3 week hike suggestion

[strollingalong]

Hi there

I'm looking for a 3 week hike.... anywhere not on the east coast in the US and anywhere in Canada, the more different it looks to the AT, the better.

People have suggested the JMT but as this is going to be late july-mid august, I've heard it's going to be difficult for me to get a permit as I'm going to be flying in from and out to mexico city.

Any ideas?

[strollingalong]

It'd need to be near a main airport

[Cookerhiker]

The Colorado Trail doesn't require a permit and its northern terminus is near Denver. Being 486 miles, it's unlikely you'd hike the entire trail in 3 weeks but you could hike half of it. Rt. 50 near Salida is close to the halfway point so you could hike either the northern half or southern half.

Check out the Colorado Trail forum in the "Other Trails" section of WB.

The CT is maintained by the Colorado Trail Foundation: http://www.coloradotrail.org/

[Walkintom]

Superior Hiking Trail

[DLP]

You could do a section of the PCT. You could walk from Truckee or Tahoe to Yosemite. The public transportation both in and out would be super easy from SFO.

Don't know how fast you walk. You could do the Tahoe Rim Trail (165ish miles), but if you walk fast, you might only take 10 days or 2 weeks. Public Transportation would also be easy from SFO.

[Spirit Walker]

You could fly to Whitefish/Kalispell and explore Glacier or hike both Glacier and the Bob Marshall.
Could fly to Seattle and go hike part of the PCT in Washington.

[garlic08]

I'd second the Colorado motion. You'd probably be able to get an easy flight and then you're pretty close to some great hiking in July and August. You could shuttle up to Breckenridge and start immediately into some spectacular Colorado Trail high country hiking. You'd be fairly well acclimated to the altitude, too. And the Continental Divide Trail is co-located with the CT right there. You'd be unlimited in the distance you could travel, even all the way back to Mexico :). Have a great hike this summer.

[Coffee]

+1 on Colorado Trail. Start in Breckenridge and hike to Durango. I think that's reasonable for 3 weeks. If not, bail in Silverton and ride the narrow gauge railroad to Durango. Recommend the Collegiate West option.

[Ktaadn]

Tahoe Rim Trail? On second thought, it is a little bit shorter than I thought. Maybe you could link it with something else in the area though.

[strollingalong]

Cheers for all the suggestions guys! :) I like the sound of Colorado and Washington for both their beauty and also ..... aheeemmmmm.......

I applied for a JMT permit in the lottery, will wait till march 24 and see if i get it,,,, still may not take up the permit if i do.... would like a lil solitude but looking for jaw dropping beauty too..... we'll see.... whats the resupply like on colorado trail?

I live permenantly at 7500 feet and going to 13000 doesn't affect me noticeably, so im golden

[Coffee]

Resupply is excellent in Breckenridge, Leadville, and Salida (large grocery stores) and more marginal in Lake City and Silverton (small expensive markets). Twin Lakes has a small store but I sent a mail drop there.

[Superbugz]

I too would recommend the Superior Hiking Trail....likely much different from the others mentioned and the trail towns are awesome. You could likely do the whole trail

[Siestita]

"People have suggested the JMT but as this is going to be late july-mid august, I've heard it's going to be difficult for me to get a permit as I'm going to be flying in from and out to Mexico City.

Any ideas?"

Don't give up on the Sierras. The views there are extraordinary, and summer thunderstorms occur atop those mountains less frequently than on Colorado's peaks. Also, there is convenient public transportation into the range and, if you are a bit flexible, the permitting hassles that concern you can be avoided.

Due to their popularity, getting permits from the Yosemite terminus of the JMT during peak season, or to visit Mt. Whitney at that time of year,is reportedly quite challenging. But, there is much more to the JMT than merely its two famous end points, and there is far more to California's Sierra Nevada range than than the JMT. Also, if soltude if what you're after, staying on an internationally famous route such as the JMT or Colorado Trail might not be the best way to accomplish that goal.

Flying there from Kentucky, I've made two glorious trips to the Sierras during late July/early August, on the first occasion I went for a week and a half and on the second one for approximately three weeks. Midway through that second adventure my route changed, requiring me to to get a new permit and make impromptu re-supply arrangements on short notice. As a solo backpacker who was willing to enter the wilderness at intermediate locations, trailheads other than Happy Isles or Mt. Whitney, I was able to easily get permits on short notice, to begin hiking the next day. I accomplsihed that at the ranger station in Mammoth Lakes, California. Mammoth Lakes is also a good outfitting/re-supply town. And, it has its own commercial airport (flights to LA), affordable public van service to Reno's airport, and also van shuttles to other destinations with enticing trail heads, including Agnew Meadows, Reds Meadow, Toulumne Meadows, and Yosemite Valley. Thru hiking the JMT is not only way to backpack through the Sierras.