstrings contract and pull the lower leg SAS Survival Handbook says it all: Never
beneath you, “like doing leg curls all the drink urine—never!
way down the mountain,” says Snyder. This
exercise mimics that on-trail movement to
strengthen hamstrings and prevent the knee
Air Out
pain caused when the quads are dispropor- Q: Is it safe to use cookware
tionately stronger than the muscles on the that held untreated water
back of the leg. after it air-dries?
HAMSTRING ROLLS Jens, Washougal, WA
>> How Sit down on a foam roller placed just below your butt, perpendicular to the leg.
Resting your body weight on the foam, use your hands and nonsupported leg to crab-walk A: Waterborne germs will probably not sur-
BASTONE (HAMSTRINGS); BUCK TILTON (MEDICINE MAN)
your body backward, rolling over the foam from butt to knee. Reverse direction and roll from vive a complete drying—especially in the sun,
knee to butt. Repeat eight times, or until the tenderness and discomfort in your hamstrings as ultraviolet rays help with disinfection. To
subside. Switch legs and repeat. be really sure, wipe your pots with a clean
>>Why This rolling exercise relaxes and length- bandanna to remove any lingering microbes
ens hamstrings after a tough workout, soothing before setting them out to dry.
fatigue and flushing lactic acid from the muscles.
“If muscles do not recover from one training Buck Tilton is a
cofounder of the
bout, the next session will be compromised,”
Wilderness Medicine
says Snyder. This simple recovery move prevents Institute and author
FIND WATER
cramping and lowers the risk of injury during your of Wilderness First ANYWHERE
next training session. Get the same benefits on Responder ($35), a Learn to dig a well,
comprehensive guide to make a still, and sniff
a multiday trip by substituting a water bottle for preventing, recognizing, out water in the desert
a foam roller to restore hamstrings’ full capacity and treating backcountry at backpacker.com/
and range of motion. medical emergencies. findwater.
/////WEB EXTRA /
GEAR
SKILLS
Gear
Down
This natural insulation, which comes primarily from geese, contains
School
thousands of overlapping filaments that create countless micro-
scopic air pockets. The insulating power comes not from the down
itself, but from the body heat that gets trapped in these pockets.
Insulation
600 FILL 700 FILL 800 FILL
Stay toasty with the right fill for
your bag and puffy jacket.
BUY
>> Down The Rolls Royce of insulation, down has by far the best
warmth-to-weight ratio, the best compressibility (read: packability),
and the best long-term loft and durability—a high-quality down bag
will last decades. It also breathes well by allowing sweat vapor to
pass through, increasing comfort in a wide range of conditions. Cons:
It’s worthless when wet because down clusters—and all their air
pockets—collapse if exposed to moisture. It’s also more expensive;
a three-season, 800-fill down bag can cost up to $200 more than a
comparable synthetic. You get what you pay for: Buy the highest fill
power you can afford for the best performance and durability.
Companies use down clusters— Fill power refers to the num-
>> Synthetic This insulation is the best choice for frequently wet
the soft clumps found tucked ber of cubic inches occu-
conditions (that’s you, Northwest). Polyester, unlike down, is hydro-
under a goose’s feathers, not pied by one ounce of down.
phobic. Translation: When it gets wet, the water slides between the
the feathers themselves—to The higher the fill power,
fibers, not inside them, which means the fill maintains loft and a
stuff clothing and sleeping bags. the larger the cluster.
higher degree of warmth. Synthetics also dry faster and cost quite
a bit less than down, but they’re bulkier and heavier for the warmth.
Continuous filament fill won’t fall apart when stretched or clump up
Synthetic when stuffed, but it’s the heaviest, least compressible option. Short
This insulation consists of polyester fibers, crimped to boost loft
staple fill is loftier and more packable, but not as durable.
and increase the number of air pockets. There are two main types:
Continuous filament insulation consists of long

USE
>> Keep it clean. Wear a clean set of layers to bed—not the day’s hik-
batts of woven, hollow-core fibers. Examples:
ing clothes or your birthday suit—to prevent contaminating your
Polarguard, Climashield, PrimaLoft Infinity
bag’s liner with grit and sweat. You’ll have to wash it less often, which
lengthens your bag’s life by avoiding unnecessary wear and tear on
the shell, zipper, and fill.
>> Air out your bag. Body moisture builds up inside the insulation over-
night, especially in colder temps. Turn your bag inside out and drape it
over a rock or branch in the sun while you pack up each morning.
>> Store it right. On the trail, protect your bag and puffy jacket from
the elements in waterproof stuffsacks or trash compactor bags. Back
at home, keep your bag’s loft alive by storing it loosely in a big cotton
sack, hanging it in your closet, or laying it under your bed.
>> Lighten your load. To save money and weight, wear your puffy jacket
(plus a hat and booties) to bed. You’ll be able to get away with a
smaller, lighter bag rated up to 15 degrees higher than nighttime lows.
FIX
>> Spot-clean Surface stain? Rub it clean with a toothbrush and a
Short staple insulation is made of batts of hollow- paste of powder laundry detergent and
ILLUSTRATION BY DON FOLEY. TEXT BY KRISTIN HOSTETTER
core polyester cut into shorter pieces and com- water. Rinse well and air-dry.
pressed to mimic the airiness of down. Examples: >> Wash Dirt and oil can seep into the down
PrimaLoft One, Mountain Hardwear’s Thermic Micro and decrease loft. When the bag smells
funky, looks dark or grimy, or has lost notice-
able loft (after about 20 or 30 nights of
The Ratings Game use), it’s time for a wash. Use a front-loading
Problem: Two 20°F bags from different brands machine, run it through extra rinse and spin
may not be equally warm. cycles, and dry thoroughly on low with a few
Solution: A new standardized system from clean tennis balls to break up clumps.
BEHIND THE LAUNDRY LESSON
Europe, called EN13537, that makes ratings >> Restore Even the best bags will sometimes
SCENES Editor-in-Chief
consistent. The standard relies on independent Read our in-depth lose a few feathers. But if yours has lost
Jonathan Dorn leads
labs that test bags using a heated copper report on EN13537—and enough fluff to reduce its warmth, send it you through the steps
mannequin and 20 thermal sensors. REI and learn to decode the back to the manufacturer (some will restuff of washing a sleeping
Marmot currently use this system, with more ratings—at backpacker for a nominal fee) or to Rainy Pass Repairs bag at backpacker
.com/ratingsgame. (rainypass.com) for restuffing ($37 and up). .com/sleepwash.
companies expected to follow.
+ /////WEB EXTRA / VIDEOS


THOSE WHO RUN IN ANYTHING
WON’T JUST RUN IN ANYTHING.
Experience more
You’re a runner. The question isn’t if you’re going to run in nasty weather, it’s
how. Whether it’s through mud, wet grass or snow, GORE-TEX ® fabrics improve
performance and reduce discomfort by keeping your feet absolutely dry, guaranteed.
It’s why some of the world’s best running brands refuse to use anything else.
© 2009 W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. GORE-TEX®, GORE®, GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY® and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates

BASECAMP [FIELD TEST]
Lightest of the Lights

We hiked and camped through 78 inky nights from Whitney to Katahdin to
evaluate five featherweight headlamps—then ran a battery of controlled tests
to rank brightness and longevity. By Casey Lyons
[best all-around]
OVERALL
Princeton Tec Remix
4.5 From spotlighting trees along a compass bearing during a
nighttime bushwhack through Colorado’s White River National
> Batteries 3 AAAs
> Weight 3 oz.
Forest to softly illuminating pages of the latest Tom Clancy, the > Price $45
Remix passed every test we threw at it. Credit four light options (two levels in > Info princetontec.com
both spot and flood mode) and excellent battery life. In camp—where head-
lamps get the vast majority of their use—its three-LED floodlight (also available in night vision-friendly red
or battery-friendly green) lit the close range better than any other light; in spot mode, a fourth, high-power
LED penetrated the darkness up to 170 feet. After banging it around for months, one tester raved that its
construction is “drop-off-a-cliff strong.” Its overly-stiff swiveling mechanism takes two hands to adjust, but
after a groggy late-night pee trip, one tester happily noted that the 120° range-of-motion means “the lamp
has no upside down.” Bummer: The big on/off button can accidentally engage. Reader service #101
[brightest]
OVERALL
Black Diamond Spot
4.3 “The Spot makes other headlamps look like upheld lighters at an Eagles
concert,” one tester wrote after night-hiking in Maine’s Baxter State Park. The
Spot’s yellowy, ultrabright LED mimics the warm glow of an incandescent bulb,
and is deeply nestled in a grooved cone that throws a focused beam almost the length
of a football field (see chart for comparisons). That makes this
headlamp ideal for biking and off-trail
> Batteries 3 AAAs jaunts. The Spot also shone for
> Weight 3.1 oz. two days in spot mode on alka-
> Price $40 line batteries, 15 hours longer
> Info bdel.com than the next closest competi-
tor on a similar setting. When
less light was called for, a whopping eight settings—
three strengths and a blinker for both the spot and
the diffuse three-LED flood—offered our Moab tes-
ter more brightness options than he knew what to
do with. Unique feature: If you accidentally leave
it on, the Spot switches itself off after 10 hours
to conserve battery life. The catch: It’s bulkier
(the size of a tangerine) than the others, and its
loose tilter slips during trail running and banzai
descents. Reader service #102
+ //////
52 BACKPACKER 03.2010 All weights are on BP scales with alkaline batteries.

CRITERIA LEDs less than 3.5 oz. and $50 with easy-to-find batteries
TEST NUMBERS Hours in the dark 616; batteries drained 80; pages read 125
RATINGS SCALE 5 = Perfect gear, 1 = Save your money
[best light quality]

OVERALL
Petzl Tikka Plus 2
4.0 A tester who packed the Tikka Plus 2 while peakbagging
in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest
loved the lamp’s intuitive functions. When batteries are 50
percent depleted, a small red indicator light blinks on “as obviously as
a car’s gas light.” The Petzl shoots a bright point of light straight ahead
and fades smoothly outward to the periphery with no dark spots. On
high mode, it easily illuminates good bear-bag branches after a late
dinner. The tilter clicks firmly into place with one hand, and the deep
and narrow on/off switch remains clickable even when wearing gloves.
One tester liked the night vision-friendly red LED
> Batteries 3 AAAs on buggy nights around camp: “Fewer moths
> Weight 2.9 oz. and bugs try to dive-bomb your face,” he reports.
> Price $45 Drawback: The beam isn’t focused enough to stay
> Info petzl.com tight over long distances. Reader service #103
[lightest and cheapest]

OVERALL
Coast LED Lenser Micro
3.5 “Thru-hiker approved,” says a tester who carried
the tiny Lenser on the 500-mile Colorado Trail. The
> Batteries 1 AAA
> Weight 1.5 oz.
> Price $20
long-lasting, superefficient LED did nearly as well > Info coastcutlery.com
on a single AAA as others did with three, and the LED
housing is smaller than a quarter, which makes
it a no-brainer for ounce-counters. As with a
[steady burner] lot of superlight gear, some functionality is
OVERALL
Mammut Lucido TXlite sacrificed for weight savings: The Lenser
4.2 After thru-hiking the 211-mile
John Muir Trail without replac-
has one brightness setting, and while it
can light up maps and perform other
ing the Lucido’s batteries, a tester in-camp tasks, its diffuse, violet-colored
concluded: “You couldn’t land a chop- light didn’t have enough gusto to spot
per with it, but it’s good for trail hiking and far-off trail blazes on extended night
camp chores.” And it’s steady: After 10 hours, hikes. It is bright enough for street jog-
the Lucido’s beam retained the highest per- gers, with a well-balanced fit and two
centage of its initial distance. Credit a highly rear-facing blue LEDs that let cars keep
efficient single-bulb design. It also has sev- track of you. In the morning, the Lenser
eral unique features. balls up smaller than a plum tomato.
> Batteries 3 AAAs A clever switch Drawback: only two inches of strap
> Weight 2.6 oz. guard prevents adjustment. Reader service #105
> Price $50 accidental turn-ons,
> Info mammut.com and you can hold
the switch down to
check battery life (three blinks is full, one is Distance of Distance
empty). The Lucido shoots a defined, circular usable light after 10 Battery
swath of white light within a larger, dimmer Initial with fresh hours life
circle well-suited to lighting the trail ahead. Headlamp brightness (lux*) batteries (feet) (feet) (hours**)
Swivel it all you want: The LED housing’s bal-
anced in-bracket design won’t jostle out of Princeton Tec 4.1 170 60 41
place. Bummer: The settings aren’t all intui- Remix
tive, and the detachable battery cover is easy Black Diamond
to lose. Reader service #104 Spot 4.4 255 95 56
< Instant Lantern
Mammut
Where campfires 3.1 160 70 36
Lucido TXlite
aren’t allowed,
clip the Mammut
Petzl
Ambient Light onto 3.3 160 40 36
Tikka Plus 2
the Lucido TXlite to
PHOTOS BY COURTESY
transform it into a
Coast LED .7 110 45 33
hillbilly chandelier
Lenser Micro
with enough illumi-
nation for a poker
*Lux measures illumination of an object 6.5 feet away (the full moon on a clear night is .25 lux).
game. (1 oz., $11; All lux measurements were taken on the headlamp’s highest setting using a light meter.
mammut.com) **All tests were performed on the highest setting in 60°F temps using fresh alkaline batteries.
Testers: Ryan Dax, Adam Dixon, Stephen Fredericks, Casey Lyons, Michael Wegryn 03.2010 BACKPACKER 53
REVIEWS
GEAR
FIELD NOTES THE LATEST WORD

