Just spent a great weekend in Yosemite. PERFECT weather & I'd never been there at a time when there was so much water (usually avoid this time of year because of the crowds). The falls were absolutely awesome. Started early enough on Saturday morning to avoid the worst of the mobs. Took the Mist Trail (and got totally drenched) up to the top of Nevada Falls & back. Simple, but pretty strenuous, 4-hour round trip. Coming back down was frightening. THOUSANDS of people on the way up to the bridge (and no further, I hope), most with toddlers in tow -- afraid these poor kids are gonna get turned off to the whole wilderness experience, being dragged along on excursions that are way outside their abilities. What are these people thinking?

I love to hike, went to Yellowstone last summer and ran into some of the same stuff you did. Beautiful country though, had a great time, some of the best hiking ive ever done.
come on out to arizona sometime, some great hiking here too.

Yo, azaf

Did a BIG swing a couple years ago during October. Death Valley Junction (to see opening night of Marta Beckett at the Amargosa Opera House), Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Grand Teton & Yellowstone (where we almost got snowed out. Were there the LAST day the lodge served dinner). It was great -- the crowds were minimal & the scenery awesome. If we wind up comin' thru AZ anytime soon, I'll let ya know!

Patterson - my hike (years ago) in Yosemite was great but it sounds like you had spectacular conditions. Had some memorable hikes in the Canadian national park (sorry forget the name) between Banff and Lake Louise in Alberta. And the Four corners area rivals with some of the best scenery I've ever seen!

Patterson : ) nice pic sounds like a great trip ive been to Bryce and Zion, great hiking and just take your breath away. A friend and i last yr hiked from one end of the Grand Canyon to the other, great moment, ill never forget it.
ever make it out let me know be happy to show you around

I'm jealous. I went to Yosemite last September and was very disappointed. Then I talked to a friend of mine who pointed out that the fall is not Yosemite at its best. In the fall -- there's no water. The waterfalls were just a misting system. I need to go back when it's wetter.

I headed up to Lassen after that and it was wonderful.

End of this month, I'm heading to Rocky Mountain National Park, then over to Arches and Canyonlands, maybe hit Dinosaur National Monument on the drive out. Anyone got any hiking advice for me at those places?

njvballer, the area you described refers to Banff National Park. Despite the over-development of the town of Banff (some tourists actually go there for the shopping ), there are still plenty of good places to hike in the park. Johnson Canyon and Moraine Lake come to mind, although there are lots of great hiking trails in Kananaskis Country too (east of Banff, where you don't have to pay a $10 entrance fee).

34ra, Jasper Nat'l Park is actually north of the area njvballer was talking about. It is connected to Banff via the Icefields Parkway. Part of Jasper's beauty stems from the fact that it is more remote and far less 'touristy' than Banff. BTW, have you been to Olympic National Park? I might go to Seattle this summer and if I have time wouldn't mind checking out the park.

Yes! Hiking most definitely qualifies.

YOSEMITE is always best from May through June. The snow melt produces robust waterfalls. I've been five times, and those months are perfect if you want to make the valley floor your base of operations.

But the place gets crowded as hell from Memorial Day weekend and beyond. I prefer the two weeks prior to the holiday. I've experienced two separate visits where both snow and 70 degree temps were experienced over a three day span. And you MUST experience Yosemite with snow. It might as well be in the shoulder period where the falls and warmth can intersperse.

DEATH VALLEY was weird and bizarre the first time. A bore the second.

JOSHUA TREE was neat the first visit, though I stayed in Palm Springs by night. It was far more interesting on my second visit when I camped, and the Milky Way shown clear through in early November.

SEQUOIA-KINGS CANYON is hella cool if you can hit the backcountry routes on week days, avoiding most of the crowds. I've always thought stretches of Kings reminded me of "Yosemite Lite."

If anyone else can claim to have visited ORGAN PIPE, please step forward. I had no idea the place was so friggin' dangerous until I got there. The whole of Southern Arizona is a police zone. The Constitution seems unapplicable.
Still, the hikes into the mountains in Organ Pipe are nice. Too bad about the drug smugglers and illegals zipping through, pistols drawn. :mad:

CHIRICAHUA in Southeastern Arizona is a MUST for anyone interested in a mystical experience. It is one of the great, undiscovered places with bizarre geology (rocks stacked in giant pillars), wonderful hikes, fantastic views, and cool history (Cochise and the Apaches hid out there from the US Cavalry).

My upcoming mission is MT. WHITNEY, probably in July. I'm not sure if the snow will be completely gone by that point. If anyone knows, let me know. I'm planning on a 2-day, up from Whitney Portal and back. The goal is to use this trip as training for a late-July trip across the same route and then down into Kings Canyon and along the John Muir Trail to the trailheads near Bishop. That figures to be a seven day excursion.

Any advice is appreciated.

Yes the Olympics are nice too, I havent been there much since I was a kid. It seems like they are usually about 10 or so degrees cooler than the Cascades, and then you usually need to take a ferry there, but there are some nice views of the Pacific Ocean there too. Get ahold of me if you like before coming to Seattle.

Marc -thanks for the clarification. Moraine Lake was spectacular. Hope to get back there someday and do some more hiking and the area west of Banff you mentioned!

