Looking for an off-the-beaten-path 100-milie hike out West

[burger]

The title sums it up--we have a week to backpack this summer/fall, and we're looking for a 100-150-ish mile trail out West to do. As of this moment, we're leaning towards the Uintah Highline Trail. Mainly, I want to see if there's anything that we haven't thought of. Others that we considered already are:

AZT/Hayduke Trail section (would rather save these to do as a thru-hike someday)
Tahoe Rim Trail (already did the PCT on the western part)
Teton Crest Trail (a little further than we want to drive, too short for a full week, even with a loop)
Wonderland Trail (too far away)
JMT/PCT/CDT/CT section (been there, done that)

Am I forgetting anything else in the 100 miles range? We're more interested in hikes that we can do in summer or early fall where water won't be much of an issue.

[Venchka]

Wind River Range. Trip reports abound at Backcountrypost.com.
Seems to me that you could drive to Wyoming as easily as Utah.
Sorry, but if I were that close, I would have to hike the Teton Crest Trail. You can add a day or 2 of day hikes to get acclimated. Any trail in the Tetons is a good trail. What's the rush? If you have a week, spend a week on the Teton Crest Trail.
http://backcountrypost.com/threads/t...14/#post-61153
http://backcountrypost.com/threads/t...5-part-2.5218/
http://backcountrypost.com/threads/t...-chapter.5219/
Since you will have a car, you can start in Idaho.
http://www.awayfromthegrind.com/blog...e-teton-crest/

Have a great trip.

Wayne

[hikeandbike5]

medicine bow 100, unitah highline trail, or the winds

[Venchka]

medicine bow 100, unitah highline trail, or the winds

My first thought, but I stayed kinda on topic. Silly me. Closer to Massachusetts than Grand Teton N.P. No permit, campsite or bear can requirements. Make it up as you go.
With a car you could park at the Elkhart Park. Put together a loop of any distance you like.
http://backcountrypost.com/search/44...c[node]=20

Wayne

[burger]

Actually, we're in Arizona now, not Mass. Hence not wanting to drive all the way to the Tetons. The Teton Crest Trail is definitely on the future to-do list.

We saw a lot of the Winds (far from all, obviously) on the CDT. But I think we want to hit some new terrain for this trip.

I'll check out the Medicine Bow 100. Today was the first time I heard of that route.

We're also thinking inventing our own route. One possibility is a loop around northern Arizona that would traverse the entire Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon area and hit several different wilderness areas. I need to sit down with a map and see if this is possible--the terrain is rough, and there aren't many obvious routes to connect things up.

Thanks for the tips. Keep 'em coming if there are others.

[Dogwood]

Maah Daah Hey. Different than what you've experienced. Grasslands. Multi use. Buffalo.. Cool sandstone formations. Teddy Roosevent NP

Easy enough to extend a Teton Crest Tr thru into a 100-150 mile continuous hike by hiking into/from from Grand Teton NP into Yellowstone NP(right next door), Wind River Range, Targhee Nat6 Forest, and/or Gros Venture Wilderness. It's what Francis Tapon and I did on our CDT thru-hikes. I took an interrupted route though where Tapon did a road walk to make it continuous.

I did a straight SOBO CDT. I went south on the CDT into Yellowstone NP veering off onto the Bechler River River Tr(awesome trail!) at Shoshone Lake( Y NP) through a small section of Targhee Nat Forest to the Teton Crest Tr. At the end of the Teton Crest Tr hitched back up to where the typically taken CDT crosses HWY 191 in Y NP between lewis and Heart Lakes to enter intop the Wind River Range. Tapon did something similar; I got my idea from the creative Tapon. He but did it going NOBO on his leg of a CDT yo yo. He wrote up what he did. I think you'll find it at his website. If interested I wrote my route up for someone that I still have somewhere too.

If you want greater variety but not locked into a continuous 100-150 miler break up your master trek into legs: Grand Teton NP(Teton Crest Tr), Yellowstone, and a Wind River Range hike segments. The CDT visits only a very limited amount of Y NP. and WRR . Don't assume just because you did the CDT in Y NP and WRR you've experienced Y NP and WRR!


OMG, EASY, to knock out a 100+ miler at Grand Canyon NP too. The Hayduke Tr through GC NP is an awesome adventure. A Tonto Tr thru is pretty good. Not enough for ya! Head over to not far away Buckskin Gulch, The Wave, Zion/Bryce(Under The Rim Tr)/Canyonlands(HUGE and REMOTE in three different areas)/Capitol Reef NPs.....

Don't get stuck on a named trail or one 100-150 miler and you'll get more!

BTW, some of the hiking in Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon is great for shorter romps. I'm eagerly looking forward to more time in Sedona.

[Dogwood]

The Grand Enchantment Tr from the Superstitions to and through Aravapai Canyon was cool too in spring. Could do something involving the AZT and GET. Timing for both these trails is important.

