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Posted
2 hours ago, hookem2010 said:

I loved this hike. Went with the now-wife in 2016. We woke up early from the Eagle Creek Campground and did a total of about 12 miles out-and-back. Hardly saw anybody before our turn-around spot. There were at least a half-dozen waterfalls on that 6-mile stretch.

I think there was a fire out there a year or two after we did it, so I'm curious how it looks now. It was incredibly green when we went.

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Nice. Yeah this teenager burned down most of the forest in like 2017 with fireworks. It’s been recovering. 

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

Chewy Jr just finished up day 1 of the Maroon Bells 4 Pass Loop. Not my cup of tea, but he's been looking forward to this since they got the permit this winter. Gotta love modern tech that I can follow his progress in real time.

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Posted
On 7/11/2025 at 11:19 PM, Chewbacca said:

Chewy Jr just finished up day 1 of the Maroon Bells 4 Pass Loop. Not my cup of tea, but he's been looking forward to this since they got the permit this winter. Gotta love modern tech that I can follow his progress in real time.

What are you using for that? I use FarOut to keep from getting off track in the North Woods on the Ice Age Trail, especially when there's logging. But it never occurred to me that I should have my wife track me when I'm hiking (generally with hiking buddies; actually, not being tracked is half the fun).  Not even sure FarOut has the function of allowing others to track and haven't looked into different means. Planning to do about half of the John Muir Trail next summer and we'll need a resupply at Kearsarge, so we could use some kind of tracker to coordinate.

I guess he's off the trail now? How was it? Or are they taking their time?

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Posted (edited)
49 minutes ago, Hayduke said:

What are you using for that? I use FarOut to keep from getting off track in the North Woods on the Ice Age Trail, especially when there's logging. But it never occurred to me that I should have my wife track me when I'm hiking (generally with hiking buddies; actually, not being tracked is half the fun).  Not even sure FarOut has the function of allowing others to track and haven't looked into different means. Planning to do about half of the John Muir Trail next summer and we'll need a resupply at Kearsarge, so we could use some kind of tracker to coordinate.

I guess he's off the trail now? How was it? Or are they taking their time?

These are pretty much the gold standard in the thru hiking world these days.  The newest ones are the Messengers which basically act as a full on texting and tracking device.  The minis (which I have) aren't as robust, but also smaller and lighter.

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/outdoor-recreation/satellite-communicators/

Edited by Biff Tannen
also SOS functionality, which is their actual main purpose
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Posted
50 minutes ago, Hayduke said:

What are you using for that? I use FarOut to keep from getting off track in the North Woods on the Ice Age Trail, especially when there's logging. But it never occurred to me that I should have my wife track me when I'm hiking (generally with hiking buddies; actually, not being tracked is half the fun).  Not even sure FarOut has the function of allowing others to track and haven't looked into different means. Planning to do about half of the John Muir Trail next summer and we'll need a resupply at Kearsarge, so we could use some kind of tracker to coordinate.

I guess he's off the trail now? How was it? Or are they taking their time?

Also, where are you planning on starting the trail?  Nobo or Sobo?  I may try and hit it up next year also.  Not sure how deep into the backpacking world you are (though your username gives me some idea), but if you want any info on permits or anything else, happy to give my input.

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Posted
10 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Also, where are you planning on starting the trail?  Nobo or Sobo?  I may try and hit it up next year also.  Not sure how deep into the backpacking world you are (though your username gives me some idea), but if you want any info on permits or anything else, happy to give my input.

Thanks for that info, @Biff Tannen. I'm not deep into that world at all. Big Ed Abbey fan, but I'm more philosophically aligned with the Hayduke character than in lifestyle. Have been mainly a car camper and section hiker; I'm more than halfway into the Ice Age Trail, but have never been in the right juncture of mental space, finance, marriage/family and opportunity to really dedicate myself to consistent, serious backpacking or thru-hiking. As a for-instance, this would be my first trip where I'd need a water filter. 

Bro-in-law recently retired and he's been wanting to do part of the JMT, so we're planning to do southbound, departing from near Bishop. Ending at the Whitney Portal, probably over eight days. He's former military and recently recruited a church buddy who's also ex-military to come along. For me, it will be a test of my two new knees, so I'll probably do one or two shorter backpacking trips up here between now and next summer.

My son is also planning to join us, and he's a reservist/ROTC senior next year who just finished his advanced training at Fort Knox and will run his third Bataan Memorial Death March next spring. Don't know BIL's buddy, but confident that both BIL and son will be mentally and psychologically ready for the challenges of the JMT. We old guys are all fully aware of the challenges of that area and understand the need for training and prep. Glad my son is coming, though. He'll be the guy we put in charge of running down the escape route if we need him to!

I'll keep you posted, so if any of your time coincides we could be on the lookout for you. We're shooting for July, and BIL and sis are actually on the road as I write, headed to King's Canyon and Sequoia, where he'll do some scouting. I'm also pretty sure the others would say you're welcome to join us for any of it.