Two of the best hikes I ever had were in Tasmania (Australia) - Wine Glass Bay in Freycinet National Park. Where else can you have wallabies come up to you while you take a break on a picturesque bay (I have a picture of it on my desk at work for inspiration - or is that transportation away from my work). Happy trailing!

AU Tiger: I spoke to someone at the Ranger Sta. yesterday who says the snow level is now about 10,500 feet, which is way higher than I thought it would be with all the spring rain we've had down here in L.A. Anyway, except in extreme drought years, Whitney is never snow-free until August, and even then you have an ice patch on the switchbacks (but there are cables). But with all the people who tromp up there (and I'm guilty, having day hiked it about 15 times)the snow will be well packed down. Be sure to check into getting permits quick -- overnight permits for Whitney get reserved way in advance. Same thing for longer backpacks that go over Trailcrest (off the Whitney trail). If that's not available, try going out of Cottonwood Lakes, and over New Army Pass, a bit longer but nicer in my jaded opinion.

[ June 04, 2003, 09:44 AM: Message edited by: quentinc ]

Yosemite Valley is best in spring, but in September the high country come close to Heaven, as does the rest of the Eastern Sierra.

It's been 15 years since I was in Arches and Canyonlands. Arches -- the hikes to the main arches are great -- the ranger station can direct you easily. Canyonlands is spectacular, but really hard to see on foot. The "Island in the Sky" area is mindblowing. Best bet is to have 4 wheel drive and/or a mountain bike.

Ages ago I hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail -- from north of the Delaware Water Gap (beautiful!) down to the Shenandoah in Virginia.

I've always wanted to hike in the Cascades -- intrigued by the rainsoaked Hoh River valley.

Don't have the time anymore for those long ones though -- just more of a daytripper. We took a couple of day-long hikes in the Southern Andes of Chile a few years back -- breathtaking.

[I'm a much bigger fan of long canoe trips -- Boundary Waters, St. Croix River, etc. -- easier for trekking your gear around -- except for those damn portages!]

As soon as you get to the Moab, Utah area go to the Arches Nat. Park Visitors Center and see if you can purchase tickets for the Fiery Furnace hike. (Only ranger guided tours are allowed in the Fiery Furnace and there are a limited number of tickets sold each day.) The hike among the giant redrock fins and arches of the Furnace is amazing.

Also in Arches I would at least do the hike to Delicate Arch. It's well traveled but worth the time to see this iconic symbol of the American West. It's also a good place to watch a sunset. Another good hike in Arches is through Devil's Garden. (This is a good alternative if you can't get into the Fiery Furnace.) The Windows Section of the park has some easy walks to some of the park's better arches.

I've had less experience hiking in Canyonlands, but I know it has some great back country hikes. I've mostly just driven to many of the short hikes at many of the numerous overlooks in the park. They are all spectacular. The short hike to Mesa Arch is great as are the short hikes at Grand View Point and at Upheaval Dome. On your way in to or out of Canyonlands be sure to check out the view from Dead Horse Point State Park. (A small state park next to Canyonlands) This view is one of the most famous in the West.

Hey guys, during the winter I do the whole gym thing, but once spring and summer hit, I'm drawn outside like a bug to a light bulb.

Living here in Helena I have one of the largest city parks in the US starting at my main street. We have Mount Helena Park. The park consists of an entire Mountain. I hike the Mountain instead of hitting the tread mill, and I tell ya what, it's amazing how much more of a workout you get from actually going out and walking on ground rather than walking on a tread mill.

Along with Mount Helena, I also live about 15 minutes from the Continental Divide, so there're a ton of hiking in the foot hills.

Thanks for the suggestions of places outside of Montana to go hiking too. I'll have to do some research and go out exploring some more this summer.

34ra wrote:

Thanks for the info, 34ra; and likewise feel free to contact me via PM with any suggestions. Since I can only spare a few days in Washington state (the rest of my trip will likely be spent in Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast and the BC interior), I'm thinking now that Olympic Nat'l Park may be too ambitious to fit in, with the extra driving, ferry, etc. But North Cascades may be an option since it's more or less on the way; maybe camp there overnight and check out some of the hiking trails. While in beautiful Seattle, I'm hoping to go to a Mariners game for the first time (likely vs Baltimore in second week of July).

Whoa! Glad I started this off. Some great suggestions, guys. Thanks.

Another couple terrific hikes here in Northern California (not nearly as mobbed as Yosemite) are to Berry Creek Falls in Big Basin north of Santa Cruz & the Sierra Buttes north of Nevada City. The Buttes in particular are a beautiful & relatively undiscovered area, great for camping, fishing & hiking -- the whole region is dotted with isolated lakes, most with no trails to them. And with a topo map, you can get to some amazing spots with NO ONE else around. The skinny-dipping is unparalleled!

Most amazing trip John & I ever took was for my 40th birthday (over a decade ago now -- ouch). Did Half Dome on the day itself, then packed in to Emigrant Wilderness for a whole week. Only saw about 6 people the entire time. OH yeah.

Last summer went to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, just kick ass hiking in both. Had a great time and the scenery is just amazing.
LOVED it.