Best backpacking in your area

"I was thinking the east side of the crest rather than the west side."

They are still a good source of info, especially about snow and stream conditions. They cover a lot of ground. How FAR east, BTW? If it's martens, fishers, bob cats, etc you're looking for, you might do better up in the NE corner of the state, near the Idaho Border. Might even see a griz.

Griz? Now we're talking. Unfortunately, that would require me to carry my bear spray along with the camera gear.

Griz and mountain lions could get a little dangerous. However, martens, fishers, lynx, wolverines, and minks can be photogenic without the danger.

As far as the North Cascades, it appears that most normal visitors approach from the west side, so the Marblemount ranger station would make sense. It appears that more animal studies happen east of the crest toward Mazama, kind of away from the people. I don't know.

Rather than heading out on some week-long trail backpack, I am much more likely to go in someplace five miles from the road, set up camp, and then photograph the furry critters nearby. The weight of the camera gear prohibits getting too adventurous.

–B.G.–

"As far as the North Cascades, it appears that most normal visitors approach from the west side, so the Marblemount ranger station would make sense."

Yes. If you are coming in from the west you wouldn't be wasting your time to stop in for a chat. They a pretty knowledgable bunch, and passionate about the wilderness in a way that few other ranger station are, IME. They're just off Highway 20 in Marblemount.

"It appears that more animal studies happen east of the crest toward Mazama, kind of away from the people. I don't know."

This is true, although the majority of them seem to head even further east, especially to the area that includes the Selkirk Range. The whole northeastern corner of Washington has a reputation for being a good place for wildlife viewing. A lot of it has been logged over and is now in the process of regenerating, which means a lot of cover and food for the little critters, which in turn attract the big critters. You might want to check out Wikipedia's writeup on the Selkirks. It has a section on the fauna that will give you an idea of the possibilities, and also may put your mind at rest about the likelihood of running into a griz. In general, Eastern Washington doesn't get quite as much snow as the Cascades, which means you would have a better chance of getting 5 miles off road than further west in late May-early June, especially if you are hauling a heavy load. Mazama is just south of The Pasayten Wilderness and a couple thousand feet lower. I think you might have a hard time driving up to Harts Pass, the closest entry point to the Pasayten from Mazama, at that time of year. Remember, PCT hikers headed south starting around June 1, usually start on snow. If you do decide to try that area, it would be a good idea to call ahead to one of the local establishments to find out if the roads are clear, snow conditions higher up, etc. I've included one good place to call below. Good luck, Bob. If you get the right conditions, it's a beautiful area to spend some time with a camera, or without for that matter.

Mazama Store. 50 Lost River Road, Mazama, WA 98833. Phone: 509-996-2855.

At the last time that I was up that direction, it was east toward Kalispell MT, but it was early November. The good news is that the furbearing animals have their winter coats by then, so they tend to look bushy. The bad news is that you can't find them then if there has been any hunting season. For 2011, I am trying to do things in different seasons other than the prime season. I'll just have to research it more.

The griz can be quite exciting, but I prefer to photograph them somewhere where they have lots of normal prey, e.g. Yellowstone or Katmai.

I keep hoping to find a wolverine some day, but they are very elusive. Plus, they refuse to pose for a camera.

OTOH, if gasoline prices continue to climb, I may be stuck in California for our furry friends, and I would not have to carry bear spray.

–B.G.–

I live in the Las Vegas valley and the nearby Spring Mountains are great for backpacking, though by July water sources are few and far betwewen, necessitating that you carry enough for for a day's walk. If you backpack in April you'll find abundant snow patches in the shady areas and you can melt the snow, therefore giving you many more choices for a campsite.

My favorite trail is the Spring Mountain Divide/Bonanza Peak trail with it's ONE water hole at Wood Spring near Bonanza Peak. The scenery is spectacular, virtually Yosemite-like. While the Mojave Desert below is boiling in 100+ F. temperatures I'm hiking in temps in the 80s F. up in these mountains at 8,000 to 10,000 feet. (Yeah, it's "breathtaking" at those altitudes.:-)

Tom –

Thank you for the additional information about the safest of the "off trail" routes – this will come in handy for planning. I really look forward to exploring the area further – it seems to me that it is an area that is long on wilderness, but rather underutilized by the backpacking community at large save for a few places. (Which is really fine by me, but I am amazed at how few people I see in this area.) I love the Glacier Peak and Pasayten wildernesses, just wish I had more time to explore!

Dirk

"Thank you for the additional information about the safest of the "off trail" routes – this will come in handy for planning. I really look forward to exploring the area further – it seems to me that it is an area that is long on wilderness, but rather underutilized by the backpacking community at large save for a few places. (Which is really fine by me, but I am amazed at how few people I see in this area.) I love the Glacier Peak and Pasayten wildernesses, just wish I had more time to explore!"

Dirk,

My pleasure. We share a common love for a beautiful area, and I am delighted to be able to help you explore further. Keep your eye out for information on when the Suiattle River Road opens. It is the gateway to a number of the hikes in "Rocks and Routes", as well as the Buckindy Snowking Traverse, and has been closed for the last 4 years now due to bridge washouts. They are supposed to start work on it this spring, IIRC. A good place to get the latest info is the Darrington RS.

Have a great season,

Tom

Tom

I'm in So Cal, too, specifically near the Los Padres forest.

As was said earlier, most people tend to hike the Manzana trail or Sisquoc River. Additionally many tend to hike the Sespe Creek, especially because of the hot springs.

I'm particularly fond of the Sespe Wilderness lately. There are some big trees and relatively high elevations above 5000ft. It has a raw wildness to it. The earth seems recently upheaved. There are much fewer people overall here than most of the big name places and all you have to do is go further than 10 miles and you will be alone.

I live/backpack in Bloomington, Indiana at the Charles C. Deam Wilderness on Lake Monroe.

There is a lot of trail here, and by Indiana standards quite a few nice views. This area is unlike the rest of the state, seemingly untouched (again by hoosier standards). It is a true wilderness, no man made structures and plenty of well maintained trails by mule and sled (no wheels allowed).

But I think true back country sites any number of which 5 to 8 hours from Indiana are better including two of my favorite areas, SBD and the UP during the 3 seasons. The Deam is a great place on weekends but nearly impossible to avoid the noise of nearby Bloomington during the school year and somewhat from memorial to labor day. I still enjoy it as a quick get away from Indiana many weekends out of the year. For what it is, I consider it the best backpacking in Indiana.

P.S. Bring your boat during the right time of year and enjoy an expedition on the lake to the nearby caves and abundant fishing coves. It is a hard lake to fish but can yield the most rewarding results of any lake in Indiana. I often sail my Hobie 16 across the massive lake and spend a couple nights camping/hiking from base camp at the Deam. Try it some time! Just remember its a choppy murky churned up lake a couple months out of the year, so be prepared if you show up on the wrong day with your boat and paddle!

I live in north Alabama, and a lot of folks here gravitate to the Sipsey Wilderness (as will I next week), but some of the best backpacking is actually 90 minutes away in the south Cumberlands of TN….Savage Gulf, Fiery Gizzard, etc.