[Venchka]

How about a Do It Yourself one week trip around and through the Weminuche Wilderness?
Dogwood, the Tetons & Yellowstone are too far away. I do agree with not getting stuck on a named trail. Make your own route and then name it yourself. Folks will come from miles around to thru-hike the Burger Route. However, they will expect a guide book, map set, resupply points and mail drop locations. Really scary, hey?
Have a look around this forum. More information than you may want or need. Utah figures prominently in the content.
http://backcountrypost.com/
Good luck to you. Keep us posted.

Wayne

[Feral Bill]

Oregon's Eagle Cap Wilderness also has numerous opportunities to make a 100 mile hike. Highly recommended.

[Dogwood]

160 mile Collegiate Peaks Loop using the CDT and CT in early fall. Make it more interesting and throw some 14er bagging into the mix.

[colorado_rob]

160 mile Collegiate Peaks Loop using the CDT and CT in early fall. Make it more interesting and throw some 14er bagging into the mix.

I like this one... and I was working on a loop that shortens it to 100 miles because I'm not interested in much of the eastern part of the loop. There are some cut-through's that will allow The Best of this 160 miles, but shortened.

I also like the DIY Weninuche loop Venchka mentions, tons of possibilities. Then there's the Medicine Bow 100 mile thing mentioned, all good choices. The only choice I'm not crazy about personally it the Uintah thing, been there, not as pretty, but it's all subjective.

THEN, there's a particularly intriguing version in the neighborhood of the Sierra High Route that I have my eyes on, I think I have a loop designed that is right at about 100 miles, but might be some very tough miles in places.

[Mags]

I'm in the "grab some maps and make up your own route" variety. I am doing more and more of the PBRs (Paul's Backpacking Routes). The Winds, the San Juans, the Uintahs (more so off-trail) all offer wonderful loops to be done if you are willing to DIY.

Northern New Mexico also offers some chances for creative route mixes as well...

[egilbe]

Northern New Mexico also offers some chances for creative route mixes as well...

get out of my head! Exactly what i thought when he mentioned he was in AZ. I couldnt believe how beautiful it was and its a quick drive from that desert wasteland that is west texas.

[Mags]

get out of my head! Exactly what i thought when he mentioned he was in AZ. I couldnt believe how beautiful it was and its a quick drive from that desert wasteland that is west texas.

Arguably the best food for post-backpacking noshing as well!

[archie]

I would throw in a second vote for the Maah Daah Hey in western ND. I hiked it this spring and it was a very unique and enjoyable trail.

[colorado_rob]

I'm in the "grab some maps and make up your own route" variety. ...

Yeah, it pays to have Topo maps for the entire USA right at your fingertips (or mouse click). I use the old NGS TOPO program, no longer available, but I think there's software called Cal TOPO that might be the same, and I believe, free (?).

Easy stuff to use, zoom (to full 24,000 scale TOPO level), pan, draw tracks to your heart's content, check mileages, establish waypoints, print whatever window you want, it's almost toooooooo easy these days!
..
Here's my first attempt at a loop that includes some of the Sierra High Route (the yellow line on the left, about 39 miles), connected with the JMT (via the 6 mile white track near the top), which it follows for about 23 miles (red/yellow track on right), all connected to roads/trailheads to the east by the little white tracks on the right, one 7 miles, one 11 miles. I was thinking about coming in the 7 mile trail at the bottom, doing a loop, then back out the 7 mile exit to my car. 83 miles, but a bunch of these miles off-trail and very rugged (parts of the yellow SHR track). Just a first hack. this is at 100K scale, the image was too big to post at 24K scale.

[burger]

Yeah, it pays to have Topo maps for the entire USA right at your fingertips (or mouse click). I use the old NGS TOPO program, no longer available, but I think there's software called Cal TOPO that might be the same, and I believe, free (?).

Hikearizona.com is a much better site for editing routes online. It's even better than using professional GIS software in some respects. Go the site and click on "Maps" in the upper left. Then click on "Route MGR" on the menu panel. You can make up trails, import tracks from your PC or other users, and do all sorts of editing really easily. And you can overlay your routes on any base map you want. It's free and basically just the brainchild of one guy, who's keeps adding to and improving the site. It's not just limited to Arizona either.

[burger]

When you get to the "Route MGR" tab, there are video tutorials and a help page to show how things work. It's pretty intuitive though.

[burger]

BTW, thanks for the terrific suggestions, all. Lots of great fodder there.

[Mags]

Y, but I think there's software called Cal TOPO that might be the same, and I believe, free (?).

Online. It was so good that the maintainer had to start charging a modest fee to cover the bandwidth. The basics are still free, however. By day, he's a California SAR guy so it is a labor of love that has done very well.


www.caltopo.com