FROM OUR TESTERS
PRODUCT VERDICT BEST FOR TESTER DATA
If you favor low-cuts over beefy boots—but don’t want to sacrifice Fastpackers, > Bremen Leak
Salomon XT
support or protection—check out this souped-up trail runner. The rugged-trail > Other testers
Wings GTX upper is a complex pattern of breathable ripstop nylon and rubbery runners, Jonathan Dorn
abrasion reinforcements, with a Gore-Tex lining. The midsole is sup- travelers who > Duration July to Nov.
portive and stable—especially for overpronators—and quite cushy. I want one > Locales/conditions
was able to eat up miles on bouldery trails in Shenandoah National do-it-all shoe Rocky and muddy trails
Park with a 20-pound pack. The thin, ultradurable in MD, VA, CO, Finland
> $160
metal-core laces cinch (not tie) and tuck into a > “After a 20-mile
> 2 lbs. (size 12)
tongue-top pouch. This system stayed tight and training run around Lake
> men’s 7-14;
never required retying. Pros: the support of a hik- Jyväsjärvi in Finland, my
women’s 5-11
ing boot with the agility of a trail runner. Cons: long legs were shot, but my
break-in time. salomon.com. Reader service #106 feet felt fresh.”
For the weight of a freeze-dried dinner, this jacket brings all-season All-season > Kristin Hostetter
Patagonia protection. I wore it as a windshell for a week of cool-weather hik- hikers who > Other testers Kelly
M10 ing in the Alps and never overheated. Credit the three-layer (rare in want a one- Bastone, Shannon Davis
a ultralight shell) fabric, which moves moisture well enough that I shell quiver; > Duration May to Nov.
rarely opened the 16-inch pit zips. Those pits are mesh-lined, so they ultralighters > Locales/conditions Rain,
double as pockets—which creates two huge stor- who need temps from 10°F to 60°F;
> $399 reliable
age units without the weight of two more zippers. Northeast, Rockies, Alps
> 10.5 oz. (w’s M) weather
Other nice details: adjustable cuffs, a drawcord > “The hood cinches over
> men’s XS-XL; protection for
hem, and a roomy fit that layers over a puffy jacket. a helmet and down to a
women’s XS-L alpine
Pros: year-round protection at summertime weight. gasket around your face
Cons: steep price. patagonia.com. Reader service #107 conditions with one drawstring pull.”
This daypack handles up to 20 pounds on a hardware-laden dayhike Anyone look- > Kristin Hostetter
Black or summit attempt. But it also has a killer four-strap compression sys- ing for a ver- > Other testers
Diamond tem that lets you shrink it for shorter jaunts. The frame is a standard satile daypack Shannon Davis
Octane/Spark plastic sheet surrounded by an aluminum skeleton that connects via with excellent > Duration May to Nov.
a ball and socket to the hipbelt. This creates a ful- weight transfer > Locales/conditions
> $140
crum in the lumbar area that rotates in all directions, and a sus- Canyons, glaciers, peaks;
> 3 lbs. (w’s)
creating a very dynamic suspension that stuck like pension that UT, MA, Alps, Longs Peak
> 28 to 30 liters
glue when I was stemming through slot canyons in adjusts to fit a > “Once you dial in the
> 2 men’s and 2
southern Utah. Pros: snug fit, excellent load support. wide variety of torso size, there’s some
women’s sizes
Cons: heavy for its size; Allen key required to adjust torsos hip swivel that actually
torso length. bdel.com. Reader service #108 makes loads feel lighter.”
Want a superb technical glove for mountaineering, skiing, and winter > Jonathan Dorn
First Ascent
camping? These Pittards leather gloves are soft enough for nose- > Other testers
Guide Gloves wiping yet tough enough for ice axes and high-friction rappels; for Shannon Davis
grip and dexterity, leather this supple has few equals. Inside, a merino > Duration Aug. to Dec.
wool lining kept my palms dry and didn’t catch when I slid wet hands > Locales/conditions Alps,
in and out. A wide, adjustable, elastic cuff helps there; it also seals Rockies; six types of snow
tight against spindrift. Insulated with PrimaLoft, the Mountaineering, > “In subzero windchills,
> $119 Guides are warm well below freezing if you’re active. backcountry you can’t afford to take
> 6.7 oz. (m’s L) Pros: impeccable fit and great dexterity. Cons: The skiing, and tool- your gloves off to fiddle
PHOTOS BY JOHN HARLIN (TOP); COURTESY (8)
> XS-XL water-resistant leather wets out after prolonged rain intensive cold- with gear. The Guides
or slush. firstascent.com. Reader service #109 weather trips have the touch you need.”
Exped Explorer These four-section aluminum poles were perfect for my Long Trail Taller hikers, > Berne Broudy
Poles thru-hike, because they’re lighter than many carbon-fiber models and ultralighters > Other testers Aaron
collapse to a mere 20.5 inches. The adjustments are rock-solid, with a Loomis, Emily Steers
push-button on the bottom section and twist-locks > Duration May to Nov.
> $125
on top. The long foam grip let me adjust my hand > Locales/conditions VT,
> 15 oz.
position during steep traverses. Pros: bomber, ultra- Alps; on and off trail
> adjusts from
light, and green, thanks to DAC Featherlight alumi- > “They come with wide
20.5 to 51 inches
num. Cons: The push-button is tough to operate with winter baskets, a nice
cold fingers. outdoorresearch.com. Reader service #110 perk for ski season.”
+ //////

TM

REVIEWS
GEAR
Liquid Assets
Quench your backcountry thirst with these new water (and wine!) products. By Berne Broudy
[BIG BOTTLE] fall, a Vermont tester said that the capacity forth as you move. Not so with the Manta.
Klean Kanteen Wide 64 oz. meant less stopping to pump and less This daypack features an easy-to-fill 100-
Safe. Strong. Big. That, in fiddling with filters from bottle to bottle. ounce reservoir (it has a handle) and a
a nutshell, is why we love The wide mouth makes cleaning, pouring stiffened holder that locks the water in
this bottle. While the BPA drink mix, inserting ice cubes, and using a place. Load lifters clip directly to the top of
debate rages on, stain- wand-style water purifier a breeze, and the the back panel to compress the top of the
less steel bottles—which opening is compatible with most water filters. reservoir. Not only does this further stabi-
require no lining—have Only downside: It’s more expensive than a lize the load, it improved testers’ balance,
emerged as a no-brainer pair of standard plastic quart bottles. $33; whether they were scrambling up ladders
choice. (Go to back- 12.6 oz.; kleankanteen.com. Reader service #111 on Vermont’s Mt. Mansfield or just hightail-
packer.com/bpanews ing it down a trail in California’s Santa Ynez
for a quick primer on [HYDRATION PACK] Mountains. The stretchy shoulder straps
BPA—and how to spot Osprey Manta 25 and hipbelt—which hugged our testers’
a bottle without it.) On Load your average daypack every curve—also contribute to stability. “It’s
the durability front, with 100 ounces of not like wearing your average daypack,” said
stainless trumps all water plus gear, one tester. “It’s like the pack is actually inte-
other bottle materi- then try hammer- grated into your back.” Nice details abound:
als; it’s impervious to ing down the trail elastic hipbelt pockets that accommodate
dents, drops, freezes or scrambling up a digital camera and a couple of bars, an
and thaws, and it some boulders. integrated rain cover, a magnetized sternum
never absorbs funky Chances are, strap buckle for attaching the bite valve (no
odors, tastes, or col- you’ll get some more fumbling), and a stretchy pocket for
ors. But what testers sloshing and securely stashing a helmet or bulky jacket.
PHOTOS BY COURTESY
prized most was this thumping as the Capacity is enough for lunch, extra clothes,
bottle’s 64-ounce size, water weight and safety gear for a big dayhike. $139;
which holds two liters of liquid in less pulls on your available in two torso lengths: S/M is 1,300
space than two separate bottles. On a shoulders and cu. in.; M/L is 1,500 cu. in.; 2 lbs. 1 oz. (S/M);
20-mile-a-day Long Trail thru-hike last shifts back and ospreypacks.com. Reader service #112
Boulder International Film Festival 2010 feb 11- 14
join us for a glimpse of the world outside
4 days of controversy, spice, color, laughter, outrage,

adventure, ideas, culture and community > > > >
Of the world beyond the pervasive blandness of conglomerate-media. > Of dynamic,
burgeoning, chaotic international film. > Of galas and galleries, parties, dialogue,
visiting filmmakers, and the best new cinema from around the world.
p.s. world-class skiing, snowshoeing, dining
give the gift of film early bird VIP passes $295 |

www.biff1.com
gift certificates on sale now

[HYDRATION GAUGE] [DECANTER]
CamelBak Flow Meter Innate Esse
Some of us laughed, some of us cel- Perfectly sized to hold a bottle of vino, this 26-fluid-ounce, insulated
ebrated—and some of us wished we’d had stainless steel container kept our whites perfectly chilled and our reds
this device in college. The Flow Meter is a perfectly unchilled, regardless of the outside temperature. When it’s
digital gauge that mounts in your hose and cocktail time in camp, one press of the push-button top releases the
measures both how much you’ve drunk and vacuum seal, letting a steady and directed stream of
how many ounces are left in your keg, er, liquid cascade into your cup—spill-free. A second cap
reservoir. No more running out of fluids just ensures it won’t get bumped open in your pack. For
when you’re getting thirsty! An advanced chugging and easy cleaning, the whole top unscrews.
mode (who knew?) also lets you enter the $22; 14.8 oz; innate-gear.com. Reader service #114
amount you want to imbibe, then moni-
tors your progress and estimates the ETA [HOUSE WINE]
to an empty bladder. Skip the confusing The Climber, by Clif Family Winery
owners manual and follow these directions Pair your next pasta dish with this affordable red. Made
(courtesy of a call to customer service): by the same people who bring you Clif Bars, the tasty zinfandel/caber-
Hold both buttons down to get started, net/sirah blend is a 2005 North Coast vintage. Sophisticated wine types
switch modes with the top button, and called it “smooth, rich, and voluptuous.” The rest of us called it “yummy.”
toggle numbers with the right. Runs on $17; cliffamilywinery.com. Reader service #115
a watch battery (included). Breathalyzer
not included. $30 (also available preinstalled [CHALICE]
in a CamelBak reservoir); 1 oz.; camelbak.com. GSI Outdoors Stemless Wine Glass
Reader service #113 Add some class to your campsite with these
compact plastic glasses. They’re made of rug-
ged, BPA-free Tritan polyester, which is dishwasher-safe and
doesn’t stain or go cloudy no matter how much you use it. We
love the squat, stable design, which is almost tip-proof on
uneven surfaces. $6; 2 oz.; gsioutdoors.com. Reader service #116
All weights on BP scales. Testers: Berne Broudy, Kristin Hostetter, Ginger Lubkowitz, Mark Lubkowitz
THE FASTEST WAY TO LEARN

A LANGUAGE.
GUARANTEED.
®
tEffective
Learn a new language like you learned your first. BUY NOW, SAVE 10%
tEasy and Convenient Level 1 Reg. $229 NOW $206
On your time. At your pace. Level 1&2 Reg. $409 NOW $368
tFun and Engaging Level 1, 2 & 3 Reg. $539 NOW $485

Every lesson keeps you coming back for more. SIX-MONTH, NO RISK, MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE.*
Over 30 languages available.

(877) 278-1052 RosettaStone.com/zps020
Use promo code zps020 when ordering. Offer expires June 30, 2010.
©2009 Rosetta Stone Ltd. All rights reserved. Offer applies to Personal Edition only. Patent rights pending. Offer cannot be combined with any other offer. Prices subject to change without notice. *Six-Month Money-Back Guarantee is limited to product purchases made directly from Rosetta Stone and does
not include return shipping. Guarantee does not apply to an online subscription or to Audio Companion purchased separately from the CD-ROM product. All materials included with the product at the time of purchase must be returned together and undamaged to be eligible for any exchange or refund.

BASECAMP
The Pacific Crest Trail also experienced
BASECAMP THE APPALACHIAN
TRAIL AT MAX
a bump. Brenda Murray, office manager
PATCH BALD IN for the PCT Association, says that she had
NORTH CAROLINA.
people calling at the last minute, looking
for “thru-hiking permits” (there are none)
because they had been laid off. “I had never
seen that before,” Murray says. Ditto on the
Continental Divide Trail. It typically gets only
about 20 thru-hikers annually, but Teresa
Martinez of the CDT Alliance estimates that
the 2009 number increased to at least 50.
“In hard economic times, people turn to our
natural spaces,” Martinez says. “It’s an inex-
pensive way to have an adventure.”
Meet some of the lucky/unlucky hikers:
» Kevin Downs, AT: On December 16, 2008,

this 36-year-old civil engineer was en route to
a job interview (he’d been laid off). At the end
of his six-hour drive to the appointment, his
prospective employer called to cancel. On the
PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) HARRISON SHULL / AURORA PHOTOS; MIKE SHERWOOD; HOMAN PHOTO; NPS PHOTO. TEXT BY NATHAN EHRLICH (RECESSION);
way home, the frustrated Downs made a deci-
sion: stop looking for a job and start hiking the
Appalachian Trail. “I used to be a big-house,
big-car person,” he says, posthike. “After the
Thru-Hiking trail, I’m going to live my life more simply.”
the Recession » Maya Kapoor, AT: As a field biologist,

The upside to being downsized? Having Kappor, 30, says job prospects are few because
time to hit the nation’s long trails. research budgets have dried up. “I wanted to
[hike the AT] since I was a kid growing up in
We’ll let economists and career counselors Jersey,” she says. “The spirit of generosity that
dither about whether going for a six-month you see on the trail is astounding.”
hike is the most appropriate response to losing
DAVE PIDGEON (WEBCAMS); AND CHRISTOPHER PERCY COLLIER (NORTH FOREST CANOE TRAIL)
your job. Either way, it’s sure to be the most » Pat Raphael, AT: When his appraisal business
gratifying response. shrank from 14 employees to two, 30-year-
While no one tracks the reasons thru-hikers old Raphael decided to leave his remaining
hit the trail, anecdotal evidence suggests that employees in charge and hit the trail. “The
the 2009 class of end-to-enders was larger than backpack, the sleeping bag, and the clothes are
Unfiltered average, and that the increase came chiefly the ultimate icebreaker,” he says.
from facebook.com/ from unemployed hikers making the most of
backpackermag
their forced time off. Exhibit A: The number » Jack Haskell, PCT: After losing his job at a
Eric Coulter I thought of northbound hikers on the Appalachian Trail food co-op, Haskell, 26, hiked the PCT, and
Aron Ralston was a spiked to 1,425, up almost 200 from the previ- now he plans to knock off the CDT in 2010.
nut ’til I read his book. ous year. Dave Tarasevich, a ridge runner for “There are so many people searching for jobs,”
Jami Broecher I hope Baxter State Park, said that most thru-hikers he says. “Why should I join them if I already
Ryan Gosling plays he’s encountered over the years have been have the key to happiness?”
him in the movie. fresh out of college or retired. But in 2009,
Shawn Baker Movie? Tarasevich noticed a jump in the number of
About poor planning middle-aged hikers, and says, “many of them KILLER SHOT
Got a great image from your last trip? Enter it in
and overconfidence? were downsized or outsourced.” our next contest at backpacker.com/photos for a
chance to have it published in an upcoming issue.
// PHOTOS ////

Fast Off His Feet
Wilderness paddler Mike Stavola sets a
record on the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.
Some would argue that the 740-

mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail is
meant to be traveled slowly, savoring
one scenic day—and one arduous
portage—at a time. Not New Jersey
native Stavola, 57, who shattered the
previous speed record last July, when
he kayaked the whole NFCT in 32
days, 3 hours, and 56 minutes.
HOW DID YOU BEAT THE RECORD?

