anyone still backpacking?

[vash]

I'm going to have some time on my Hands.

I woke up thinking..."backpacking". I live relatively close to the best mountain trout lakes in the country. I have found lakes you can drive to suck for fishing. ones you have to hike 10 miles over a mountain pass, have stupid trout in the them.

Hank and I may have to visit a few.

I have the gear. older gear, but gear. I am sure the tech has left me behind.

anyone still going? my bud and fishing partner is a long haul hiker. he has done the PCT maybe twice. hiking with him can be unfunny. not fun at all. but the man is a homing pigeon. he can cross country to lakes not connected by trails.

[Dantilla]

I've turned my wife into an outdoor freak.
Her parents are wondering what happened to the city girl they raised.
Me? I've got all the gear I need. My wife? An excuse to go shopping for the latest, greatest, lightest gear.

[vash]

Originally Posted by Dantilla

I've turned my wife into an outdoor freak.
Her parents are wondering what happened to the city girl they raised.
Me? I've got all the gear I need. My wife? An excuse to go shopping for the latest, greatest, lightest gear.

backback food. has it gotten better?

[Jolly Amaranto]

Not since 2020 when my kids dragged me through the Bridger Teton National Forest on the Sky Pilot Loop. My old back pack did not fit as well as I have lost my "shelf" (my butt has migrated to my gut in old age). I had to tighten the belt till it hurt just so it would not slip down over my hips. A few days before we left the trail head, there was a monster wind event that blew down wide swathes of timer that we had to climb through. We had two GPS trackers that kept us from wander too far while detouring around mounds of windfall. Awesome country with many trout worthy lakes. That is if they don't freeze solid in the winter if they are way up above the tree line.

[ckissick]

I have tons of backpacking experience in the Sierra. The upper Kern River basin, west of Whitney, has the best trout fishing I've ever experienced. Really big fish, and lots of them. There is so much to know, books could be written. In fact, they have. Various websites would be very helpful. MyLifeOutdoors is a great YouTube resource. I've been backpacking for 50 years and I still learn a lot from that one. Watch a few videos on water filtration.

A trip to REI seems to be order. The new gear is pretty rad. Don't wear heavy leather hiking boots. That's so '80s. Get light-weight trail shoes. Get a super-light 3-season tent and a light-weight jetboil stove. You'll need a bear canister in many places. Otherwise, be very, very good at your bear hangs. Bear hangs are kind of '80's, too. I have a Kevlar bear "canister". Much easier to pack. The freeze-dried foods are mostly pretty tasty. And get one of those little folding camp chairs! They weigh under a pound and are so much better than sitting on a log or rock after a long day on the trail. Oh, and trekking poles: get a pair. And a Garmin In-Reach.

If you get really serious, start looking into peak bagging. I'm currently trying to get all 15 of the 14ers in CA. But I'm not retired yet, so it's a slow process (I only have 3 so far). I hope I find time for a few this summer. That reminds me: acclimatization is important if you're going to get into the higher elevations.

[juanbenae]

If you consider trying this spot LMK, you'd be right in my hood.

https://www.allyosemite.com/lakes_rivers_falls/lake_eleanor.php#content

[juanbenae]

The fishing at Cherry Lake is excellent too. There is camping and you could get waterside to launch your kayak... Mid week even in the summer very few people are there, weekends and holiday weeks see more people there but really cool spot. We've gone in the early spring and watched bald eagles from the dam fishing. We were on the dam, they were diving for fish...

[Evans, Marv]

Let me know (PM) if you want to know my favorite area(s) in Kings Canyon Natl. Park up in the JMT area of the Sierras. It's probably a 2/3 day hike to get in, but you'll love it. Being retired will give you the time and leisure to enjoy it. Unfortunately dogs aren't allowed though.

[LWJ]

The food! Back a decade when my son was in Boy Scouts, all the other kids / dads bought the nasty dehydraded stuff from REI. They mostly complained. We had some top shelf ramen bowls from the local Asian store. Everyone was drooling over our meals. No idea if this has changed.

[3rd_gear_Ted]

The amount of Women on the trails backpacking now is amazing.
The only hitchhikers I still pick up are backpackers heading up or down the mountains.
The sad part is the PCT has huge areas that have been burned.

