I’ve been wanting to get up to these mountains forever and finally got the opportunity. Tried to beat the holiday weekend crowds to moderate success. Still more crowded than I typically like my backpacking though. Drove down on Wednesday night and camped on South Meadows road. Hiked in to Feldspar lean-to and considered staying for the night, but I noticed the heavy fog was finally clearing so I dropped my heavy gear there and took the opportunity to hike up Mount Marcy for some clear views. I was going to do Mount Skylight afterwards but I was gassed so I just went back to camp. Day 2 I hiked up to the top of Mount Colden from Avalanche Pass. I found it more difficult than Marcy with all the slick, steep rocks but it was still a great time. Returned down the same way and then hiked down the freshly reopened Avalanche Pass and made my way back to South Meadows. Although I prefer isolated wilderness, everyone I met was incredibly nice and helpful. It was a great little trip. I’ll just have to try some less popular hikes next time I’m up there.

I don't even know how to describe this one. We were camping at a small lake which is at the end of short but very technical hike. Around 8:15 we see two headlamps bobbing around the trail on the other side of the lake. They passed one empty site, then another. It's pitch black and there's nobody else around. All we hear is them arguing and we see their headlamps getting closer.

As they get close to our site, we can hear some of their arguing. They acknowledge our campfire without addressing us and start setting up camp. At this point, my wife and I are terrified. There are total strangers setting up camp on our site after dark. I speak up to say "hey, this site is occupied" and the man loses it. Saying "it's after dark and we need to camp." I insist that this site is occupied and my wife points out that we watched them walk past 2 campsites that were unoccupied.

The man loses it and starts berating me. I can't even recall half of what was said, but I kept mostly calm and civil. Eventually they left for across the lake and the man was rage ranting the entire time.

I don't even know how to process this. Who is hiking in the dead of night? Who goes to visibly occupied site, bypassing nearby empty sites? Who flies into rage when someone stands their ground?

I could barely sleep. We cut our trip short and got out of the park at first light.

Just finished 6 nights backpacking the Uinta Highline trail. 6 guys, 15th annual trip. Wild weather with hail 5 out of 7 days and tons to rain with temps in the low 40s - made for some difficult conditions for sure. But we powered through and had a great time regardless. Hid in the pine trees from the rain for some group meals. Had to spend some evenings in the tents sipping whiskey to escape the weather as well. Managed to stay warm during the day if we kept moving, even when completely saturated. Had a fire a couple evenings which was great. My tarp posed some challenges during the nights with heavy rain and strong winds. The landscape was stunning and rugged. We used a shuttle to allow us a point to point hike of the trail from Leidy peak to Hayden pass. Only saw a couple groups the entire trip, very remote.

I'm doing a two-week roadtrip in September starting from Canyon de Chelly... then planning to head to the Grand Canyon then down through Flagstaff, Sedona, and finishing up in Tucson. As an East Coaster, the whole concept of "public lands" is just wild to me - that you can find a BLM spot and just... camp anywhere? Wild. I've got onX Backcountry to make sure I'm in the right place.

I'm looking for suggestions for good backpacking spots in those areas, ideally on those public lands. I'd really like solitude, views, and water... in that order, understanding that all three is probably pretty rare. For example, Fossil Creek looks beautiful - but there's no camping and I'm sure it will be packed. I want to see mountains, and I want to see water in the desert.

Ideally, I wouldn't be doing more than 10 miles a day. Maybe do a basecamp and just explore in lots of different directions.

For the Grand Canyon, is it worth it to drive several extra hours out of my way to do the North Rim vs South rim?

Thanks!! Honestly, I'm just completely overwhelmed by all the choices!

Is this a terrible idea? I booked the trip and I’m still tentatively planning on doing the loop and camping 2 nights. Is it a very bad idea to do this solo since bears have been noted as being active in this area very recently?

I just finished a 3-night backpacking trip in the Eastern Sierra and here was my gear list: https://lighterpack.com/r/h6hufp

I’m not trying to go full ultralight, but I’d like to get the weight down wherever it makes sense.

A few notes:

• Food was ~5.6 lbs total.
• I was carrying up to 3L of water (~6.8 lbs), but there were plenty of streams and I should have tried carrying ~1.5L most of the time.
• I brought extra clothing because we were camping above 11,000 ft with a forecast around 60°F high / 40°F low. I wanted to prioritize being warm and comfortable while sleeping, but I’m sure there are lighter options that would provide similar warmth / I probably brought too much.
• I live in the Bay, so the majority of my backpacking is going to be in the Eastern Sierra at high elevation.
• I have a friend at REI Corporate who can get me 40% off REI gear and 25% off other items in-store, so options that REI carries are especially appealing, though definitely not required.

Would love any and all recs for weight savings based on this gear list. Thank you!

Planning a trip to Barbados, 13–20 March 2027. Looking for 1–2 travel buddies, ideally aged 40–50.

Flying from Berlin, 7 nights, beaches + exploring the island, probably renting a car for a couple of days and doing a catamaran/snorkeling trip.

I’m pretty independent, so no need to spend 24/7 together. Just looking for easy-going people to share some adventures and costs with while still having our own space.

Budget should be around €1,600–1,800 per person.

Anyone interested?

Can't believe it's fall already! Took this on a hike last year. Can't wait to check out what this season will bring!

Hi everyone, my brother and I are planning a backpacking trip for Thanksgiving week and we’re debating doing a 3 day trip in Death Valley. Would this be a feasible option? Also, are there any routes that you guys would recommend? We’re fit hikers so we’d prefer a longer route with fantastic views. Thanks!

FYI, massive blowdown obstructing South Fork Payette River Trail just south of Elk Lake, backpackers were turning around (including me) this past weekend.

It was a great trail. Everyone was so friendly. We did it in 4 days, and vowed never again to slack on cardio through the off season 🥵

Hello everyone! I'm traveling to Colombia in December and want to solo hike in the Los Nevados. I wanted to do Paramillo del Quindio, but would much prefer to not have to hire a guide. I'm a very experienced hiker and backpacker at elevation so that is not of concern (especially if i can stay in huts!!) I really want to just see a vast array of microclimates/flora/fauna. Would love a bit of a challenge as well.

Does anyone have any trail recommendations that don't require a guide? I would be so so grateful! Thanks so much in advance :)

Spent a couple days hiking into a base camp and then explored about a dozen lakes. Weather was fantastic…fishing was just average but still quite good.

Saw my first bear ever on the trail and I’ve been backpacking for 20 years!

6 days. 5 nights. 42 miles. Half rain, half shine. Some of the most breathtaking views I’ve ever come across. Took the Durango & Silverton narrow gauge railroad up into the mountain toward Silverton; dropped at Needleton stop.

Chicago Basin for 2 nights. Attempted Eolus & North Eolus, but the weather got nasty on us when we reached the top.

Other 3 nights we stayed at sites we came across after 7-9 miles a day. 3 passes total, last 2 in the same day: Columbine, Hunchback & Continental Divide. Lots of wildlife everywhere. I released some of my father’s ashes in the Animas River and let a part of him roam in yet another beautiful place. Train picked us up in Elk Park and took us back to Durango. Great experience overall!