The NFCT is the ultimate adventure
paddling trip in this country, but so far,
most people have canoed it. Kayaks
are faster. Plus, an older kayaker
started a few weeks earlier than me,
and I didn’t want him to show me up.
SCARIEST MOMENT?
The two-mile crossing of Flagstaff
Lake. I was paddling into 20-mph
READER SHOT OF THE MONTH winds, and the boat was diving into
Mike Sherwood of Phoenix, Arizona, was in a “secret canyon” carved out of the crumbly the waves. I kept thinking of that
granite near Colorado’s Pikes Peak. It’s 40 feet deep and 100 yards long. “To navigate chapter in The Perfect Storm about
it, you have to swim through frigid water and under car-size boulders,” he says. “And what it’s like to drown.
that’s not even the hard part. After that, you squeeze through a narrows just 15 inches
wide while climbing over a chockstone.” Then, the canyon opens to this stunning
view, where Sherwood experimented with shutter speed to blur the water. WHAT WAS THE MOST SCENIC SPOT?
Attean Pond in Maine. Mountains sur-
round the whole pond, and I paddled
The Rangers are Watching my boat in circles, taking pictures.
Are wilderness webcams good for the backcountry—or bad for privacy? WHAT’S NEXT?
As six employees Yellowstone’s recently published My partner Juan Carro and I will
of Yellowstone comprehensive plan for wireless paddle across Nicaragua, from the
National Park’s communication—the potential use of Pacific to the Atlantic. We’re going to
concessionaire webcams all over the backcountry. portage over the Continental Divide.
discovered in The plan suggests that such webcams
May, the wilderness has eyes. Or at could be used for “resource monitor-
least video cameras. The six received ing or to address safety concerns,
citations for vandalizing Old Faithful but these will not be available for
(two were caught peeing into the public viewing purposes.” Does this
geyser) after the park’s webcam mean Big Brother’s coming to your
(nps.gov/archive/yell/OldFaithfulcam) campsite? Yellowstone superintendent
recorded their antics. The bizarre Suzanne Lewis says hikers shouldn’t
incident provided fodder for blogs be alarmed. “We would not install STAVOLA NEAR MAINE’S ALLAGASH
everywhere, but also brought atten- webcams for the general purpose of FALLS, JUST 40 MILES FROM THE END OF
HIS RECORD-SETTING PADDLE
tion to an obscure provision in having eyes in the backcountry.”
Alaska { } 2010
Big
The
Easy Backpackers regard

Alaska the way surfers view
Hawaii: Going there is
a rite of passage. But too
often, hikers think that the
truly wild side of Alaska is
accessible only to big
spenders with heaps of
experience and a bush plane.
Wrong. Last summer, our
team spent more than
a month scouting trips.
Result: 10 life-list adventures
for every hiker and budget.*
BY STEVE HOWE
*Total trip costs—after airfare, including ground transportation

60 60
BACKPACKER 03.2010
BACKPACKER 11.2009 and food—start at just $200 per person for two hikers.

IMAX ENVY: ALASKA VIEWS PUT EVEN
THE BIGGEST SCREEN TO SHAME.
HIKE UP 7,300-FOOT TRIANGLE
PEAK TO SCORE THIS VISTA OF THE
CASTNER GLACIER (PAGE 68).

Perfect Ten
1. Thompson Pass
2. Lost Lake
3. Flute Glacier
4. Johnson Pass
5. The Goat Trail
6. Harding Icefield
7. Grizzly Pass
8. Devil’s Pass
7 9 9. Castner Glacier
10. Hidden Creek Lake
Anchorage 3 5
10
1
4
8
2
6
Seward
Gulf of
Alaska
PHOTOS BY (PREVIOUS SPREAD) MATT HAGE / ALASKASTOCK.COM; (FROM LEFT) STEVE HOWE; MICHAEL DEYOUNG; RON NIEBRUGGE; MAP BY NORMAN BAKERSFIELD
tundra benches broken by short cliff
{1}
bands. Follow the ridgeline east-
northeast toward locally named Little
Odyssey, the first large bump on the
ridge. On the far side, cross the gully
and scramble up class 2 rock bands to
Best Views 4,539-foot Point Odyssey—with its 360-
Thompson Pass degree vistas. Multiday options: Find
See the awesome Valdez Mountains on this superb campsites on tundra shelves
off-trail adventure to Point Odyssey and beyond. below the summit, or hike 10.5 miles
(one-way) toward Marshall Pass.
Cost Difficulty
The way Drive 89 miles south of
Don’t be fooled by the short mile- Glenallen on the Richardson Highway.
age. The routefinding, utter isolation, Contact nps.gov/aplic/center
and potential for big weather—you’re
only 18 miles from Prince William
Sound and its frequent storms—up the
GET COMPLETE
ante here. But front-row views of the
TURN-BY-TURN
toothy, glacier-clad spires in the Valdez
Mountains more than reward the
DIRECTIONS AT
effort. And thanks to the road access
BACKPACKER.COM
to Thompson Pass, set at 2,678 feet
beneath the glacier-draped pyramid Find everything you need to pull off the ultimate Alaska vacation in our
comprehensive guide at backpacker.com/alaska2010. Download tracklogs, print
of Girls Mountain, you don’t have to
maps, get detailed trailhead information, and find extensive route directions for all
claw through alder to reach the hiker 10 trips here, plus more hikes from our Alaska team. Bonus video: Follow author
heaven above treeline. For a world- Steve Howe on his trek to Castner and Canwell Glaciers. Plus: See photo galleries
class dayhike, trek 5.7 miles round-trip from our team’s adventures, and get essential skills videos and gear lists.
from the pass, crossing pond-dotted
62 BACKPACKER 03.2010 COST (PER PERSON AFTER AIRFARE; INCLUDES HALF SHARE OF FOOD AND RENTAL CAR): 1 = $200 3 = $600 5 = $1,000

BIRD’S EYE: SCORE THIS
VIEW OF THE EAGLE
{2} RIVER VALLEY FROM

ATOP HARP MOUNTAIN.
Easy Basecamp
Lost Lake
Bring plenty of supplies to this alpine plateau
in the Chugach Mountains—you’ll want to
extend your stay.
Cost Difficulty
This 15-mile thru-hike requires no

arduous bushwhacking, delivers you
quickly to spectacular alpine terrain,
has a simple shuttle, and serves as
a gateway to big-mountain explor-
ing. The easy-to-follow Primrose Trail,
just off the Seward Highway south of
Kenai Lake, climbs through thick pine
forest and emerges onto rocky ridge-
lines with views of looming 5,710-foot
Mt. Ascension and the massive Snow
River Valley to the east. Continue to
Lost Lake, at mile six, and cast for
rainbows from open tundra at 1,920
feet elevation. Your basecamp: a pond
1.5 miles west of the lake, which has
the best solitude, up-close vistas of
the glaciers on Mt. Ascension, and
days’ worth of tundra hikes through
the alpine valleys of Martin, Primrose,
Ship, and Boulder Creeks. Tip: Hike
this route from the north for the best
views, but start from the southern Lost
Lake trailhead in bad weather, to avoid
rain-laden headwinds off of the gulf.
The way Primrose trailhead: Take
{3}
Primrose Spur Road, at milepost 16 on the South Fork of Eagle River to Eagle
the Seward Highway. Lost Lake trail- Lake (mile 4.5). The lake is popular
head: milepost 6, Seward Highway. with locals, but few hikers venture
Contact dnr.alaska.gov/parks where you’re going—to the Flute
Anchorage Quickie Glacier. To reach it, follow user trails
Flute Glacier
Just minutes from town, score big scenery
east from the upper end of Eagle
Lake. After short stretches of alder
fast on the South Fork of Eagle River. bashing, cross the Eagle River and
head upstream along the north bank.
Cost Difficulty
At mile 8.2, start the first of two short
With gorgeous lakes and an icefield scrambles that lead to the glacier toe,
set between towering peaks, the sights where you’ll find campsites—and
here scream classic Alaska, yet the stay-awhile views.
moderate challenges (straightforward The way From Anchorage, go 10
routefinding and creek crossings) make miles north on the Glenn Highway, then
it a perfect introduction for Alaska nov- 8.5 miles on Hiland Rd. to the trailhead.
ices. The 19-mile out-and-back follows Contact nps.gov/aplic/center
DIFFICULTY RATING: 1 = BRING KIDS 5 = BRING A BEACON 03.2010 BACKPACKER 63

{5}
Chitistone Pass to the airstrip at Lower
Skolai Lake (not the abandoned airstrip
shown on maps). The route passes water-
falls, skirts huge moraines, and plunges
Weeklong Adventure into a deep gorge. Allow at least five
The Goat Trail
Tackle an epic route through Chitistone
days in case of weather delays—and for
excellent detours like a circumnavigation
Canyon in Wrangell-St. Elias National Preserve. of Wolverine Mesa, or exploring around
Cost Difficulty
Chitistone Pass and the Skolai Lakes.
From Wolverine landing strip, keep
Okay, we can’t resist recommend- an eye on your footing as you cross a
ing one bush plane expedition. Why? massive talus slope to the northeast—it’s
This one has short, reasonably priced easy to be distracted by the Twaharpies,
flights, and it leads through brawling, giant peaks that rise to 10,500 feet across
glacier-clad mountains that make the Chitistone Gorge. After 2.5 miles, the
perfect introduction to remote Alaska. wildlife track you’ve been following
The 20-mile point-to-point trip is a vanishes in the tundra around Hasen
variation of the renowned Goat Trail Creek. You won’t see established track
{4} route from Skolai Pass down Chitistone again until you hit the Goat Trail at mile
Canyon, but you start from the high 9.8. Literally a Dall sheep track, the nar-
PHOTOS BY (FROM LEFT) YVA MOMATIUK & JOHN EASTCOTT / MINDEN PICTURES; GOOGLE; CARL DONOHUE. GOOGLE EARTH PROVIDERS; TERRAMETRICS; GEOEYE; DIGITALGLOBES
Wolverine airstrip, getting all the sce- row and exposed route cuts across steep
nic highlights while avoiding the alder talus. (Sound tricky? It is—get our track-
Family Trip thickets and potentially dangerous river log at backpacker.com/alaska2010.)
Johnson Pass fords of lower Chitistone Gorge.
You’ll hike on glorified game trails,
The way Flights to Wolverine start in
McCarthy (reached via a rough 60-mile
Hike a historic, kid-friendly trail to wildflower
meadows and fish-filled lakes. cross unmarked tundra, search for the dirt road). Flights cost approximately
pass that leads to the Goat Trail (once $350 per person, two-person minimum
Cost Difficulty
used by prospectors), and follow that (wrangellmountainair.com). Your air taxi
Gold rushers blazed the Johnson Pass sketchy track along the Chitistone operator will file an NPS itinerary.
Trail, originally part of the Iditarod River before descending off 5,800-foot Contact nps.gov/wrst
miner’s route from Seward to Nome.
Today, the trail’s bridged streams
and easy grade make it perfect for
families. In midsummer, fireweed and
lupine grow thick and grasses sprout
chest high. Nearly the entire trail lies
below treeline and trailside vegetation
is thick; make plenty of noise as you
LOWER SKOLAI
hike to avoid sudden bear encoun- LAKE AIRSTRIP
ters. Your destination: Johnson Creek
Summit’s broad saddle (10 miles one-
GOAT
way, starting from the northern trail- TRAIL
head). Here you’ll find the best camp-

site hidden on a spruce-covered knoll
above the trail, just before it descends
to Bench Lake. Pack a rod for the
WOLVERINE
Arctic grayling in Bench and rainbows AIRSTRIP
in Johnson Lake. Return the way you
came (the 13-mile thru-hike to Moose
Pass is muddy and overgrown, and
not worth the shuttle).
The way Go 96 miles south of
Anchorage on AK 1, to milepost 64.
Contact fs.fed.us/r10/chugach

MORE PHOTOS Inspired by images
like this view near Lower Skolai Lake
landing strip? Our Alaska slideshow has
50 more reasons to start your planning
now. backpacker.com/alaska2010
STRONG FINISH: THE

ROUTE ENDS NEAR
THE HOLE IN THE WALL
ROCK FORMATION.

ON RAMP: THE STEEP
HARDING ICEFIELD TRAIL
QUICKLY REACHES VIEWS
OF THE EXIT GLACIER.

ROOM WITH A VIEW: THE
MINT HUT SLEEPS 6 TO 8
{6}
LUCKY CAMPERS.
Sneak Route
Harding Icefield
Hike a classic in Kenai Fjords—and escape
the crowds by making it an overnight.
Cost Difficulty
This demanding trail climbs 3,000 feet

in 3.7 miles. The reward: some of
the most spectacular views in all of
Alaska, where you’ll gaze across end-
less plains of glacial ice punctuated by
dozens of nunataks—isolated, conical
{7}
rocky peaks that protrude through the exciting yet nontechnical (though light
ice and rise several hundred feet. No crampons or microspikes make travel
surprise Harding is a popular dayhike. easier). From the Gold Mint trailhead,
But very few visitors continue past the follow buffed trail with marked mile-
first major overlooks. So to enjoy the Secret Solitude posts along the Little Susitna River.
view in solitude—and make this trip
an unforgettable overnight—just con-
Grizzly Pass When the path fades after mile five,
persevere through bogs and willow
Hike to a private paradise deep
tinue west 1.3 miles, across the obvi- in the Talkeetna Mountains. into the head of the valley. There, a
ous dark moraines, to more secluded thready trail turns west and climbs 700
Cost Difficulty
viewpoints and choice tent sites, feet to a plateau, where you’ll find the
which offer world-to-yourself silence, Imagine Wyoming’s Wind River Range Mountaineering Club of Alaska’s Mint
equally good views of the icefield, and with black rock, remnant icefields, Hut (membership required for use,
reasonable access to water running few trails, and no people. That’s the mcak.org). If the weather is good or
over the nearby ice. The total one-way Talkeetna Mountains, located 56 miles the hut busy (it’s first come, first serve),
trip is 5.3 very strenuous miles; the north of Anchorage. This 29-mile out- there’s excellent camping just a mile
exposed trail gets slick in rain and is a and-back links an on-trail start to a beyond: Continue climbing northeast
scorcher on sunny days. Keep an eye tough off-trail route, passes two back- to a gorgeous lake—unnamed and
out for grizzlies and mountain goats. country huts, crosses a scary-narrow unmapped (it’s on ours)—with views of
The way From milepost 3 of the and near-secret mountain pass, and Montana Peak’s buttressed pyramid and
Seward Highway, take Exit Glacier finally reaches a seldom-visited val- the jagged Mint Spires. The next day,
Road 8.5 miles to the visitor center. ley in the heart of the range. En route traverse the Mint Glacier and climb to
Contact nps.gov/kefj you’ll cross the Mint Glacier, which is a gap locally named Grizzly Pass—the
key to finding total solitude. Just before
reaching the knife-edged saddle, skirt
one large crevasse by rounding it on
the left. After the pass, descend to the
Alaska Made Easy headwaters of Moose Creek where,
in clear weather, you’ll spot your next
Yes, unprepared hikers can get into trouble here. No, you don’t need special
skills to stay safe. Just understand these hazards and avoid them. goal: Dnigi Hut. The rarely visited hut
[ ] Delays Alaska newcomers routinely overestimate how far they can hike and (also MCAK) sits below imposing but-
underestimate the weather. Cut your typical mileage goals in half—especially
PHOTOS BY MATT HAGE (LEFT); STEVE HOWE
if you’ll be hiking off-trail—and allow extra time (and carry extra food) for tresses that rise 1,800 feet. Basecamp
storms and unplanned delays. [ ] Grizzlies Always use proper bear etiquette here for explorations into the remote
(travel noisily; cook and store food well away from your tent site). Beware if you camp near headwaters of Kashwitna River.
cabins or well-used landing strips where previous visitors may have been sloppy. And carry
bear spray just in case. [ ] River crossing Don’t attempt to ford swift rivers that are more than The way From Palmer, drive two
thigh-deep. On out-and-back routes, beware of rivers that swell with runoff after you cross miles north on the Glenn Highway. Go
going out. See page 46 for more river-crossing advice. [ ] Gear Intense rain and wind requires a left at Hatcher Pass, then 13.8 miles to
rock-solid tent and full raingear, plus waterproof gloves, boots, and gaiters. Always pack trek-
king poles, river-crossing shoes, bug repellent, a head net, and (until mid-July) bugproof pants the Gold Mint trailhead. Parking: $5/day.
and shirt. See our complete Alaska gear list at backpacker.com/alaska2010. Contact dnr.alaska.gov/parks
DIFFICULTY RATING: 1 = BRING KIDS 5 = BRING A BEACON 03.2010 BACKPACKER 67

