Backpacking in the west can be physically challenging and logistically belittling to the uninitiated however don’t let that stop you! The rewards of this exploration are worth the hardship.
Featured Routes
Guides to wilderness routes suitable for a lightweight backpacking style that include some of the author's experience and perspective, a few equipment notes, along with route and planning logistics to consider.
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The California Crest: a northbound mental map
An author and composer writes a music suite based off his memories on the PCT.
Six Packraft Loops in the Bob Marshall Wilderness
The Bob Marshall Wilderness is home to some of the best wilderness packrafting in the lower 48 with options for novices and experts alike. Explore this beautiful country just remember to be mindful of our responsibility to care for this land.
The Timberline Trail
Similar to its cousin, the Wonderland Trail which circumnavigates Mt. Rainier, the Timberline Trail traces the shadow of Mt. Hood and makes for a spectacular journey.
Yosemite Adventures
Yosemite is a wild place and has incredible wilderness opportunities for hikers, climbers, and skiers.
The Massanutten Ridges of Virginia
Just a stones throw form the DC metropolitan area, the Massanutten Trail offers outstanding views and challenges for new and experienced backpackers alike.
The 2012 Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic
Is this the longest, toughest, roughest or hardest? The beauty of it is that at the finish no one knew or cared. Every competitor was left with indelible experiences, challenges accepted and honestly won or lost. Each had started with a clean slate and had accomplished every step in the wilderness through their own efforts. -Adrian Crane, writing about the Classic in Ultrarunning (1986)
With a Capital C: My 2011 Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic
Race report, gear and food, and, for the really ambitious, pointers for entering a wilderness race.
7 Myths about the Continental Divide Trail
At first glance, doing a round-trip (a yo-yo) on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) seems like a waste. Why not hike a different trail instead of hiking the same one two times? However, unlike the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, the CDT is never the same trail twice.
Brutality, Beauty, and the Day I Could Have Died on the Continental Divide Trail
The CDT is off-the-charts gorgeous, a great challenge, and it is my favorite of the big three long-distance trails. However, as with the Pacific Crest and Appalachian Trails, the CDT is not without its tricky areas.