[look 171]

All that is in my rear view mirror now. I spent a lot of time in the eastern slope of the Sierra outside of mammoth and the Kern river areas. Since I tore my knee, I stop doing stuff that may cause more damage. Plus, elevation sickness is getting to me. It use to be 11-12000' now its 9-10 is my max. If I were to go out again, I really need to train and yes, my old gear from the late 89-early 90 is like driving a model T racing against GT3s.

I would lakes closer to camp site are stocked instead of catching wild, small little fishes in the distance lakes?

I am taught to buy med of heavy duty boots because they can save your foot or calf from fatigue due to none flex on the sold as you climb losing energy. I hated flexy sole boots for that reason on rougher trails.

[LWJ]

When I was a Boy Scout leader, two brothers who were former Scouts in the Troop did a presentation on their PCT trip. I missed it and have regretted it since. Their packs were something like 15 pounds? No tent. I don't think they even had a sleeping bag. Maybe a tarp and a down duvet thing? They hiked in running shoes. Did 30+ mile days. Nothing short of amazing.

[unclebilly]

I still want to do the west coast trail one more time. My knee and ankle injuries may present an issue with this plan. Maybe next year?

[A930Rocket]

Ms Rocket finished the AT at 68 last year. She wanted to do a thru hike, but after hiking Georgia and into North Carolina, she had to get off the trail, because she had several bones broken in her feet. She talked to a guy off the trail in North Carolina and he told her what footwear she needed. It made a huge difference. Overtime, she realized she could do without a lot of stuff she packed, and got a lighter backpack as well. As a traveling nurse, she did sections while working, and finished the trail.

Back in the late 80s early 90s, we used to do a lot of backpacking in the Georgia and North Carolina mountains. Lots of car camping as well.

[LWJ]

^^^wow!!!

[flatbutt]

I backpacked for many,many years. All over the ADK, Greens and Whites. However, my body is no longer capable. Two summers ago I did a day hike in the ADK with FBII. We finished it on the peak of Whiteface. I was toast. I couldn't have gotten down safely without my son.

[Skip Newsom]

Yes, not as often or as far as I used to.

11 days was my record for duration, my brother and I did week long trips into the Foss lakes Alpine wilderness (part of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest area) for over a decade straight.
We stayed at several of the lakes situated at 4-5K, all were crystal clear and mostly surrounded by steep terrain that dictated where you could access and camp.
Since I didn't eat fish the pile of food (mostly freeze dried) that I had to carry was impressive.
My pack came in at 60-65 lbs since the ultralight approach had not occurred yet. I was 6' 4" and weighed 180, hiking in areas that required you to gain a couple thou within a mile burned calories quickly.

As I've aged and ultra light gear is more and more the standard I replaced everything I carry except my SVEA 123 white gas stove my brother gave me when I was 15. It's pretty light, easy to use and boils water pronto. Plus it sounds like a little helicopter at full rip, always brings back great memories.

I've upgraded gear to a point where my backpack is down to 30 lbs for an overnight trip including 5 lbs of camera gear.

At 65 I'm getting more reluctant to go solo even though I find the whole process of planning, packing, hiking, setting up camp and drinking in the peace (along with one beer I allow myself) that being miles away from nearest road and completely self reliant gives me.

I have modified the solo missions over the last few years to using my kayak for access to some semi-remote spots. That too is deeply satisfying, not quite the same as traveling a few miles on foot and being relieved to drop the pack but a good option for me.

Good old days of strong legs and bullet proof knees.
Our favorite camp spot took us two days to get to with a chunk of the last day off trail, up and over a minor peak and scrambling down a scree covered mountain side to a glorious spot that we never saw another soul at.


Sometime between 1974 and 1978 floatplane access to these lakes was banned, the campsite we loved had obviously been a favorite, big nails in the trees, a huge campfire pit, rusty grill and a frying pan left behind as evidence- then again some crazy souls may have hiked in like we did and not wanted to carry stuff back out-



Full frame REI "super Pack"




30 years later- lighter gear, knees that usually do OK






Even found a good spot for some "sheds" to follow me home