{9}
See a Vanishing Icefield
DEVIL’S PASS
Castner Glacier
Witness the effects of climate change on
CABIN
a challenging trek in the Delta Mountains.
Cost Difficulty
SUMMIT CREEK
TRAIL
Hike the Alaska Range in all its
glory—but without Denali National
Park’s crowds and heavily regulated
backcountry—in the Delta Mountains,
a hundred miles east of the park’s main
entrance. This 23-mile round-trip up
the Castner Glacier leads into the heart
DEVIL’S PASS of one of the most accessible glacier
TRAILHEAD
basins in all of Alaska, where you’ll
find classic sights like icefalls, as well as
signs of global warming. The shrinking
Castner is literally collapsing in on itself;
much of the central glacier has become
a deep, meltwater-filled trench. The off-
{8}
east of the cabin, take the fork signed trail route climbs Castner to the Silvertip
PHOTOS BY GOOGLE (TOP); STEVE HOWE. GOOGLE EARTH PROVIDERS: TERRAMETRICS; GOOGLE; DIGITALGLOBE; IMAGE MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE
“Hope” (Trail #17) and follow it almost Icefield and, despite being almost
to Resurrection Pass. Find Trail #48 entirely on the glacier, does not require
(unmarked) and ascend east over a crampons, ice axes, or ropes. That’s
Best Loop Hike ridge. A small pond southeast of the because most of the ice is bare and
Devil’s Pass
Easy routefinding and life-list sights make
trail, at mile 13, makes an excellent,
isolated campsite. Schedule an extra
hard with minimal crevasses, or buried
entirely under moraine rubble. Allow
this thru-hike a must for Alaska novices. night here or at another pond, at the exploring time for Castner’s upper forks.
head of Colorado Creek, to give the The way From milepost 218 on the
Cost Difficulty
sweeping Kenai Mountains their due. Richardson Highway, just north of
With the massive Kenai Range and Next, drop steeply down to East Castner Creek, take the gravel road
rugged Gilpatrick Mountain as back- Creek, and climb this moderate trail east heading upriver for a quarter mile.
drops, your photos will make this trek to your last pass, at mile 16.8, a narrow No contact.
(mostly on trails) look a lot harder gap set amid rocky cliffs. Then descend
than it is. Sample the best of the area into Summit Creek drainage. To fin-
on this 20.7-mile near-loop (no extra ish, head four miles down the Summit
car needed; the 4.5-mile road shuttle is Creek Trail—steep and overgrown with
easy to hike or hitch). But don’t mis- chest-high grass down low. End at mile-
take trails for crowds: The open tundra post 35 on the Seward Highway.
country above treeline makes solitude The way The Devil’s Pass trailhead
guaranteed for those who seek it—just is at milepost 39.5 on the Seward
head cross-country between Devil’s Highway, 87 miles south of Anchorage.
Pass and Summit Creek, and find your Contact nps.gov/aplic/center
own private Alaska.
Begin by climbing 8.2 miles and
1,300 vertical feet on Trail #5 to
wide-open Devil’s Pass. Continue 1.5 FREE DOWNLOADS Make these trips even
easier: Send fact-checked tracklogs and
miles to the Devil’s Pass USFS cabin
waypoints (our map scouts marked every key
($35/night, recreation.gov; book up turn and navigational landmark) to your GPS
to 180 days in advance). Just south- or phone. backpacker.com/alaska2010

'3&&0GGJDJBM
7BDBUJPO1MBOOFS
S oldotna
Alaska's Kenai River City
FREE GUIDE

"MBTLB5SJQ1MBOOJOHDPNDCQ 907-262-1337
WWW.VISITSOLDOTNA.COM
Nothing about The Kenai

"%$!'()#%!()$% !'&!((
is formal or stuffy.
8]UPRc]^^cWTa0[PbZP]STbcX]PcX^]ÛUTabbdRWP]
!!#$ d_ R[^bT P]S _Tab^]P[ 0[PbZP Tg_TaXT]RT CWPc½b
fWhfTPaTZ]^f]Pb
0[PbZP½b?[PhVa^d]S
C>?;0=H>DAD;C8<0C4
0;0B:0=03E4=CDA4

For a FREE DVD log on to
#$ " E8B8CDB0C
fffZT]PX_T]X]bd[PâV
âRP[[dbPc

fffZT]PX_T
]X]bd[PâV
5A446D834F8C7<0? '$"$"%!#
Make your next adventure

Experieence
th t
Momen

Wrangell Convention & Visitor Bureau

!

Anchorage
{10}
leads from historic mine ruins to spec-
Cheat Sheet tacular Hidden Creek Lake, tucked in a

3,000-foot-deep rock gorge where you
Spend more time hiking, less time with might see mountain goats or Dall sheep.
travel delays. Here’s the quickest way to Hike on Ice The 1.5-mile-long lake itself is a glacial
slip from airport to trailhead, while
getting gear and grub along the way: Hidden Creek Lake
Journey up a 10-mile-long glacial highway
phenomenon: Every spring it fills with
snowmelt, then drains suddenly and
in Wrangell-St. Elias National Preserve. impressively in late summer, when lake
Before You Go Book air travel, rental
water floats the buoyant glacier dam,
car, and motel rooms at least three Cost Difficulty
releasing the milky turquoise waters. It
months in advance. Alaska services sell
Take a long, spectacular glacier walk empties in just a day or two, with the
out in summer. Best hiking season:
without ropes or even an ice axe. The flood raging from the glacier toe.
mid-July to mid-August. You’ll see
low-elevation Root and Kennecott From the mine ruins at Kennicott,
fewer bugs and avoid early-fall storms.
Glaciers (less than 3,000 feet high) follow the Root Glacier Trail northward
Groceries From the airport, go
are like broad ice highways, with cre- past thickets of soapberry bushes (bear
straight to the Carrs supermarket at
vasses that are either squeezed shut alert; proper food storage required).
600 E. Northern Lights Boulevard (it’s
(safe) or exposed and easy to avoid Step onto the ice at mile 2.25 and start
just 4.5 miles; get turn-by-turn direc-
(also safe). The glaciers are like back- a 10.5-mile journey up the Root and
tions at backpacker.com/alaska2010).
country highways, where you can Kennecott Glaciers (all but the stron-
Gear From Carrs, turn left onto E.
crunch along asphalt-smooth ice with gest hikers should plan on camping
Northern Lights and drive 1.1 miles to
nothing more than lightweight cram- along the way). Caution: While crevasse
the REI on the corner of Northern
pons and trekking poles. Just bring danger is low, watch out for vertical
Lights and Spenard. Shop here for
extra warm clothes for the chill winds columns of meltwater called moulons.
bear canisters, pepper spray, stove
that often blow At Hidden Creek Lake, basecamp on the
fuel, fishing lures, and other last-min-
off the glaciers. flats above its northern shore and allow
ute gear. Note: Kaladi Brothers Coffee
From the time to explore Glacier Gulch.
Company, farther west in the same
remote town The way In McCarthy, take a trail-
mall, has free internet access and
of McCarthy, head shuttle five miles to the mine ruins
computer rentals. (Need to wash
the 25-mile of Kennicott ($10/person; 800-478-1160).
clothes on the return? Find Lee’s
round-trip trek Contact nps.gov/wrst
Laundromat one block farther west
and kitty corner across Northern
Lights, behind the Chevron Station.)
Eat Humpy’s Great Alaskan
Alehouse (humpys.com) has excellent
PHOTO BY TOM & PAT LEESON (TOP); GOOGLE EARTH PROVIDERS: TERRAMETRIC; DIGITALGLOBE; GEOEYE
salmon and halibut and a huge choice HIDDEN CREEK
LAKE
of microbrews. Plus, it’s easy to find KENNECOTT
going in and out of downtown on West GLACIER
6th Avenue, between F and G Streets.

Stay Microtel Inns & Suites
ROOT GLACIER
(microtelinn.com) is roomy, clean,
and located close to the airport. You
get continental breakfast, free wifi, a
hot tub and pool, an airport shuttle,
and good access to jogging paths.
Save Use the plan above, and with
an early arrival in Anchorage you can
head to the trailhead the same day you MAP MOTHERLODE
land, avoiding an extra hotel night. A Study each of our hikes
from every Google angle
rental car will be your biggest expense, and create and print
and even that can be eliminated—take your own annotated
a taxi to the Flute Glacier hike, or a topos at backpacker
.com/alaska2010.
shuttle (alaskatransportation.net) to the
Lost Lake trailhead.

.%SJWF5IFNPTUBEWBODFEGVFMGPSUIFCPEZ
*ODSFBTFTUSFOHUI NVTDMFNBTT PWFSBMMFOFSHZ

BOETFYESJWFXJUIDMJOJDBMMZQSPWFOJOHSFEJFOUT
(BSZ,FIPF
CEO, renowned formulator and long-time BP magazine subscriber .%SJWF4DJFODF
“Thanks for taking the time to read my ad. As an avid backpacker 'FOVHSFFL5IFTFFE
(with no less than 5 years of BP Gear Guides in my night stand), Testosterone levels affect your libido, energy, fat
I know you’ll enjoy M-Drive™ because I had you in mind when I regulation, blood sugar, blood pressure and bone
.ESJWF#1DPN developed it.” and muscle development. Unfortunately, after age
25, testosterone levels in men start to decline.
"MMEBZFOEVSBODF /BUVSBMTPMVUJPOCBDLFECZ M-Drive™ utilizes a patented, refined extract of
Speaking from the heart, M-Drive™ was DMJOJDBMTUVEJFT Fenugreek Seed which has been clinically proven
developed as a daily natural supplement to We designed M-Drive™ around two very to increase free testosterone by 98% allowing men
boost performance and increase testosterone. I unique extracts derived from Fenugreek and to regain the testosterone they’ve been losing
can honestly say this formula has been trail Cordyceps (see sidebar) plus a blend of 4 without the need for a doctor’s prescription or
tested over hundreds of miles. other natural herbal extracts. costly hormone replacement therapy. The only
side effect - an increase in sexual desire.
Truth is, I run a business and am very active We created a synergy between natural Could be worse.
like you, so I know you’ll appreciate the boost bio-actives such that the sum of the $PSEZDFQT5IFNVTISPPN
in your performance, the sustainable all day ingredients is far more powerful than each The other star extract in M-Drive™ is derived from
energy, the obvious increase in muscle one taken individually. the cordyceps mushroom. Since the 15th Century,
strength and the superior endurance that The result - a formulation that strengthens the Tibetans have harvested this mushroom for its
M-Drive™ delivers. the adrenal glands, provides fuel for the heart and respiratory benefits, energy boosting
effects and anti-aging properties. Now, 500 years
body and, more importantly, turns back the later, we are using advanced extraction techniques
4UJNVMBOU'SFFBMMEBZFOFSHZ body clock. to extract the bio-active portion of the mushroom
M-Drive™ started as a personal mission to to produce a very powerful and potent formula.
improve my own performance on the trail, at 5SZ.%SJWF'SFF Modern science is actually able to verify these and
work and at home. Like yourself, I enjoy many more uses for this amazing mushroom.
having fun and I take my backpacking 1FSGPSNBUZPVSIJHIFTU
MFWFM/BUVSBMMZ In human cardiovascular studies, use of cordyceps
seriously but, as I got older I found my hikes lowered serum triglycerides and overall cholesterol
were actually getting longer and tougher. M-Drive™ contains no steroids, no hormones, while increasing beneficial HDL levels. Cordyceps
Sure, there were plenty of supplements and no synthetics nor any other banned substances. also enhances nutritional blood supply to the organs
caffeine products that could give me a quick Users of M-Drive™ frequently tell me it is the and extremities, specifically increases blood supply
boost, but I was determined to develop a best daily supplement they’ve ever used. to the brain, and defends the heart against stress.
product that delivered sustainable energy I guarantee you’ll feel the difference on your 4VTUBJOFEFOFSHZ/PUB
without taxing the adrenal glands. very next trek. DBGGFJOFCV[[
The ingredients in M-Drive™ increase both cellular
ATP levels and oxygen utilization. ATP is a mole-
*ODSFBTF Online Backpacker offer cule that releases energy in the adenosine cell by
freeing a phosphate molecule and converting the
5FTUPTUFSPOF 5SZJUGSFF
for a limited time
cell from a three-phosphate to a two-phosphate
form called ADP. This breaking of the bond
&OEVSBODF releases energy that is available for the cell to use.
.ESJWF#1DPN This is a real increase in actual energy available to
-FBONVTDMFNBTT or call
the body unlike the perceived energy that occurs
*Plus shipping and handling. from CNS stimulants like caffeine, ephedrine and
4FYESJWF Terms and conditions apply. amphetamines, which ultimately result in an
energy deficiency. Using Cordyceps, the double
3FTQJSBUJPO Also available at effect of increased ATP and better oxygen utilization
go hand in hand providing more fuel to burn.
'PDVT
Order now.ESJWF#1DPN
Relative performance units

TRAILHEAD
ADVERTISEMENT
LISTEN HARD BASE CAMP

ENOUGH AND DUFFEL
YOU CAN HEAR The North Face® Base Camp
THE SPIRITS OF Duffel is the ultimate bag
THOSE WHO CAME for hauling gear on your
BEFORE YOU next adventure. Various
The West is alive in size options provide a bag
Wyoming. It’s a place of that's right for any of your
endless sky and storied travel needs. This duffel is
past. There’s a sense of constructed of water and
adventure so thick you’ll have abrasion-resistant coating to
to swat it away. Visit withstand the abuse of travel.
www.WyomingTourism.org www.TheNorthFace.com
EDUCATE. THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS

CONNECT. Make Texas your next adventure. From kayaking to
PROTECT. backpacking, you’ll find the best thrills here in the
LEAVE NO TRACE Lone Star State. The free Texas State Travel Guide
Leave No Trace is a unique has all the information you need to get started.
conservation movement Visit www.TravelTex.com
focused on education. By
teaching us how to enjoy the
outdoors responsibly, Leave No
Trace empowers people to be
both environmental stewards
and agents of change. Learn
more today: www.LNT.org
AMERICAN
HIKING SOCIETY
SPOT American Hiking Society
The NEW SPOT Satellite GPS is the only national
Messenger is 30% smaller and 30% organization dedicated to
lighter than its predecessor and promoting and protecting
features new enhanced elements. the trails you love to hike.
Send your GPS location and select Become a member today,
message to personal contacts or join the national hiking
summon rescue authorities in an community, and enjoy
emergency—all with a push of a great member benefits.
button. 100% satellite-based. Learn more at
www.findmeSPOT.com www.AmericanHiking.org
CHECK OUT BACKPACKER.COM/ENTERTOWIN FOR THE LATEST PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS.

ADVERTISEMENT
STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE

TO RECEIVE FREE PRODUCT INFORMATION DIRECTLY FROM OUR ADVERTISERS, CIRCLE THE NUMBERS ON THE
ATTACHED POSTCARD THAT CORRESPOND TO THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES LISTED BELOW.
APPAREL 16. INTERNATIONAL WILDERNESS 30. WEIGHTVEST.COM Best cardio exercise.

