Ideas please for a two-week-ish hike

So you have 8 weeks but you want to hike for about 2 weeks is that correct? I guess it depends on your goals and comfort level. Here are a couple ideas I'll rattle off in no particular order

Go to Alaska! You have two weeks and you are flying so go to someplace like Denali or the Brooks Range.

Fly to Jackson Hole Wyoming. You could spend a week hiking in the Tetons then rent a car and go see Yellowstone. Or you could do the Tetons and the Wind Rivers and skip YNP. Or you could spend some or all of two weeks in the Absaroka Beartooth range (mostly in Montana). All of these are grizzly country FYI, if that makes you nervous go elsewhere, remember its supposed to be FUN. While there you can also rent a packraft or canoe and float park of the Snake River.

I never bothered to hike in the Sierras but I'm sure the JMT would be a blast if you could get permits and don't mind the crowds.

Glacier Park is nice (only day hiked it) but getting permits to spend 2 weeks there might be problematic. With a flexible schedule though you could plan a week of hiking and spend some time floating the Flathead with a packraft (you can rent them from a couple place now).

PM me if you head for the northern rockies. I should be there a big chunk of this summer so maybe we could meet up.

You could always try the Superior Hiking Trail along Lake Superior. Spring= more water while fall=lessbugs and great color.

The JMT would be a bit problematic within the parameters you set out (8-12 mi/day and 14 days would not get you the full length of the JMT – 211+11). 15 mi/day will get it done in 14.8 days, but you'd have no near-os or zeros, which would be less pleasant.

JMT permits are increasingly difficult to get, and the logistics (for someone flying in) are very awkward. It's within the realm of possibility, but it would be a PITA. [On a side note, if you get a permit and need help figuring out transport (flying into SF or Reno), buses vs. shuttle services, etc., feel free to PM me].

But there are still lots of hikes in the Sierras that would be great… maybe you could explore some of the lesser-known, less crowded passes (like Taboose), or string together some shorter hikes in the Mammoth Lakes area.

"JMT permits are increasingly difficult to get, and the logistics (for someone flying in) are very awkward. It's within the realm of possibility, but it would be a PITA. [On a side note, if you get a permit and need help figuring out transport (flying into SF or Reno), buses vs. shuttle services, etc., feel free to PM me]."

Why not start the JMT farther south, say Mammoth, or even Piute/Bishop Passes? That way you could hike the best part of the trail, have no problem getting a permit(at least for Piute Pass), and be able to take a few zero days to just enjoy the beauty around you.

"But there are still lots of hikes in the Sierras that would be great… maybe you could explore some of the lesser-known, less crowded passes (like Taboose), or string together some shorter hikes in the Mammoth Lakes area."

Taboose Pass gives access to some beautiful country alright, but I don't think it's the pass you'd want to try for your first hike in the Sierra. Pine Creek or Piute Passes farther north also lead to some beautiful country and are a bit less unforgiving, as are Cottonwood and Kearsarge Passes near Lone Pine. Note: These are all East Side approaches that involve relatively high altitude in a short distance. There are other options on the West Side that would get you into some nice places with altitude gain right off the bat, Roads End in KCNP, Crescent Meadow in Sequoia NP, Tuolumne Meadow in Yosemite NP, to name a few.

Fax in an app for the Wonderland trail. I wish I could take two weeks to do it. Would be worth some 3-5 mile days to spend wandering there.

Part of the JMT would be a great choice if you can get permits. If you don't mind off trail travel the Sierra high route might be a good one. I have flown into Las Vegas and Fresno to hike that area.

If you want more solitude but don't want as much off trail as the Sierra high route, wind
River range is great. You could easily put together two weeks there if you don't mind an occasional off trail jaunt to link some of the best stuff together. Permits are not an issue there.

You can always get permits for the SIerra–just not necessarily exactly the permit you want. You could start hiking north of Yosemite and hike down through the park quite easily (Leavitt Meadows, for example, in the Hoover Wilderness, has self-issued permits and is two or three days hike from Tuolumne Meadows.) Mono Meadows in Yosemite usually has space on its quota all summer long…and would lead you into Illilouette Canyon and either the Little Yosemite Valley or Red Peak Pass…both of which could lead you towards a big chunk of the JMt…

If you want to go for a "big name" trail you can count on a lot more people and more difficult permits.