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Posted
4 hours ago, Hayduke said:

What are you using for that? I use FarOut to keep from getting off track in the North Woods on the Ice Age Trail, especially when there's logging. But it never occurred to me that I should have my wife track me when I'm hiking (generally with hiking buddies; actually, not being tracked is half the fun).  Not even sure FarOut has the function of allowing others to track and haven't looked into different means. Planning to do about half of the John Muir Trail next summer and we'll need a resupply at Kearsarge, so we could use some kind of tracker to coordinate.

I guess he's off the trail now? How was it? Or are they taking their time?

He has a Garmin InReach Mini that can send waypoints as he goes (and can send/receive text messages), so he sends a pin of their campsite each night, but it can also do a live track, which he is doing now.  He's about 1-2 miles from Crater Lake as I type this.  Today is the last day.

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Posted
4 hours ago, Hayduke said:

Thanks for that info, @Biff Tannen. I'm not deep into that world at all. Big Ed Abbey fan, but I'm more philosophically aligned with the Hayduke character than in lifestyle. Have been mainly a car camper and section hiker; I'm more than halfway into the Ice Age Trail, but have never been in the right juncture of mental space, finance, marriage/family and opportunity to really dedicate myself to consistent, serious backpacking or thru-hiking. As a for-instance, this would be my first trip where I'd need a water filter. 

Bro-in-law recently retired and he's been wanting to do part of the JMT, so we're planning to do southbound, departing from near Bishop. Ending at the Whitney Portal, probably over eight days. He's former military and recently recruited a church buddy who's also ex-military to come along. For me, it will be a test of my two new knees, so I'll probably do one or two shorter backpacking trips up here between now and next summer.

My son is also planning to join us, and he's a reservist/ROTC senior next year who just finished his advanced training at Fort Knox and will run his third Bataan Memorial Death March next spring. Don't know BIL's buddy, but confident that both BIL and son will be mentally and psychologically ready for the challenges of the JMT. We old guys are all fully aware of the challenges of that area and understand the need for training and prep. Glad my son is coming, though. He'll be the guy we put in charge of running down the escape route if we need him to!

I'll keep you posted, so if any of your time coincides we could be on the lookout for you. We're shooting for July, and BIL and sis are actually on the road as I write, headed to King's Canyon and Sequoia, where he'll do some scouting. I'm also pretty sure the others would say you're welcome to join us for any of it.

Awesome!  It's such a fun hobby and community.  Sounds like you have a good group.  Sending you a DM with some info on permits.

 

Posted

We had just a 22km hike today so we’ve been done since 2pm. Sitting in the albergue (hostel) now roasting my nuts.

I know you’re coming with a group but you can hike these solo as well. I just showed up and fell in with some people quickly. Probably 10% of the hikers are American with the majority Europeans. Also getting to practice my Spanish, which sucks but is alright for an old white guy.

I enjoy talking and getting to know the people along the way. Have had zero bad experiences so far and a couple of really cool ones.

You can do these Caminos however you want; 10km a day, 40km a day, have your packs transported between stops, etc.

i hope you do it and think it would be a great experience for y’all.

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Posted
2 hours ago, tomahawk dunk said:

I know you’re coming with a group but you can hike these solo as well. I just showed up and fell in with some people quickly. Probably 10% of the hikers are American with the majority Europeans. Also getting to practice my Spanish, which sucks but is alright for an old white guy.

I enjoy talking and getting to know the people along the way. Have had zero bad experiences so far and a couple of really cool ones.

Agreed. One of the great things about hiking is most folks are respectful of privacy but happy to meet new people. Got a couple of hiking buddies who are always really good at that part of it and because we pretty much always find a nearby bar afterward, we get a lot of conversation both on and off-trail. Met a bar owner off the Ice Age Trail not too long ago who had been in Sheriff Joe Arpaio's jail and her stories were a riot, including the pink underwear Arpaio made everybody wear.

Not on a trail, but I met the author of the trail book I screenshotted on the other post when I heard her and her husband talking German as they stopped for coffee while passing through town. So now I've got two more hiking buddies, a good book and the German amnesty offer to boot. 

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Posted

Did two nights up in Sequoia National Forest.  Weather was perfect.  First photo was taken in the hills east of Bakersfield as I was climbing into the NF.  Second one is looking south on a Forest Service road near Piute Mountain.  Quite the contrast.

 

 

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Posted
2 hours ago, Carl Spackler said:

Did two nights up in Sequoia National Forest.  Weather was perfect.  First photo was taken in the hills east of Bakersfield as I was climbing into the NF.  Second one is looking south on a Forest Service road near Piute Mountain.  Quite the contrast.

 

 

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My first backpacking trip ever was in Sequoia NP. Yeah, the transition from the valley to the mountains is quick and unexpected. 

Posted

Welp, I just got fired from my job of 10 years on Friday.  Irreconcilable differences with a new boss.  Oh well, I'm going to Cascade Locks in Oregon in a week and a half, so starting to get gear together and continue training.  Will be nice to get out in the woods for a bit.  And technically, I could actually hike all the way to central California if I really wanted to because my permit allows it.  But I know I'll be coming home to look for jobs instead.  

