backpacking trip west

[Gabriel August]

hello all. the girlfriend and i would like to go on a week or so long trip out west (we're from pa) to do some backpacking. i backpack quite a bit but she is new to the hobby. any recommendations on multiday backpacking trips that aren't extremely difficult. i was thinking either yellowstone or yosemite perhaps, but i'm open to any suggestions. thanks very much.

[Sam Haraldson]

Glacier National Park – Coal Nyack Loop
http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.asp?trailid=HGR084-022

Glacier National Park – Boulder Pass Loop
http://travel.state.mt.us/categories/moreinfo.asp?IDRRecordID=5796&SiteID=1

Whitefish MT – Ten Lakes Scenic Area
http://www.libbymt.com/areaattractions/tenlakes.htm

[Anonymous]

HI Gabriel,
A classic in the Pacific Northwest is the PCT from Stevens Pass to Snoqualmie Pass. It's ~72 miles of 1st class trail with lots of good campsites and spectacular scenery. Only problem is logistics-it's a point to point trip that requires a pickup and return to retrieve the first car, or prepositioning a car at Snoqualmie Pass and then a drop off at Stevens Pass, OR, if you're really lucky, friends to do the dropping off and picking(we were among the lucky few).

[Jason Brinkman]

Tons of classic options in the west. Yellowstone, Yosemite, Cascades PCT, Glacier, Sawtooths. But you may want to take into account how far different places are from major airports, and shuttle logistics if you do anything but a loop or out-and-back.

[Denis Hazlewood]

The Desolation Wilderness lies westerly of Lake Tahoe. Airline accessible from Reno, NV. Lots of Loops, so no shuttle. Lots of Lakes and streams. Lots of granite, Lots of woods, views of Lake Tahoe. A supurb place to take a beginner. I've been leading beginners there for 20 years. They love it, you will too.

[Scott Peterson]

All suggestions above are great. Glacier is probably best done with a permit aquired early in the season…at this point you would need to dig through what might still be available or roll the dice and show up hoping to get a first come opportunity.

If you have not seen Yosemite Valley, I would encourage a backpacking trip somewhere outside the valley either north or south…I highly recommend the area out of Hetch Hetchy (google Lake Vernon). Backpacking in this area allows for a side trip to the actual Yosemite Valley…and while it is crowded with tourists…it will be very clear why so many people travel to see it!

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