If you want to go for a great hike in the Sierra it's ridiculously easy to find a way to do that without encountering huge numbers of people, and with very easy and convenient permits.

Only thing I'd add on the JMT portion of the Sierra is that I would STRONGLY recommend joing the Yahoo JMT group if you're looking to go that route. One of the side effects of the permit changes for this year (I hiked last year and can't speak to how it's working) seems to be that a large percentage of the permit applicants have been unsuccessful. As a result, the group has become a treasure trove of alternate routes and information for the surrounding area- you might find something that works equally as well and gives you a bit of an easier time with the permitting process.

You can't go wrong with the Wind River Range. As mentioned, fly into Jackson Hole and shuttle, rent a car, or find a ride share/hiking partner from there. I did a trip like Luke mentioned (Winds, Tetons, Yellowstone) last summer and had a great time.

Regarding the JMT permits are indeed hard to get – took me 2 weeks), but don't let that stop you from trying. The logistics of getting to Yosemite/from Whitney aren't too difficult, just tedious and slow (plane>train>train>bus

If you do the winds I recommend flying into Salt Lake City as it about half the price of Jackson and only a two hour or so farther drive. If you are going to the Tetons flying into Jackson is more appealing.

JMT permits go up for reservation 24 weeks in advance. So the traditional trailheads are most likely full for your window of time. In addition, there is now a Donahue pass quota, so using a non-traditional trailhead is not going to help.

HOWEVER… you could detour Donahue and skip Yosemite valley. Or just start somewhere after donahue. Good luck picking a route!

Could you be clearer on your time frame? A lot of of the ideas that I am seeing here are doable but challenging in June, depending on the snow year, and don't really open up until July. I was going to suggest the North Cascades using the Lake Chelan ferry for access but if you are talking March, April or May that is a no go.

If you can take some time in the next two months, I'd look at flying into Vegas and doing something in southern Utah. You can use the online permit system to see what's available in the Needles (Canyonlands NP), which is a good place to start. Do a trip in Escalante as a next step up.

If you're looking at summer the Sierras or Winds would be my first choice. You've seen a bit of Glacier, so either would compliment that.

In general, going to a more popular/populous destination is a good idea for your first solo. Makes it psychologically easier.

I have to say, if I had 8 weeks free I'd very seriously consider using 6 of them to hike the Colorado Trail.

But two weeks would be a VERY pleasant Wonderland Trail hike. That would be my vote. It's a loop, so no worries about a shuttle. Pretty much perfect for what you're considering.

I'd also consider scouting a 100-mile hike on Isle Royale. I think a route of appropriate length could be done, though you'd pretty much cover the whole island.

I've always wanted to hike the Olympic National Park coast from Queets to Cape Alava. Might be a bit short- 73 miles?- but I'd definitely consider it. And adding a hike across the Makah reservation to Cape Flattery might lengthen that, though you'd need a permit from the tribe. You need to watch the tide to time crossing some sections, to the point that you only have a few hours on either side of low tide to cross some sections. Here's a link:

http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/wilderness-coast.htm

I'm not sure how you'd do the shuttle, though, unless someone offered to shuttle you.

Off the wall, here, but I've also always wanted to kayak the Wilderness Waterway through Everglades NP, from Everglades City to Flamingo. 100 miles. Best done right now, though, not in the summer.

Eight weeks off?

Why not think big? Annapurna trail in Nepal takes two weeks, plus you can fly in to New Dheli and spent a few more days or weeks bumming around. The first dry season is around the corner I think.

If you can swing the air fare, everything gets cheap once you get there. A two or three week tourist visa can be had from the royal Nepalese embassy in DC for something like $30.

The Collegiate Loop on the CT/CDT would be a pretty good fit: about 160 miles, incredible scenery, good high-country fishing, 14er opportunities, hot springs. The trail could be accessed by taking a bus from DIA to Buena Vista and then getting a ride from an outfitter or hitch hiking.

Thanks for all the great ideas! That is a lot to think about.