LEADERSHIP SCHOOL Experts in technical Stay in shape, save your backpack.
1. FIRST ASCENT Guide built. Guide trusted.
instruction, wilderness education and outdoor (888) 909-5473; weightvest.com
Everything you need, nothing you don't.
leadership training. (800) 985-IWLS; iwls.com 31. WILD IDEAS wild-ideas.net
(800) 426-8020; firstascent.com
17. THE GREAT STATE OF TEXAS For your
2. OUTDRY outdry.com MAIL ORDER
FREE Texas State Travel Guide, call
3. PAJAMA GRAM pajamagram.com (800) 888-8TEX, ext. 5408, or visit traveltex.com 32. CAMPMOR Gear and apparel for all your
4. SIERRA TRADING POST Save 35-70% 18. WRANGELL MOUNTAIN AIR Trek North outdoor adventures. For a free catalog, call
every day on famous name brands. America's version of the Himalayas: Wrangell-St. (800) CAMPMOR or visit campmor.com
(800) 713-4534; sierratradingpost.com Elias. (800) 478-1160; wrangellmountainair.com 33. ORIGINAL RAINCAMP Unique shelter:
5. TERRAMAR SPORTS, INC. One of the 19. WYOMING TOURISM Experience a Makes camping fun, even if it rains.
largest NA manufacturers of technologically Wyoming adventure; Devils Tower, Grand (850) 843-8309; theoriginalraincamp.com
advanced baselayer. (800) 468-7455; Tetons, Yellowstone and more. 34. PHD PHARMA H9H & testosterone—legal
terramarsports.com (800) 225-5996; wyomingtourism.org and safe no prescription needed.
(800) 941-6559; phd10.com
AUTOMOTIVE FOOTWEAR
6. HONDA automobiles.honda.com 20. IMPLUS FOOTCARE, LLC implus.com MISCELLANEOUS
7. SUBARU Ready for adventure. That's what 21. ZAMBERLAN USA, INC Handcrafted, 35. 45ºN 68ºW Insect Repellent. Nature's
makes a Subaru, a Subaru. subaru.com Italian-made quality for over 80 years. own protection for the outdoors enthusiast.
(888) 745-4774; zamberlanusa.com 45N68W.com
8. TOYOTA toyota.com
36. CAMP LAUREL (800) 327-3509;
DESTINATION GEAR thelaurelcamps.com
9. ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND & ACTIVE SOUTH 22. CRUMPLER Crumpler bags are good 37. CAMP WALT WHITMAN Co-ed summer
AMERICA Adventure travel specialists in New bags, thank you for listening and goodnight. camp in NH’s White Mountains.
Zealand and South America. (800) 661-9073; crumplerbags.com (800) 657-8282; campwalt.com
activenewzealand.com 23. DESIGN SALT designsalt.com 38. CAMPS MONDAMIN & GREEN COVE
10. ALASKA Get your free official Alaska State 24. GENERAL ECOLOGY, INC Improved Staff needed for NC mountain camps!
Vacation Guide today! (800) 822-3451; design! Trusted technology. First Need® XL (800) 688-5789; mondamin.com/staff
www.alaskatripplanning.com/cbp Portable Water Purifier. (800) 441-8166; 39. DAVID VIRTUE Express your passion;
11. ALASKA ALPINE ADVENTURES generalecology.com rings in gold and platinum. (800) 735-2058;
Adventure travel in Alaska's National Parks 25. GIBBON SLACKLINES Slackline fun for davidvirtue.com
and Wildlife Refuges. (877) 525-2577; everyone! Two-inch webbing. Simple two-part 40. DURAFLEX HK LTD www.duraflexgroup.com
alaskaalpineadventures.com set. gibbonslacklines.com
12. ALASKA MOUNTAIN GUIDES & 41. MARCAL marcalpaper.com
26. GORE-TEX® PRODUCTS Trust GORE-TEX®
CLIMBING SCHOOL The global leaders in 42. ROSETTA STONE rosettastone.com
products: Guaranteed to Keep You Dry®.
outdoor adventure and technical instruction.
(800) 431-GORE; gore-tex.com 43. TARMA DESIGNS Captures the outdoor
(800) 766-3396; alaskamountainguides.com
spirit in recycled stainless steel jewelry.
27. HILLEBERG THE TENTMAKER Tents built
13. APPALACHIAN TRAIL ADVENTURES tarmadesigns.com
for your every adventure, no matter what it
Affordable hiking vacations in the Green
might be! (866) 848-8368; hilleberg.com NON-PROFIT
Mountains of VT. Starting at $160.
(888) 855-8655; appalachiantrailadventures.com 28. NIKWAX NORTH AMERICA
44. FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER
(800) 563-3057; nikwax-usa.com
14. BIG WILD ADVENTURES The most RESEARCH CENTER Join a climb and find a
experienced backpacking company 29. SIMPLE SOLUTIONS OUTDOOR cure for breast cancer. (206) 667-1398;
in the Western US. (406) 848-7000; Backpacking food and gear storage. Stops fhcrc.org
bigwildadventures.com rodents. (877) 526-9494;
45. WILDERNESS VOLUNTEERS Give
simpleoutdoorstore.com
15. GLACIER PARK, INC (406) 892-2525; something back to our nation's public lands.
glacierparkinc.com wildernessvolunteers.org

Alaska { } 2010
Deep in the mountains of *****st

Alaska, the *********** River
tumbles from a windswept lake
frequented by caribou, grizzly,
and the occasional wolf pack.
Relentlessly resculpting an
ancient path carved through
tundra and boreal forest, it
courses 100 miles to the *******
Sea, providing habitat for mink,
otter, eagles, and—in summer—
untold thousands of spawning
salmon and the giant rainbows
that gorge on their eggs. Join our
editor-in-chief for the ultimate
float-and-fish adventure.
Fish
Story
Story & Photography

by Jonathan Dorn
11.2009

DEPOSIT, WITHDRAWAL: SWEEPER-SHIELDED
CUT BANKS PROVIDE EXCELLENT COVER FOR
FISH ON THE RIVER. HERE, FRANK
TUGS A 20-INCH DOLLY VARDEN OUT OF A
HIP-DEEP EDDY WHILE GERRY WAITS HIS TURN.

Even in my wildest daydreams, the fish weren’t this big. The value of fresh salmon
flesh to bears, otters, birds, and
They measured 12 inches, maybe 14, about the length other fish—especially the roe-
of my wading boot, but not 20, the size of the rainbow dependent trout and char—is
I’d hooked as we careened through the whitewater of obvious. But you don’t notice
the River’s Falls, or 22, the size of the impact of decaying salmon
on the landscape itself until
the Arctic char James had coaxed from a deep pool just you fly over a river like the
below. And they certainly weren’t as powerful as the in a bush plane. Taking
hefty slab of king salmon that’s just now bending my fly off from a small lake outside
rod at an alarming angle toward the opposite bank. , our heavily laden
De Havilland Beaver bounces
Only three days into a 10-day float from the through waves of turbulence
Range to , a hardscrabble village chiseled into above gradually thinning spruce
the permafrost along the coast of Alaska, almost forest as we climb towards
every fish outstrips a fantasy I’d nurtured for 30 years. My the Mountains; the
trees soon give way to tundra
forearm shaking from a 20-minute fight, I’m enthralled and gone brown and red with the
mildly disoriented: This place was my personal Atlantis, colors of early autumn. The
a mythical spot I never expected to find. Yet here it is, a only strips of green are alder
sprawling wilderness brimming with bears and salmon, and willow hugging the banks
of the creeks and rivers. The
unspoiled by the hands of man. The fish are huge, and reason: Not every salmon finds
we’re catching so many. It makes no sense—no logical a belly. Thousands decompose
sense—that reality could so far exceed the expectations on beaches or become trapped
that a favorite uncle had planted in my head three decades under submerged logs, releasing
nitrogen and phosphorous
ago while teaching me to fish. But it has, and over the compounds almost identical to
next seven days it will only get better. the active ingredients in your
Miracle-Gro.
Salmon feed and fertilize Alaska. From Ketchikan in The supply of those compounds has fluctuated wildly over
the southeast to Bethel in the southwest and around the the last century. In 1953, overfishing had reduced runs to
coast to the North Slope, there’s no source of nutrients such low levels that President Eisenhower declared the state
more important to the state’s population and ecosystems a natural disaster area. Not until the mid-1970s did numbers
than the sockeye (aka red), Chinook (king), coho (silver), improve significantly, thanks in part to a hatchery program
pink (humpies), and chum (dog) that return every year to that exists today largely to increase the commercial harvest.
spawn in its rivers. These days, total salmon numbers flirt with historic highs,
In the part of Alaska, where the River but only a portion are truly wild, native stock—undiluted
empties into the Pacific, up to 70 million salmon swim as by hatcheries and augmented runs. And in any individual
far as 100 miles inland to lay their eggs. They generally stream, there are other threats: warming water temperatures,
stop feeding once they hit freshwater, which explains why increased glacial siltation, and industrial pollution. A current
native Alaskans erect their camps and drying racks low on flashpoint is the Pebble Mine, a massive, multibillion-dollar
the rivers, to capture fish still thick with ocean fat. It also open-pit gold and copper mine proposed for an area near
explains why most salmon species turn red as they spawn: Lake Clark National Park. Critics worry that its location—
Lacking sustenance, the fish are literally dying as they above the headwaters of two major Bristol Bay tributaries—
swim upstream, their bodies shedding pigment, muscle, and potential for toxic runoff could spell disaster for salmon.
and—eventually—the very skin off their backs. But private land development might be a more immediate
On our trip, we see lividly red kings swim by within and insidious threat statewide. Conservation groups are
inches of our legs as we cast across thigh-deep channels, tracking hundreds of native allotments that could hit the
and we marvel at chum that snap at trout to protect their market in the next decade, each one the potential site of a
eggs—despite bodies so far molted that strips of flesh hang lodge—with the sewage and boat or plane traffic that entails.
from them like the rotting undead in a Hollywood zombie One lodge or second home, managed in a sustainable
flick. On other visits, I’ve watched gulls perch on the backs
of (barely) living silvers and peck away, taking the first bites *NAMES AND LOCATIONS REDACTED TO PROTECT THE LOCATION.
of a feast that will eventually feed more than 120 species. TURN TO PAGE 79 FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO LAND A TRIP HERE.

might have little impact—but several hundred? use plastic jewelry beads when we stop to cast. Bill, equal
At the suggestion of the Conservation Fund, a nonprofit parts fly-fishing shaman and profane jokester, explains
that has preserved more than 6 million wild acres since that the yarn will mimic a cluster of roe bouncing along
1985, I’ve traveled here to see what’s at stake—and to the streambed, and the bead a single egg. Later in the trip,
catch (then release) as many monster fish as I can hook. a 20-inch rainbow vomits reddish-orange salmon eggs into
Three childhood friends and longtime hiking partners have my hand as I remove its hook—and I’ll change my bead
joined me. James, Gerry, Steve, and I will float one of the to match the color, to immediate effect.
world’s most pristine rivers on three-person rafts packed The morning comes soon, and with it our new daily routine:
with basecamping tents, beer, steaks, a deluxe kitchen a leisurely breakfast (pancakes, bacon-egg sandwiches,
setup—even a shower with propane-heated water. fresh juice, and coffee), a few casts, onto the river by 10
If the accoutrements are deluxe, our guides are an a.m., drift until 5 or 6 p.m., appetizers followed by a lavish
embarrassment of riches. Glenn , a 30-year veteran of dinner, drinks (boxed wine, single malt scotch, 18-year-old
Alaska land management and the former manager of the bourbon), cigars, sunset around 11 p.m., and one last look
Refuge, will lead us. Rowing the other at the grizzly tracks where we pitched the tent. (Bear sign
rafts are Frank and Bill , who together represent covers every gravel bar, and wolf and caribou tracks are
another 60 years of wildlife and wilderness experience. frequent, but we encounter no evidence of human activity
Of course, such riches don’t come cheap: It will cost in the first week except for two small fire rings.)
us $7,000 apiece to visit paradise, which includes a $4,500 The action picks up in the miles below Falls. The
donation to the Conservation Fund. That’s a steep ticket for big king I catch while riding the bow of Frank’s boat signals
guys with kids and mortgages and a penchant for budget that the run is arriving. “The rainbows and Dolly Varden
travel, but soon after the De Havilland drops us at a sheltered will jockey for space behind the salmon that have stopped
inlet on Lake, we start to taste the benefits. and dug pits in the gravel for their eggs,” he explains. “The
salmon guard their spots pretty ferociously—you’ll see
them take bites out of other fish—but the current washes
The storm raging outside is the kind that makes two- a lot of eggs downstream.”
person backpacking tents seem awfully tiny. But in true After navigating the whitewater of Falls and
raft-trip style, we’re not bunkered down. Instead, we’re , we hook more fish than the stars of an ESPN
sipping merlot, snacking on baked brie with crackers, and bass show. (I can’t credit our technique; in the windy,
swapping tall tales beneath a sturdy Sierra Designs dome brushy conditions, every tenth cast finds a bush.) The
big enough for a dinner table and six folding chairs. rainbows explode out of the water with spectacular
We pepper our guides with questions and learn that the acrobatics, while the Dolly Varden and grayling seem to
first two days—as the rafts glide through shallow waters
SWEET SPOT:
with little vegetation—will be quiet. “But then,” says
Glenn with a measured voice and a thousand-yard squint,
“we could be hitting 40 to 50 fish a day.” We’ll tie pink
and orange knitting yarn to our hooks while drifting, and

