Long-range bucket list

Nick

Nick

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For years I've been thinking how much I want to backpack in places beyond my usual circle of travel. It seems like anything beyond 6 hours or so just gets pushed off and pushed off. This morning I decided I'm never going to get to any of these places unless I get off my ass and make a plan to do it. So I'm going to dedicate a full week off work every year (9 days to work with), in which I leave my comfort zone and head out to some of these more distant places. Maybe I drive, maybe I fly. Maybe I hit more than one on a trip or go all the way out just to experience that one place. It doesn't matter.

What I need now is to start my new list of places so I can start researching and making plans. I'd love any suggestions on specific areas, trails, routes, etc. I know there are so many places out there that I don't even realize exist. Here are some of my very vague ideas on places I want to hit. I figure I'll be solo for most of this stuff but that's okay.

The Absoraka/Beartooth Wilderness
Olympic National Park
Glacier National Park
The Sierra-Nevada Range/JMT
The Canadian Rockies

What else? I'm not too interested in anything out east.
 
also, cascades in washington are great. wonderland loop on rainier is good. timberline loop around hood is good. weminuche wilderness is good.

we going international? khumbu, kashmir, patagonia, huayash, te araroa, the list is unfortunately never ending. i need more money.
 
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How about more specific recommendations in Alaska? Denali is the only specific place I've heard much about for backpacking.
 
denali is great, but kind of a pain with all the permits. i did a week in the wrangells - it was awesome. tons of options out there. i'm not really big on the chugach, i prefer the interior mountains, though some people love it. bagley ice field is popular. i'd love to do a huge traverse of the hayes section of the alaska range sometime. start at black rapids, and walk to denali. that would be sick, maybe set up a couple airdrops for food? there's been a bunch of alaska wilderness classics that follow that route.

also, there is tons of stuff in the brooks range. maybe the best stuff of all. unfortunately, i've never made it out there. arrigetch is the trendy spot up there, but there are countless other options. i'd do a packraft up there if i were to go though.
 
All those plus:
New Zealand
The Alps
Norway
Hawaii
Colorado Rockies
Grand Canyon
Frank Church
Yellowstone?
 
I LOVE the Beartooths. Definitely hit that wilderness, but focus on the Beartooth range rather than the Absaroka range. I spent almost a week there a couple of years ago, starting at Island Lake. We ended up being stopped by snow and high snow melt, but not before having a great several nights.

And I have to second New Zealand. We just came back from there in February...that was outstanding.

I've recently discovered the Gros Ventre Wilderness up in Wyoming...it looks promising.
 
My bucket list only seems to get longer with time instead of shorter. It's definitely easier to stick closer to home when you have so much awesome stuff to do within a few hours of where you live. Some places I want to go that are more than a few hours away are:

Glacier NP
Canadian Rockies
San Juan Mountains
Yosemite NP
Redwood NP
Crater Lake NP
Beartooth Mountains
Columbia River Gorge/Portland area
Mount Rainier NP
White Sands NM
Joshua Tree NP
New Orleans
Norway
New Zealand
Ireland
Switzerland

That's just off the top of my head.
 
There are several backcountry airfields in Idaho that I think would be a blast to get dropped off at then backpack out from.

The Ouachitas in eastern Oklahoma look interesting

A few redrock canyon in Arizona that I can't think of the name. They're in Kelsey's hiking book.

I'd love to hit up the Boundary Waters.
 
I want to fly in to one of those airfields in Idaho, too. We were dropped off at two different places by floatplane in Alaska, and that was a lot of fun.

We did Boundary Waters a few years ago...HIGHLY recommended.
 
Dan said:
denali is great, but kind of a pain with all the permits.
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Its not that hard to get a permit in Denali. All you have to do is watch a bear safety video and then be permitted for the area you want to visit. Best trip was the Toklat River- areas 31 and 32. Here is a shot of me across from Bear Draw with the Toklat in the background. Denali is wild!
Well worth the visit IMHO.

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Bucket List:

Eagle Cap Wilderness
Bitteroot Mountains
Bob Marshall Wilderness
San Juan Mountains
Patagonia
New Zeland
Sawtooths
White Clouds
Ashland to Cascade Locks section of the PCT

So many more, but these are on the radar.
 
Also: Iceland. Most of the web hits seem to be commercial, but my Lonely Planet Iceland book lists a bunch of trekking options that look spectacular. I was in Iceland this summer and it was incredible. There are no mosquitoes there!! The $16 beers were a little hard to take.
 
regehr said:
Arctic Alaska should be on any bucket list! http://blog.regehr.org/archives/55
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Wow! That was an epic adventure! Looks like you had a full Alaskan experience. Snow, bears, and all. I did not make it that way while I was in Alaska. But I want to! That is one of the most epic trip reports I have read in a long time on a blog. :twothumbs:

I also have the Sirius 2, and yes the rain fly only covers your tent, not gear under it. Probably why they stopped making them. The single wall part of the body collects a lot of condensation.
 
For a long range list, trips that are going to be at least 5 years out and require significant dough/time/planning. A dream list really.

Top 5 would have to be.

Baffin Island
Alaska, Brooks Range
New Zealand
Nepal
Italy, Dolomites

For a more realistic list of places I could realistically get to within 5 years that have been on the list for a while.

North Cascades
Beartooths
Canadian Rockies
Glacier NP

Like others have said the list never really gets shorter, each new place visited just adds 5 more locations to the list.
 
Nick said:
Man, I sure sucked at following through with this post from 4 years ago. I'm okay with where I've been going though.
Click to expand...

I was thinking that when I saw this! :roflmao:

A FEW knee surgeries will do that to you though. :thumbsup:
 
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