I see that I might not have been clear about when my time off is. I have to take 8 weeks off between now and the end of the year. The vacation time itself can be taken whenever (well somewhat – I'm forced to take 5 days by the end of March, and I have 3 days scheduled in April, then there is my usual trip back to TN around mother's day, and I'll save some for the Christmas holidays and a few other things).

I have considered New Zealand, and Nepal is another great idea, though I think I would enjoy that type of trip a lot more if I had a travel partner. My thought was to get permit applications in to some places that require them before the deadlines and then make final decisions later depending on what permits I get/ whether I decide to go out of country. It seems like for my first solo, two weeks should be plenty, and it would be less overwhelming overall to plan something in the US.

You've given me good stuff to work with. Thanks, and I'll check back when I start to narrow things down.

I'm in a similar situation – I get a lot of paid time off but can only roll over half each year, and can't take it all in one chunk. And it's impossible to take much if any while school is in session. So it's easy to lose weeks of PTO in any given year.

Given the time for travel and decompression afterward, a two week vacation is about 10-12 days on the trail. The Wonderland Trail sounds terrific for this, or a section of the AT in Maine. July is probably better for both, or even early August.

Good luck and have fun with it.

For march backpacking, think about grand gulch in southern Utah. Near blanding Utah. Lots of info on the net, or my blog.

Another march route is Grand Canyon. Also havisu canyon. Olympic beach hike in Washington. Check nick Gatel's blog for other desert hikes for march.

July aug September trips:

You could spend any amount of time in the Winds. they are wonderful, and you register on the trail. Cirque of towers, titcombe basin are popular, otherworldly beautiful. .
Sawtooths of Idaho, very nice, no permits needed.

White clouds of Idaho, a local secret gem, better than the sawtooths in some ways, no permits needed. Fly in to boise, rent a car.

Unitas of Utah, high elevation, lots of lakes, good fishing, solitude available off the main trails.

Washington:

Stevens pass to snoqualmie pass
Stevens to white pass
Stevens pass to Canadian border on pct
Alpine lakes area of the cascades
Holden village on lake chelan to darrington, crossing the cascades

So for the Wonderland Trail option, some of you mentioned taking some side trips with the extra time that I would have. What would you recommend? Are these daytrips that you would take based from the same campground (i.e. return to the same campsite that night), or do you mean side trips that would be short enough to still get to the next site (but a close site that might otherwise be skipped)? Is it even possible to reserve the same campsite two nights in a row on the WT?

Any itenerary suggestions are welcome! (I see that this thread should have been in the Trip Planning forum, but it is here now.)

Also, any suggestions on time of year? Snow was light this year, correct, so I might be able begin my window a little earlier than usual, perhaps? But then there are the mosquitos. On the other hand, nothing prevents me from going after Labor Day – I expect that it might be less crowded then, cheaper flights, etc., with a somewhat increased chance of rain.

Thanks!

Hi Stephen,

I've hiked parts of the Wonderland in August where it dumped on me. I hiked all of it in early September last year in six days and had blue bird skies every day.

It's likely that I'll hike some of it, all of it again, or the Northern Loop which connects with the Wonderland this summer. I may be in a position to help you out logistically so feel free to PM me and we'll see if the planets line up.

Take the spray park alternate route.

Try to get Indian Bar and/or Summerland.

Skip Devils Dream if you can.

Plenty of people hike it in two weeks but that's a really long time and a lot of food to carry between caches.

I'd opt to hike the Wonderland one week, and the PCT between Snoqualmie and Stevens Pass (70+ miles I haven't hiked yet) the following week with a small break in between or the section between white pass and chinook pass (30 miles I have hiked) for a relaxed but pretty hike. There's a shuttle service based out of Leavenworth for the Stevens to Snoqualmie section.

The Spray Park alternate is indeed worth it. (I've done Mother Mountain Loop and the SP/Seattle Park is the best part of it). As for side trips, think of it as wandering out to see a meadow, or a lake, while hiking. Or the Natural Bridge. Or a better view of a glacier. Maybe taking the side trip at Indian Henry's to Mirror Lake and then beyond to Pyramid Peak…. Or just wallowing around a camp area because you have the time (like enjoying the whole scenery of Indian Bar or Summerland for a few extra hours).
There is always something extra to do – just let the eyes wander.