prefer the dive-and-dart method. Without exception, they
go right back into the water, their hunger pardoned by
Glenn’s strict catch-and-release policy.
On day six, we stop for lunch at a heavily braided bend
in the river and watch a bald eagle soar back to its nest with
a glinting fish gripped in its left talon; the nest, which holds
a juvenile bird, must be 10 feet wide. For the river’s full
length, the avian life nearly matches its aquatic abundance.
We see owls, terns, loons, and harlequins that dive below
the water or zip along three feet above its surface. Two
mother mergansers guide their combined brood of 12 into
a sheltered eddy where they can clamber ashore and hide My daydream—the one where trout and salmon fight
in the bushes. At another bend, I almost lose my hat to a over my lure along a remote Alaska river—was born in
dive-bombing gull whose downy chick lurches out of its childhood, at the knee of an uncle who taught me to bait a
nest and across the smooth cobbles. hook, troll for pike, and clean a perch. A giant Swede with
Just when it can’t get any better, it does. In the wildest bad hearing and a booming laugh, Uncle Carl told stories
version of my dream, I would catch 20 rainbows while worthy of Twain, including whoppers about the fish
casting long, graceful parabolas—like Brad Pitt in A River he’d caught while working construction up north during
Runs Through It. In the real-life version, circa 2009, I’m the Great Depression. My imagination took flight on his
neither elegant nor ruggedly handsome, but in one day I tales, and gained steam as I pursued my own wilderness
land more than a hundred fish, most big enough to feed two adventures—with and without a fly rod. Only recently
hungry adults. The light, the water, the 10-to-2 flick of the have I come to appreciate the gift he’d given me.
wrist—it all comes together in a died-and-gone-to-heaven Out of deference to the Conservation Fund—and the
kind of way. After thousands of casts, I can spot each silver River itself—that sense of wonder is all I’m passing
belly from 25 feet away, and I can drop a bead where the on. This spot deserves its anonymity, and that’s why I’ve
current will deliver it within inches of an unsuspecting blacked out every clue to its location. “There ought to be
mouth. After a week on the river, I’m in the zone. a few places on this planet,” Glenn insists, “that never get
Working various braids, I nab a few salmon, and lots of discovered, that remain as untouched as they’ve ever been.
energetic trout, but the Dolly Vardens are the prettiest fish Places that are still intact, that have the same wildlife in the
I’ve ever seen. One looks like an outtake from Monet’s same balance they started with—places like the
Haystacks: A russet stripe from gill to tail, blending to should see humans rarely, and then only briefly.”
ribbons of red and sunset orange dotted with pink freckles Fortunately, this is Alaska, so there are a dozen undiscovered
just above the milky-white belly. During the entire day, my paradises to exceed every dream. “You could live in
reverie is interrupted only once—not by food, or fatigue, Anchorage, paddle a different river every month, and never
but by Frank, shouting above the wind to point out a repeat yourself,” Frank tells me as we sip Guinness in the
mother grizzly and two very blond cubs sprinting across the sun one afternoon. “And I promise that somewhere along the
river 60 yards upstream, spray flying from their haunches. way, on some isolated stretch of water, you’ll find a spot that
belongs to you and no one else.”
Your Own Piece of Paradise The fishing gets tougher in the last
Snag a spot on an exclusive BACKPACKER trip to the River. two days as the river swells with
rainfall. But the salmon, which are
Talk about a win-win. Glenn , a veteran of Alaska wilderness travel and arriving fresh from the sea, are at
our guide on the River, has agreed to lead a repeat of the fishing trip full strength; the battles get longer
described in these pages—exclusively for BACKPACKER. Six readers will get to and more entertaining. James
experience a one-of-a-kind 10-day adventure in a rarely seen corner of the state. and Steve hook silvers that fight
And the Conservation Fund will net a hefty donation for its work to save salmon. like hornets and nearly tangle.
There are two ways to claim a seat on the raft: Buy it or earn it. Beginning in mid- A submarine hammers my bead,
January and ending on March 1, we will auction off five spots. The final seat will go flashes a long crimson side, and
to a reader we hire to cover the trip as an official BACKPACKER reporter. To earn strips line with an angry whine;
this position—which will be selected later by judges from the magazine and the I give chase in my hip waders,
Conservation Fund—you must submit an application detailing your volunteer work running downstream with the
in support of the environment and convince us (in an essay) why you deserve this
special free-of-charge spot. Find more details at backpacker.com/alaska2010. Continued on page 95
Alaska { } 2010
LOVE
higher
On a remote Arctic peak, a father and his teenager

encounter the hardest of all human challenges.
Story by John Harlin III Photography by Arlene C. Burns

TIED UP IN KNOTS: THE
AUTHOR’S DAUGHTER LEADS
THE WAY ON MT. CHAMBERLIN’S
SUMMIT RIDGE AFTER ASKING—
TEARFULLY—TO ROPE UP.

One of my favorite childhood pictures
shows me holding a Frisbee at age 13.
There’s a rope tied to my waist. Behind me, the
ice-encrusted summit of Mt. Chamberlin—at
9,020 feet the highest peak in the Brooks
Range on Alaska’s North Slope—rises through
the clouds. A huge grin spreads across my face.
I appear to be the happiest kid on earth.
But, to be honest, I remember the peak as a grinding first big adventure away from Mama. She didn’t ask to be
climb. At the spot where the picture was taken, I recall pushed so hard. She’s here living out my dream, not hers.
having the impression that the summit was still a long ways And now I’ve brought her to tears. Again.
away. I’m sure the smile in the photo was genuine, but it
is far from my happiest memory of this trip. No, that came
when we found my leather ski glove a few days later. Not Three days ago our bush plane bounced
because I particularly missed the glove, but because now down onto the tundra. When the propeller sputtered to a
it had two fresh holes in it, spaced just right to be the fang halt, the adults unloaded the plane while Siena loped
marks of a wolf pup. The glove still hangs on my wall as across the tundra in her sky-blue outfit, like a colorful
one of my most cherished possessions. Mountains I could caribou unleashed. Watching her sweep across the land,
(and did) climb back home in Washington. What I really Kirk Sweetsir, our pilot, exclaimed that in all of his years
wanted in the Arctic was to see wolves, and these fang of Arctic flying he’d never seen anything like it. My heart
marks meant they were close. swelled with joy at Siena’s apparent happiness. And then
So why, 40 years later, am I so intent on taking my own Kirk spun his plane and gunned the engine hard. In minutes
13-year-old—my daughter, Siena—to the summit of Mt. even the sound had vanished, leaving us—Siena, me, and
Chamberlin? She’s always been afraid of heights, and yet friend and photographer Arlene Burns—utterly alone.
here we are on an exposed ridge, moving together without Not long afterward the clouds parted, revealing a white-
a rope. I look back and notice a pinched expression on crusted summit 6,000 feet above us. Its point jutted up from
her face. I toss out casually, “Anytime you’d like the rope, behind a long, rocky ridge.
just let me know.” “There it is!” I yelled, delighted. “Mt. Chamberlin! Look!”
“Didn’t you hear me earlier?” she responds, her eyes Siena didn’t gasp audibly, but the smile that had been on
moist daggers. “I asked twice about the rope. This is her face vanished instantly.
freaking me out.” “Are you serious?” she finally asked, visibly stressed.
I hadn’t heard a word. A chemical wash of shame “That thing is HUGE!”
flows over me. As a former guide, I’m supposed to be Watching her smile disappear sent a jolt of fear through
attuned to my charges. Yes, I know that in the end most me. Not fear of the mountain, but fear of the adventure we’d
people remember and cherish the moments when they just launched—fear that my idea of a father-daughter bonding
felt pushed—just enough but not too much. A little fear trip would overwhelm her, fear that my dream of passing on
sharpens the experience. But as a dad, I know that Siena my love for the Arctic—even for wilderness adventure itself—
needs no more anxiety than she’s already feeling. This is would fall on deaf ears, might even be turned against me. The
her first mountain. Her first long backpacking trip. Her plane had gone and here we were with two weeks of food,

DÉJÀ VIEW: THE AUTHOR,
AGE 13, BELOW THE SUMMIT
OF MT. CHAMBERLIN IN 1969.
RIGHT: CARIBOU LOPE PAST
LAKE PETERS AT THE FOOT
OF THE MOUNTAIN.
a mountain towering
over us, 40 cross-
country miles to our
only pick-up option,
and no contact with
the outside world. We
were stuck with the
plans I’d concocted in
safety back home, far
from this wilderness
outpost in the far
north—itself the very
definition of remote.
The Brooks Range
sprawls 700 miles across the top of Alaska, from Canada to
the Bering Sea. In the northeast corner, where Chamberlin
rises above it all, the rounded peaks consist of loose shale
broken occasionally by bands of limestone. There’s not a
tree anywhere. Sparse willow bushes grow a few feet tall
in streambeds; in summer, wide valleys radiate green as
tundra grasses soak up sunshine 24 hours a day. Peaks
like Chamberlin jump thousands of vertical feet above the
bare landscape, culminating in glacier-crusted summits. But
mostly it’s the light that I love up here. An evening’s golden
hour can last all night; the hills glow as if illuminated
from within. The buckled landscape extends as far as you
could hike in a summer—and chances are you’d never see
another human in all of your travels.
When I first proposed the idea of climbing Mt. Chamberlin, didn’t understand that. Besides not knowing the language,
Siena fired back enthusiastically, “I don’t know what I’m she was the only blonde in her school, the only kid not
getting myself into, but sure!” Later, when details of the trip born in Oaxaca. It was hard, but in a year she studied
sank in and friends and family half gasped as they asked what her way to the top of her class, aced all of her tests, and
she thought of the adventure, Siena dropped her eyes and made new friends. After four years, even she agrees that
answered, “I’m nervous.” She wasn’t the only one. There was moving to Mexico was a grand adventure. My dream for our
also her mother, Adele. And my mother—Siena’s sole living Chamberlin climb was for her to conclude the same thing
grandparent. I grew tired of them constantly pounding into about the Arctic—after two weeks.
me the need for safety and for adjusting the trip to Siena’s To take her mind off the mountain’s height, we went
pace. These things were obvious, even to me. fishing. It was July and there was no ice on the lake, but I
The great unknown was how Siena would take to the remember ice well from a June arrival in 1970, the year after
Arctic and climbing. While she and I had read some Arctic my ascent of Chamberlin. We’d just hiked in from the Arctic
PHOTO BY KEN DAVIS / JOHN HARLIN III COLLECTION
books out loud together, including Farley Mowat’s Lost in Ocean in an epic walk under crushing packs. I remember
the Barrens—one of my childhood favorites—she never being hungry, and standing on the lake ice, watching a
identified with young survivalists happy to eat what they kill 38-inch, 20-pound lake trout swim toward my silver spoon
before wearing its pelt. In Siena’s books, the protagonists ride before engulfing it. Now it was Siena’s turn. Wham, her thin
dragons to battle against evil princes in faraway kingdoms. rod with its six-pound-test line bent double. Soon I was
I knew she loved nature and camping—but heights, standing in the shallow water, and tossed the 28-inch fish
backpacks, and breaking a sweat? That was another story. onto shore with my hands so that the line wouldn’t break.
But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t faced—and overcome— She carried it back to camp for a feast. All would have been
real challenge. We moved to Mexico when she was nine. well if it weren’t for the mountain, still looming above.
As an adult, it’s easy to see the benefits of learning a new It was hard to reconcile Siena’s anxiety with my own
language and adapting to a foreign culture. Of course, Siena memories of this spot. I’ve always taken pride in my youthful

adventures. The ascent of Chamberlin joined a list that began then she finally let the rest out: “Why do I have to follow
with rock climbs with my father in the Alps when I was six, in my dad’s footprints so much? Living in a foreign country.
seven, eight, nine. Then Dad’s rope broke as he attempted Watching you on the Eiger [I climbed it a few years back].
to put up a new route on the Eiger, in Switzerland where Climbing the mountain you climbed as a kid.”
we lived at the time, and he fell 4,000 feet to his death. Her questions stung. Am I really like that?
Losing him ripped a giant hole in our family. Mom moved I assured her that she doesn’t have to follow my footsteps.
us to Washington, where she entered graduate school. And I But I also told her that these are the things that mattered to
continued to climb and ski, now with Mom’s fellow graduate me when I was growing up; they still do. I want her to know
students. But a sense of real purpose came when, at 12, I them. Like all parents, I struggle with boundaries. When
discovered the Arctic in the pages of Farley Mowat’s Never Cry should I just open doors and let her choose which ones to
Wolf. At once, I knew I’d become a wolf biologist. Soon after enter? When should I nudge—or even push—her through
a high school teacher invited me on a Seattle Mountaineers one? When she was younger we learned the “10 times rule”:
outing to climb Mt. Chamberlin. But it wasn’t until 1974, keep putting a new food item on the plate, and eventually
during my fourth trip to the Arctic, that we finally saw a wolf: it will seem familiar enough to try. With hiking Adele and I
a whole den full of puppies playing alongside the Kongakut have nudged her a little harder than we did with food. With
River. As it happens, I didn’t become a wolf biologist. But I skiing I even pushed a little, then gave up. Now I wondered
never lost my love for the Arctic. Or mountains. if this trip was more like a shove, given that she had so little
After dinner, as I was digging for enthusiasm, Siena idea of what Chamberlin would entail. Yes, I’d asked her if
spilled her heart. she wanted to come, but it really wasn’t a fair question.
“If we could just hang around and fish and see things My own father had no concerns about pushing. I
it would be great,” she said. “But I’m pretty nervous. That remember coming back from my first big ski race, held in
mountain is big. If we didn’t have to climb the mountain Italy when I was eight years old. When Dad found out that I’d
then hike out 40 miles I wouldn’t be so nervous.” fallen—twice—he was furious. Another time he discovered
She paused, faint moisture gleaming in her eyes, and me getting pummeled by the playground bully; Dad made
clear what he thought of my weakness. These are not the
memories of him that I cherish, and yet they dominate.
With my sister he was different. She wasn’t expected to be
strong, like him. I often wonder how different I’d be as the
QUICK STUDY: SIENA

JUMPS A CREVASSE
WHILE CROSSING
THE CHAMBERLIN
GLACIER EN ROUTE
TO HIGH CAMP AT
6,500 FEET. TOP: ON
DAY 4 OF THE HIKE
OUT, THE TEAM STAYS
ALONG FRANKLIN
CREEK. BOTTOM:
WITH THE SUMMIT
BEHIND THEM, THE
HARLINS START
WHAT COULD BE THE
EXPEDITION’S HARD-
EST STAGE—A 40-MILE
TREK TO SAFETY.

father of a son. With Siena I manage to back off, taming my didn’t know the best way to reach the glacier from here, nor
disappointment when she doesn’t want to go bicycling, or even which glacier to choose on our way to the now-hidden
climbing, or even to help build her own tree house. “Ah, summit. I found the best route on a long lateral moraine on
well,” I say to myself, “she has her own interests.” But would the far side of valley, where I hiked past flightless ptarmigan
my son get off so easily? Would I expect to see myself in him? chicks and browsing Dall sheep.
I can imagine telling a son to stop whining, start climbing. Two hours after leaving camp, I was back in sight of
But when Siena is afraid it squeezes my heart; I want to it, yelling, waving my shirt, and hoping they’d see me.
provide comfort, not lessons in toughness. No response. But soon I saw Siena’s bright blue shirt not
At breakfast Siena said she felt, “Kind of lousy. Restless far below, scrambling toward me fast. She had a familiar,
and nervous and homesick. And missing Mama.” She frightened look, her face tense and concentrated.
pointed to her upper stomach area. “It all kind of settles “Were you worried?” I asked when I reached her.
right here, like a knot. The only time I feel good is when “Yeah.” By her expression, I could tell it had been a lot
we’re reading Never Cry Wolf.” worse than mere worry.
Later, when I checked on her in the tent, I’d underestimated how much she
she wasn’t sleeping. I decided that this depended on me up here. On the
was the time to remind both of us about mountain, so far from home, I was her
our deal: The summit is entirely optional. connection to everything she knew. I
The thing that matters is the journey, the went to sleep wondering what else I
experience of being here. If Chamberlin might have misjudged.
frightens her this much, maybe we should The next morning we followed the
instead concentrate on the hike out. moraine to the toe of the glacier, nearly
Then she asked, “How much time do 1,500 feet above Mossy Camp. Here, she
we have for the mountain?” strapped on crampons for the first time
“I’ve allowed a week—four days plus in her life, and tied into a rope. As she
three for weather. But if we decide not to, practiced walking in crampons along the
that leaves more time for the hike out.” glacier’s base, punching her feet down
She pointed her finger upward. to make the points stick in the hard ice,
“What’s that?” I asked. “Until today, I she grinned and said, “I’m not feeling
“I’m going to hike up the mountain.” scared anymore, Daddy.” She flashed me
“You really don’t have to.” never thought a thumbs-up. My heart skipped a beat, I
“I don’t want to disappoint my dad.” that you had was so happy.
“I won’t be disappointed. This is about One of my most cherished memories is
the journey.” to learn to be a of the time I first crunched glacier ice in
“You wouldn’t be even a little bit dad,” she said, crampons. It was on the Mer de Glace in
disappointed? Come on. I know my dad.” France while hiking up to the mountain hut
both amused
“OK, just a little bit. But really, it’s fine. where Dad was based during a drawn-out
This trip is as much a growth experience
for me as it is for you.”
and surprised. siege on a new route above. I was seven
years old, but I swear that in the 46 years
At that moment, Arlene called out, “Look! Caribou!” since, each time I crunch blue glacier ice underfoot the
A herd of at least 50 trotted alongside the lake; they hadn’t sound transports me straight back to that hike. There’s no
detected us because we were downwind. They stopped for a place I’d rather be. I wondered what Siena will remember
while as we watched their scatterbrained antics, dashing here when she’s my age.
then there, splitting and merging, no attention span at all. The basin below Chamberlin’s summit pyramid didn’t
Eventually they resumed trotting along the lakeshore. turn out to be as flat as I thought. What was white was
Siena beamed. “Remember when I said how cool it slush, not snow. What was blue or black was ice, steep as
would be to see caribou out the tent door?” a boat ramp. Eventually we found a place where we could
chop a flat spot into the ice and fill it out with gravel. I
twisted in ice screws to anchor our tent.
My plan for success: carefully pace each To my delight, Siena wanted to play, not hang around
day. It helped that the heavy stuff went into my pack. And camp. “At this pace, I’m not tired,” she declared. So we
that ankle-high blueberry patches graced our route. We hiked up the glacier in search of a place to slide. Finally,
alternated talus and berries for 1,500 vertical feet, until we at the left edge of the rocky north face of Chamberlin, we
reached a green field: a carpet of moss, deep and soft as found a patch of ice where we could safely slide a couple
fresh snowfall, a living memory-foam mattress. dozen feet using a piece of ensulite pad. Siena was clearly
We pitched the tent and I left to scout the route ahead. I happy, enjoying her first day on crampons, looking forward
Sp e c i a l Ad ve r t is in g S e c t io n
theZONE
FEATURING THE FRESHEST
GEAR ON THE MARKET TODAY
Are you looking for the latest and greatest

gear for your next outdoor adventure? Here’s
a sneak peek at what’s new and what’s coming
from leading outdoor industry manufacturers.
A.T. Trail INOV-8

