Best place to backpack the Bob Marshall?

T

Tyler Scharbarth

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Looking to do a 5 or 6 day trip into the Bob and have done a ton of research and cannot decide where to go. I have purchased and read Erik Molvar's guide to the Bob and am still undecided. Looking to do about a 20-30 mile loop and want to get into the high country and do some fishing. Any advice as to which trailhead to look more into or a specific loop would be much appreciated. Planning on leaving August 22nd.
 
Looking forward to any advice too. You looked here on the site too I suppose.
 
You won't find much...... it is a horse packer wilderness. Long long valleys, timber
 
Bob said:
You won't find much...... it is a horse packer wilderness. Long long valleys, timber
Click to expand...
So you are saying no huge meadows or above-treeline tundra ? Tree-tunnel trails are not my personal favorite as you know.
 
Not really.....long valleys with creeks, timbered slopes, etc. Worked with a USFS LEO on a fire that packed into the BOB all the time, said really a horse packer place. HE gave me his card and said if I ever wanted to go in give him a call (had to work as a volunteer though). Said it was great country...
 
I read the CDT (Continental Divide Trail) was very nice through the Bob.
Here's why it's on my to hike list
The Chinese wall. Looks pretty awesome to me.
Chinese wall.jpg
 
Went to the Winds, Hailey Pass Washakie Pass, last year and was thoroughly impressed. Looking to do something similar. If not the Bob any recommendations to a loop would be much appreciated
 
Have you been anywhere else in the Winds? Lots more amazing stuff there. Or maybe Grand Teton, Glacier or Sawtooths.
 
The wall is about it in the Bob.... It's a long way in....
 
If you're willing to add miles to your trip or perhaps a couple more days if ten miles a day is too much, here is a loop that you can do in the Bob. It is approximately 65 miles and takes in the North Fork of the Sun River, a section of the Chinese Wall and a return down the South Fork of the Sun River.

Bob_Marshall_01.jpg
65 mile loop overview

Bob_Marshall_02.jpg
Zoomed in North Half

Bob_Marshall_03.jpg
Zoomed in South Half
 
Not very good reviews on the Bob... Any recommendations of a loop of that distance, around 20-30 miles, in the Grand Tetons? Would absolutely love to go back to the Winds and definitely will in the future but looking to hit as many places as we can.
 
Yeah the Bob is way down on the bottom of my list.
What is on the top is:
San Juans (Sept 2015)
Winds
Tetons
Uintas
Beartooths

Narrow it down to a couple areas. Buy some maps and start planning a hike.
 
I get the sense that "The Bob" ,as opposed to @Bob :), isn't getting its due respect here. Don't short change the wilderness. I found on my backpacking trip there, that it was not only very scenic , the Chinese Wall is incredible, but had a truly wild feel about it that you don't get in too many places in the lower 48. And best of all, once I left the first half of Gibson Reservoir, I didn't see another human being , other than my backpacking partners, the rest of the trip.
 
This guy is crazy about the Bob.
http://bedrockandparadox.com/

He does a lot of packrafting, but he backpacks as well.
His email address is listed on the site. If you're really set on the Bob, you could try contacting him. Or just read some of his posts.
 
Not shortchanging it..........I was told it is more of a horsepacking wilderness due to the long access to get into it...

It is on my list to go visit but I have other places I deem more desirable. And has a lot of Bears (see the Big Bear Wilderness) right next door...
 
There is definitely some nice country out there, nice lakes and alpine. Some fantastic ridge walks in both wildernesses as well. I've asked a few people recently to come to this website and post trip reports for the Bob, so maybe something will show up.
 
Would be good.........
 
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