I love the planning part of a trip.  Figuring out where to camp, where to get water, trying to remember all the little odds and ends of gear and things I need to do like permethrin my clothes beforehand and refreshing my first aid kit.  My brain just loves the logistics of it all.

Hope everyone is taking advantage of this relatively cool summer (well, not so much now) and enjoying the great outdoors.

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Posted

Fuck.  Yes.  This is on my wife and I’s list. She isn’t big into non-car camping, so the hut to huts in Europe and New Zealand are what I’m eyeing for our adventures together. Though she did say she would do an AT section with me for 3-4 days. 
 

Tour du Mont Blanc looks rad. 

Posted

That's amazing Bobcat. I've had it on my list to do for years and never follow through until it's too late in the season and there's nowhere to stay. Did you use one of the agencies that books the stays and transports your big pack to each stop?

Posted

We researched multiple tour groups but deciding on self booking.  The biggest issue I had with the tour companies was the inability to tell me what their markup was when we were wanting to book a mostly comfort tour.  Comfort meaning no 10+ person dorm rooms.  We went with a app/website called the Hiking Club (around $200) that helped us by first selecting the number of days we were wanting to hike, in our case 10.  That allowed us to see the route and the cities or areas we needed to look for accommodations.  It also came with a 45 minute consultation to assist with planning.  

Began booking in September of 2025 with the focus on securing some type accommodation in the area we needed.  For this we mainly used booking.com and looked for places that had free cancellation up to 60 or 30 days from the start of the trip.  At the same time, we began emailing Refugios to book rooms.  There is no set date when they begin accepting reservations for the next year so this was a constant process of checking and emailing.  We had also heard that the closer we got to our trip, Refugios would have cancellations and we could book as long as we could cancel the pre-booked rooms through booking.com.  We were also challenged in the beginning because we were booking for 6 person and at 60 days out that dropped to 4 persons and it allowed us with more options.

When we completed our original booking we were schedule to take two buses from our hiking end location to our accommodations.  By the time we reached 60 days out, we had found Refugios on the TMB and did not need to take buses to end or start our day.  We arrived two days before our hike and then flew home two days after our hike.  

Here is our accommodations:

Chamonix - Hotel Alpina Eclectic - 2 private rooms

Les Contamines: Chalet Nant Rouge - 2 bedrooms with private bathroom w/breakfast

Refuge des Mottets: 2 private rooms with private bathrooms w/dinner and breakfast

Rifugio Elisabetta: 6 person room but only the four us were in it.  We paid for all six spots before the other couple backed out.  No private bathrooms w/dinner and breakfast

Courmayeur - Hotel Maison La Saxe - 2 private rooms

Rifugio Walter Bonatti - 7 person dorm, No private bathrooms, w/dinner and breakfast

Hotel Edlewiess - La Fouly: 6 person dorm, No private bathrooms, w/dinner and breakfast

Au VieuxChampex Lac - 2 bedroom private apartment

Auberge la Grande OurseTrient - 4 person room, No private bathrooms, w/dinner and breakfast

Les Grands Montets Hotel - Argentiere: 4 person room with private bathroom

Chamonix - Alpina Eclectic - 2 private rooms

 

As you can see we stayed in a combination of comfort and non-comfort.  We accomplished the goal of no 10+ person dorm rooms but still had the experience of the Refugios and group meal times.  We also paid ($275) to have one bag ported or transferred from accommodation to accommodation.  The four of us split the one bag that could not weigh more than 33lbs.  The bag was ported to 8 of the 10 accommodations or those only reachable by road.  Though we are still totaling everything, I would guess the accommodations, including those with half board (dinner and breakfast), came in somewhere around $1500 per person.  

 

I will say my wife killed the bookings and was constantly emailing and checking for openings.  It was no small task and I can see why people would chose to pay a service and still do a self guided tour.  I would also advise against a guided tour.  You will be limited to only certain things based on the members of the group.  In stage 10 there are a series of ladders that you can climb.  If one person in group can't climb the ladders, the whole group does not climb the ladders.    

 

To celebrate finishing the TMB, my wife got a massage and I went paragliding over Chamonix!  Nothing like trying to run off the top of a mountain with some guy strapped to your back!!

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Posted

I appreciate the detailed input. I got a quote a little while ago for $3,200 for a solo 7 night 60 mile highlights self-guided hike. Includes food, bag transport, and 4 hotels plus 3 refuges. Part of the cost is a single occupancy fee. Not cheap, particularly for a shorter itinerary, so I may look into the hiking club site. I'm aiming for August 2026, so hopefully rooms will be more available if I book it soon. 

Posted

Anyone ever done Aconcagua?

 

Hiked Kilimanjaro 15 years ago and didn’t become a Seven Summits zealot but the appeal of the highest mountain in the Southern Hemisphere has always been on my bucket list. Looking at January 2027.  

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