Marker ROCLITE 312 GTX® SHOE
The Roclite 312 GTX® shoe is a lightweight trail running
shoe with high levels of comfort and underfoot cushion-
ing. It’s ideal for hard compact
trails, training and long distance
running. Features include a
GORE-TEX® lining for water-
proof, breathable protection.
http://inov-8.com/
FREE CAMPMOR CATALOG

Everything you need for all your
outdoor adventures. Gear, clothing
and footwear for men, women
and kids. Visit our website at
www.campmor.com or call
TarmaDesigns.com 1-800-CAMPMOR (800.226.7667)
IS YOUR OLD BAG GIVING YOU NEW BALANCE 900

THE COLD SHOULDER? LA SPORTIVA
WILDCAT GTX ®
(WOMEN’S)
Take the chill off with a new MummyLiner™. sportiva.com
A stable neutral extremely well cushioned waterproof A performance multi-sport shoe with a waterproof breathable
trail running shoe with GORE-TEX ® product technology GORE-TEX® product technology for adventurous environments
Available at Outdoor & Travel Shops Nationwide to keep you comfortable in any weather condition. or for just getting around town on the weekend.
WWW.COCOONUSA.COM 1.800.254.7258

to her first night on a glacier. She
didn’t mention the climb.
Longs On the way back down to camp she
Knees Peak brought up a conversation she’d had
Take a earlier. Arlene had told Siena about the
time when we went for a short hike
Beating! near Hood River, where Siena was
born. Siena was perhaps a year old,
in a pack on my back, and we were
exploring a canyon near Arlene’s house.
As I reached onto the cliff and started
Dual Action Knee Strap climbing, still low to the ground, Arlene
reminded me about Siena, implying that
I might want to think about being more
careful. Still, I traversed across easy rock
above a deep pool of water. Because of
the water, I felt completely safe. Then
1-800-221-1601 a new feeling hit me partway across:
www.cho-pat.com TarmaDesigns.com an instant, paralyzing realization that
falling into the pool with Siena was a
horrible option. While we’d make it out
ck s 'R ' B et t e
Ja alive, the trauma and above all the loss
r
• Top Quality of trust that she’d feel would be utterly

Down Quilts inexcusable. I climbed out of there as if
we had a 2,000-foot drop below.
TM
Quilts, Hammocks & Hiking Gear
Made in USA
For All On the glacier above camp, Siena
Seasons reminded me of that conversation. “Until
today, I never thought that you had to
learn to be a dad,” she said, both amused
• Under Quilts To Fit and surprised. I told her there was a lot
Any Hammock to learn. I’m still learning now.
She followed up, “Have you been
surprised by how much I’ve changed
from when I was a baby until now?”
I didn’t understand the question, so I
dodged it. It seemed obvious that she’d
changed enormously, standing here at the
cusp of becoming a young woman. What
surprised me is what hasn’t changed: her
warmth with her family, her unflagging
consideration toward others, her subtle
humor, her sharp insight, her sparkling
smile, her quiet introversion, her love for
animals and good stories. Also, her need
• Worlds Only Lay Flat, for security, her worries for the future,
Lay Straight Hammock her competitiveness (usually handled
keep loved ones safe this holiday with grace), her high self-expectations
season by giving the gift of (and frustration when thwarted). These
• Ultra-light Tarps Yaktrax Ice Traction traits have been there since before she
could speak. Adele and I can only nudge
the course of their braiding strands,
• Miscellaneous trying to tame the ones that don’t help
Accessories her, nurturing those that do.
That evening in the tent, while we
www.jacksrbetter.com www.yaktrax.com
were reading, she unzipped the door
and exclaimed, “It’s kind of wild to be
in this enclosed little space—and then
open the door and it’s, ‘Wow!’”
In the morning, with good

weather, we started our summit bid.
Cresting the rocky ridge that we’d
follow all the way to the icy summit, we
discovered a cluster of Dall sheep beds
in the fine schist gravel. But Siena wasn’t
much interested in wildlife; on the ridge
we could see the dramatically steep
slope on the other side, which startled
her into a touch of vertigo.
It’s always easier looking up, and as
we scrambled along the crumbling ridge
we stayed preoccupied with finding
passage through short cliff bands that
broke up the boulderfields. After more
THROW BACK: FOR THE SECOND TIME
than an hour of this scrambling, we stopped for lunch. For “One of the IN 40 YEARS, THE AUTHOR TOSSES A
FRISBEE ON TOP OF MT. CHAMBERLIN.
me, rest stops demand a view, so I led us back to the crest
where an amazing ledge of ochre- and brick-colored shale mountain’s distance and not climb to the
jutted over a 1,000-foot plunge. On our left, the black scar of
Chamberlin’s rocky north face revealed its 2,000-foot profile.
biggest tricks summit!”
So I tell her not to worry
And way, way down below, a barely discernible speck of is to make about the slope in front of us:
yellow, our tent. Spectacular.
Siena ate with her back to the void and said, “You sure
you think it’s “One of a mountain’s biggest
tricks is to make you think
know how to pick ’em.” steeper than it it’s steeper than it really is.”
“Thanks,” I replied, before realizing it wasn’t a
compliment.
really is.” Then I explain with my hands
how something looks steep
That’s when I should have roped her up, right when you view it straight on, but from the side you see
after lunch. But I was focused more on her physical the true perspective. Things aren’t always as they seem, in
abilities—I knew she wouldn’t fall off the ridge—than her mountains or in life.
psychological needs, and I shamefully missed her requests Does she understand? I don’t know, but after we eat
to tie in. a snack and put on crampons, the tension eases. Our
Her tense grumpiness eases as I attach the rope to her waist. crampons crunch the ice as we move toward the summit.
Just being connected by a rope makes such a difference. It’s And then everything drops away on all sides and there’s no
a bond of trust and of teamwork, in addition to a sense of higher place to go.
security. We move together, 10 to 15 feet apart. A giant Yeeeehaaawww!!! rips from my throat as I turn
When our ridge finally merges into the main summit around to pull the rope. “Can you believe it?” I yell. “This
shoulder, I’m giddy about how close the top looks. This is it! The summit! This is incredible! We’re here! We’ve done
is the exact spot seen in my childhood Frisbee photo. So it! Yeeehaaawww!” Now I really am the happiest man-child
I’m surprised that Siena is again wearing her deeply pained on earth. I grab her and dance. I can’t help it. Though she’s
look, her eyes wet with barely repressed tears. I don’t know smiling and obviously relieved, Siena’s mouth still looks
what’s going on, so I hold her tight in a long hug. I assure tense, her true reaction hard to gauge. But my joy knows
her that she’s just tense from the recent scrambling. But no limit and it wants to be contagious. “You did it, you did
again, I’m clueless. She’s looking at the summit ridge, and it!” And I grab her again and hug tightly.
it scares the hell out of her. Then we break out the Frisbee. Siena and I toss it for a
“It’s so steep! I don’t know if I can do it.” while as she indulges my nostalgia. She’s smiling, happy to
I remind her that we don’t have to climb it, that we can have reached the top and amused at my antics, but I can
treat any point of the climb as our personal summit. That tell that something’s on her mind. The descent.
was our deal, and it still is. In a cracking voice, she replies, “Do you want to go down now?” I ask.
“But it will feel like such a waste to have come all this “Yeah,” she says.

eager to return, perhaps even in love with the Arctic. I
don’t yet know if I did the right thing by basing the trip
The next day, down at the lake, I on a mountain, rather than a lake. From my perspective,
ask Siena what’s wrong. Aside from the weather—we the challenge is the thing: It forces you to grow as you
experienced a powerful lightning storm in our glacier camp overcome it. I want this for Siena. And yet, it’s only down
and a drizzly hike down—the descent went smoothly and here at the lake that she sees the Arctic as I do: the vastness
we arrived safely at basecamp. of its horizons, the delicacy of its textures, the richness of
“I’m feeling rotten,” she says. “I’m dirty. My clothes its details—all framed by these magnificent mountains. It’s
are dirty. Everything is wet. This gray gloom. I’m cold. I like your soul expands to match the vastness.
haven’t slept well. I miss Mama. And everything feels hard. When I told Siena that this trip would be as much a
Everything is hard!” growing experience for me as for her, I had only a vague
I feel that hollowness that you get when your loved one idea of what that really meant. I’m still not sure. Will my
hurts and there’s nothing you can do to help. I can only life lesson be to indulge her or to push her? To accept or
try for words of comfort. to challenge?
“Yes, I miss Mama too. But isn’t it beautiful here? Do you feel
that glow of satisfaction from the amazing climb you just did?”
“Some. But this trip is sooo long. A backpacking trip After our pancakes-and-fishing layover,
would be good if it were a weekend or three or four days. we need to average seven miles per day—no trivial distance
We have so much more to go.” considering that Arctic tundra changes its stripes every few
That’s true. I’ve actually worried a lot more about the hundred yards, from smooth and dry to wet and boggy
second half of our two-week trip than the first half. We could to ankle-deep moss or ankle-spraining talus. Whenever
have turned around at any point on the mountain. We can’t possible we hike caribou paths, which appear and vanish
turn around on the hike out. But what she just accomplished intermittently. Where side valleys enter we cross fast-moving
on Chamberlin looms huge in my mind, if not in hers. streams. The creekside ritual is always the same: After
“You’re right,” I tell her. “It is a long time. But it takes time to changing into rubber wading slippers, I first carry my pack
feel comfortable on a trip like this. After a while you just start to across, then go back to carry Siena and hers.
feel like this is home, like you’re a part of the land. I think that On the second night we camp on a pass that must be
as soon as we get some sunshine you’ll feel a lot better.” a thoroughfare for caribou. Bands of bulls gather around
“If we ever get sunshine. It might rain the whole time.” the tent, wondering what the strange yellow object might
Siena sleeps 11 hours, finally waking to a few rays of be. When the wind shifts and they smell us, they toss
sun as they break through thinning clouds. We can see far their heads skyward and lope off, ankles clicking in that
beyond the lake, all the way to the Sadlerochit Mountains.
After an inspection of the old cabins a mile away (built in the Continued on page 95
1950s to house scientists), I ask Siena if she wouldn’t mind a
rest day. We’ll make pancakes on cast-iron skillets, sleep on
mattresses, fish, and recharge. Duh. Siena and I move down
the lakeshore, one cast at a time. Suddenly her rod doubles
over and the reel starts screaming. She carefully protects her
lightweight line, and eventually I can reach into the water
and shove a 34-inch lake trout onto the tundra. I work the
lure from its teeth, and then we slip the gorgeous creature
back into the water. I doubt I’ve ever seen Siena smile so
broadly. This is what she loves. Not high summits or long
hikes, but cool huts HOOKED: SIENA LANDS A WHOPPER—AND
and beautiful fish. DISCOVERS THE THRILL OF ARCTIC FISHING.
BELOW: A MOMENT OF LOW ANXIETY
I’m so happy
to give her this
moment, this free
PHOTO BY JOHN HARLIN III (FISH)
day at the lake, this

wolf-bitten glove.
It’s obvious that
if our two weeks
were spent here,
like this, she’d
be happier, more
RAINIER STORM SHELL DOWNLIGHT® SWEATER POINT SUCCESS JACKET
Wear this climbing, skiing or trekking for rain and snow 800 fill power premium northern European goose down. A versatile fleece for many activities. Polartec® Wind Pro®
protection. WeatherEdge® Pro 20K/20K waterproof/ The lightest, warmest insulation. Period. Wear it as a is 4 times more wind-resistant than regular fleece. Polartec®
breathable technology. www.firstascent.com layer or as a jacket..www.firstascent.com Power Stretch® at sides. www.firstascent.com
WEATHEREDGE® PRIMALOFT® JACKET POLARTEC®

MIDWEIGHT SHELL PrimaLoft® Sport insulation: a synthetic alternative to RECYCLED FLEECE VEST
Waterproof, breathable protection. Wear it alone for mild/ down. Provides superior performance even when it’s wet. Versatile layering for moderate cold. Made from Polartec®
wet weather, or add one of our insulating layers for colder www.eddiebauer.com Classic 200 recycled fabric. www.eddiebauer.com
or extreme conditions. www.eddiebauer.com
NISQUALLY™ SHELL LIGHTWEIGHT SOFT SHELL FRIDAY HARBOR™ JACKET

Serious weather protection. Waterproof. Breathable. Maximum comfort, maximum performance. Four-way Everyday reliability in a lightweight jacket. Waterproof/
Windproof. With 2.5-layer WeatherEdge®Plus and our stretch fabric delivers mobility and breathability. breathable WeatherEdge® technology keeps you dry. Fully
StormRepel™ durable water-repellent finish. Fully seam- StormRepel™ durable water-repellent finish helps keep you seam-sealed. Removable hood. Adjustable hem and cuffs.
sealed. Pit zips for venting. www.eddiebauer.com dry. Adjustable cuffs and hem. www.eddiebauer.com Multiple pockets for stowing gear. www.eddiebauer.com
SEE THE ENTIRE COLLECTION AT EDDIEBAUER.COM

THE OUTERWEAR EXPERTS SINCE 1920™
MOUNTAIN GUIDE JACKET DOWNLIGHT® SWEATER BAT HANG HOODIE

A mountain soft shell for all-around protection. 800 fill power premium northern European goose down. First or second layer in the cold. Doubles as outerwear
Windproof, water-resistant and highly breathable. Four-way The lightest, warmest insulation. Period. Wear it as a when you’re active. Stretch hood fits over or under a
stretch ensures mobility. www.firstascent.com layer or as a jacket..www.firstascent.com helmet. www.firstascent.com
NISQUALLY™ SHELL PRIMALOFT® JACKET POLARTEC®

Waterproof, breathable and packable. Perfect for city PrimaLoft® Sport insulation: a synthetic alternative to RECYCLED FLEECE JACKET
streets or alpine adventures. Lightweight ripstop nylon with down. Provides superior performance even when it’s wet. Versatile layering for moderate cold. Made from Polartec®
our high-performance, 2.5-layer WeatherEdge®Plus for www.eddiebauer.com Classic 200 recycled fabric. www.eddiebauer.com
protection from the elements. www.eddiebauer.com
NISQUALLY™ TRENCH GIRL ON THE GO™ BELTED TRENCH THE CHRISTINE TRENCH
Great style meets high performance. Ripstop nylon, with Fully seam-sealed with WeatherEdge® waterproof/breathable Simple. Classic. And our best-selling trench. Cotton/poly
our waterproof/breathable, 2.5-layer WeatherEdge® Plus construction, for complete protection from wind and rain. shell in a wide range of colors. Fully lined and
barrier against the elements. Lightweight. Packable. Removable hood. Fully lined double-layer nylon shell with water-repellent. Back gusset unbuttons for ease of
Zip-off hood. www.eddiebauer.com feminine princess seams. www.eddiebauer.com movement. www.eddiebauer.com
SEE THE ENTIRE COLLECTION AT EDDIEBAUER.COM

HELP WANTED/EMPLOYMENT
YOUR GUIDE FOR OUTDOOR PRODUCTS

Spoil her with a
CAMP WALT WHITMAN A Co-ed
Summer Camp in NH’s White Mountains,
R
seeks hiking and camping trip leaders.
Must be 21+ and have experience with
this Valentine’s Day children. Apply online www.campwalt.com
or email kathryn@campwalt.com
ACCESSORIES/EQUIPMENT
UNIQUE SHELTER: MAKES CAMPING FUN,

EVEN IF IT RAINS!
Shelters family size tent from Sun, Wind,
Rain, creates LARGE porch. Fast Setup,
Self-Supporting, Compact Storage, Light
theoriginalraincamp.com
ADVENTURES
S t
CLASSIFIEDS
L
R b V l
EASTERN STATES
APPALACHIAN TRAIL ADVENTURES:
Sh
Choose from hundreds of great PJs and Affordable hiking vacations in the Green
lingerie. Every PajamaGram comes with
lavender bath confetti, gift card, and do
Mountains of Vermont. Starting at $183.00
not disturb sign, delivered in a beautiful per night, includes accommodations, three
MARKETPLACE
hatbox. ALL FREE! meals, and guides. Massages and yoga are
extra. 888-855-8655 or
Valentine’s Day delivery guaranteed www.appalachiantrailadventures.com
Send a gift you’ll both love!
1.800.GIVE PJs WESTERN STATES
BIG WILD ADVENTURES Backpack

Yellowstone, Tetons, Wind Rivers, Canyon
Country, Alaska and more. Canoeing, too.
Small groups, professional guide/naturalist.
Since 1978. 222 Tom Miner Creek Road,
Emigrant, MT 59027, 406-848-7000
www.bigwildadventures.com
ALASKA
GUIDED ALASKA ADVENTURE VACATIONS

Endurance since 1998! Hike, raft, backpack and kayak
in Alaska’s NATIONAL PARKS. Explore
Denali, Lake Clark, Katmai and more. SMALL
Strength groups, EXPERT guides, GOURMET meals.
877-525-2577
www.AlaskaAlpineAdventures.com
Speed ALASKA’S WRANGELL-ST.ELIAS
NATIONAL PARK Trek North America’s
CLASSIFIEDS
HGH replacements and
version of the Himalayas. Fly-in alpine
Testosterone replacements
base-camping, day hikes and backpacking,
No Prescription Needed wilderness river rafting. Full information
www.phd10.com HELP WANTED/EMPLOYMENT and photos at our website.
Wrangell Mountain Air. 800-478-1160,
1-800-914-6559 SUMMER IN MAINE! Co-ed, Maine sum- www.WrangellMountainAir.com
for brochure mer camps seek Outdoor Camping, Climb-
ing, Mountain Biking, Ropes Course Staff. NEW YORK
Must love working with children. Salary,
room, board, travel included. Apply:
TO A DV ERTIS E I N www.thelaurelcamps.com, LOOKING FOR A SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO
THECLASSIFIEDS
staff@camplaurel.com, 800-327-3509. POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SYNTHETIC
REPELLENTS? 45ºN 68ºW INSECT
MEN/WOMEN For North Carolina moun- REPELLENT has no harmful chemicals.
CONTACT tain camps. Backpacking, climbing, pad- Personal Protection for the Outdoors
dling, biking, riding, sailing staff needed. Enthusiast, buy at Amazon.com.
ZACH WATSON 303.625.1608 800-688-5789. www.mondamin.com www.45N68W.com
zwatson@backpacker.com or www.greencove.com www.AlaskaAlpineAdventures.com

YOUR GUIDE FOR OUTDOOR TRAVEL
Have an adventure while giving

something back! Challenge yourself with
a WV trip: trail repair, revegetation, fence
removal, campsite restoration. More than
45 projects ranging from the Olympics,
Denali, Escalante, Acadia and Hawaii.
7-day trips: $259.
www.wildernessvolunteers.org
ADVENTURES
Glacier National Park, Montana

Hiking
Wildlife
Lodges/Motor Inns
Campstores
Dining
Ahh, no cell phones
Make your unplugged vacation today!
Glacier Park, Inc.

(406) 892-2525
glacierparkinc.com Glacier Park, Inc. is a concessioner authorized by the National Park
Service to serve the public in Glacier National Park.
Reservations, Videos, Maps, Stories, Itineraries, and more online!

Higher Love In the morning, while the ladies are Fish Story
Continued from page 89 still sleeping, I steal out of the tent Continued from page 79
to visit the tundra. I lie on my belly
distinctive caribou style. From the to explore its miniature intricacy, the agility of a wounded musk ox.
pass we drop into the Franklin Creek layered little worlds that you can only On our last night out, we dig into
drainage, which we’ll follow for three see if you get down at nose level and our first salmon dinner. Glenn has
days before turning up the Canning look closely. Lichens three inches tall baked thick steaks carved from the
River to reach our airstrip. form an understory to heather only silvers in foil with herbs and butter,
Barely 200 yards below the pass, two inches taller. Six-inch blueberry and we wonder how we’ll ever be able
Siena becomes grumpy because her “bushes” tower over moss so thick to eat store-bought again. After dinner,
pack keeps bumping her lower back. and lush that my elbows disappear we lick fish grease from our fingers,
I offer to help, but she gives me in its folds. You can see as much in a too stuffed to get up and wash, too
an exasperated shrug, dismissing the square yard of such tundra as in an acre tired to worry much about bears.
possibility of improvement. I react anywhere else. Across the valley a band The next morning, a boat takes us
with equal exasperation. By now she’s of little puff clouds breaks off from the back to , and we clean up for
proven herself and knows the score. Canning and streams up Franklin Creek our flight to Anchorage. “We’re spoiled
Enough with the princess syndrome. at caribou speed. The cloud formation now,” Gerry muses as we shave off
“We can try to adjust the pack,” I tell flows up the valley, all the way to the 10 days of stubble. “We should hand
her, “but we know your attitude can pass that we crossed, hangs out for a in our rods—there’s no way it can
be adjusted. That part is up to you.” while, then slides back to the Canning ever get better than this.” He’s joking,
After a brief standoff, she lets me and disappears. They look alive, these I think, but he has a point: Try to
tackle the problem. I cut one of our clouds. I remember them from past replicate any great adventure, and you
ensulite pads to add cushion, and the Arctic trips, like old friends. risk ruining the memory.
bumping abates. Siena wakes up in a great mood. Our Yet he’s wrong, too. Gazing at a map
A few miles later, we spot a mother bluff-top campsite is glorious. Her pack of Alaska tacked across the lodge’s
grizzly and two cubs—fortunately, on feels light. After only a couple of miles living room wall, I recall what Frank
the other side of the valley. Just of hiking, she declares, “Let’s cover said—and count hundreds of rivers and
specks, really, but binoculars reveal some distance today!” And we do. mountains where new plans will take
what they’re doing: digging up roots At our daily fast-water stream root. Gerry sidles over, then James and
and ground squirrels, stripping currant crossing, I’m packing my camera into Steve, and soon we’re plotting another
berries from bushes. We’ve been filling its waterproof bag and rigging my adventure. And in that moment, standing
baggies with huckleberries ourselves. shoelaces to suspend boots around there with my oldest friends, fresh from
At the end of the day, as we’re my neck, so I can cross before I the best trip of our lives, I realize that
going to bed, Siena tells me, “Daddy, I attend to Siena. When I look up, what I love about Alaska is that it’s big
thought this was going to be a bad day, I’m startled to see that she’s halfway enough, and wild enough, to nourish
but it turned out to be a good one.” across the stream, trekking poles the fantasies that sustain people like us.
She seems at last to be submerging braced against the rushing current. I don’t know when we’ll enjoy another
into the journey, accepting and maybe Then the water washes up to her trip as extraordinary as the
even welcoming it. She’s hiking strong knees, causing her to wobble; my River, but I know it’s possible. And if
and sure, easily managing campsite stomach clenches and I nearly jump it takes another 30 years? So be it. I’m
rituals. We’re reaching our daily into the creek. Suddenly I’m angry perfectly happy to daydream.
mileage goals, which lowers the stress, that she didn’t wait for me to help.
as does the prospect of nearing Mama But she steadies herself, finding her Jonathan Dorn lives in Boulder, CO.
and home. But I see more. In the little balance. A few more steps and she’s
details of the long trek out, I see her across. As she turns to face me, I see
confidence rising daily, and with it her the expression on her face—not tense BACKPACKER (ISSN 0277-867X) is published nine times a
appreciation for our surroundings. anymore, but interested, expectant, year (January, March, April, May, June, August, September,
October and November) by Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc., 475
“I have a question for you,” she assured. She smiles and waits patiently Sansome St., Suite 850, San Francisco, CA 94111; sub-
scriptions are $29.98 per year in the U.S., $42.98 CDN
continues. She likes to bedevil me for me to follow. in Canada, $42.00 elsewhere (surface mail). Periodicals
postage paid at San Francisco, CA and additional mail-
with “choose this or that” questions. ing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
BACKPACKER, PO Box 50022, Boulder, CO 80322-0022.
“Would you rather carry the food or Contributing editor John Harlin’s latest GST #R122988611. BACKPACKER publications, including
carry me?” book, The Eiger Obsession: Facing GearFinder®, Waypoints®, and Adventure Travel®, are
registered trademarks of Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. © 2008
This one is easy. “I’d rather carry the the Mountain That Killed My Father Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Volume 38,
Issue 274, Number 2, March 2010. Subscribers: If the
food,” I tell her, “and know you can (The Lyons Press), explores his family’s postal authorities alert us that your magazine is undeliver-
able, we have no further obligation unless we receive a
walk on your own.” mountain roots. corrected address within 2 years.
Eye
in the
Sky WIN! Tell us the name of this desert park for a

chance to win an Osprey Manta 25 daypack.
Contest rules at backpacker.com/skyeye. Entries
are due by February 17.
Satellite image by GeoEye
Twisted 227 350

Number of desert
114,900
Flow, in cfs, recorded
in the park’s premier 2
Sisters Total trail miles in
the park. Almost
69,000 people
backpacked here
bighorn sheep in the
park, up from a low
of just 100 in 1964.
Reintroduction
whitewater canyon
in 1984—the high-
est in more than a
century. Treacherous
Percent of visitors
who raft either of
the park’s two rivers.
Even fewer attempt
The rafters and backpackers who in 2008 (most programs since the class V rapids form the park’s infamous
come to this desert landscape are the popular month park’s inception anytime the flow whitewater run: a
latest in a long line of visitors that has was October; least have helped boost tops 50,000 cfs. 15-mile stretch of
included ancient hunter-gatherers and popular, January). their numbers. class III to V rapids
19th-century cowboys. The dramatic There are just 21 Hikers should also 7,000 that come in the
park also features 527 square miles of designated camp- keep an eye out Age, in years, of the middle of a classic
redrock canyons, mesas, and buttes. sites, but extensive for collared lizards, oldest pictographs 90-mile, five-day
Use these clues to guess the name of at-large camping kangaroo rats, and found on the park’s trip that includes 49
the park that includes these twin rivers. zones ensure that midget faded rattle- best-known panel miles of flatwater
you’ll find solitude. snakes. of rock art. paddling.
+ ////// NOVEMBER ISSUE ANSWER Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia WINNER Pamela Hansen, Tiffin, OH


Backpacker (March 2010)

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Backpacker (March 2010)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ULTIMATE ROCKIES THE TOP TRAILS, VIEWS,

PEAKS, AND CAMPSITES

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

UTM 11T 0665397E 4876679N

Whiteﬁsh, mapped by our contributors.

20 With 3,000 miles of world-class alpine scenery in M;;A;D:

From New Mexico to Canada, the continent’s most

unforgettable adventure. Where to start? With this ]ejWm[[a[dZ5IWcfb[j^[X[ije\j^[

complete guide to the best weekend and weeklong

Our ’Daks junkie dishes on the best 24

peaks, waterfalls, and campsites.

29 RIP & GO WEEKEND ADVENTURES

most exciting Fourteener. Hike Utah’s unknown long trail. Our

44 THE MANUAL SPRING SNOWFIELD 48

Cross the steeps safely and avoid ava-

torrent without getting swept away. Mhed]$BWijikcc[h"ekh

48 HEALTH HIKE FAR, FEEL BETTER \eh[l[ho^_a[hWdZXkZ][j$

Double your mileage with our training 60 60 60

plan. Recover with four healthy snacks. 62

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ACTIVE INTEREST MEDIA

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

Natural thermal regulation works with

COME SEE US AT...

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

SWEET DESTINY: THE FINGER OF FATE

UTM 11T 0663235E 4876719N

10 BACKPACKER 03.2010 PHOTO BY CHAD CASE / IDAHO STOCK IMAGES

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

UTM 11T 0665397E 4876679N

south along the Glade Creek Trail.) Hike 10

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

UTM 12T 0512795E 4983558N

MAP DATUM: WGS 84 03.2010 BACKPACKER 15

FACE UP: STARTING AT CHASM

UTM 12T 0544411E 4513106N

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

HIGH WATER MARK: PLAN AN OVERNIGHT

UTM 13S 0272622E 4182262N

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

PHOTOS BY (FROM LEFT) JAMES KAY; TOM TILL / AGE FOTOSTOCK;

DEREK MOGENSEN; LAURENCE PARENT

Help and SOS buttons give access to

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

Take a 60-meter rope and cams to three

HELP PROTECT WHAT YOU LOVE

* Based upon national consumer sales of non-recycled

WE’RE DOING OUR PART YOU CAN HELP

WWW.TEDVILLAIRE.COM; GEORGE WUERTHNER;

+ /// MAPS ///

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

NAVAJO LAKE TRAIL, CO MULESHOE RANCH, AZ AMICALOLA FALLS SP, GA

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

Natural Three treks

Colorado’s Tallest Frozen Waterfall

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com

Follow your own path in Texas. To take this vacation or plan

© 2010 Ofﬁce of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism. JPFB10

www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com