If you had to pick just one place to bac kpack for

“More the merrier bp,,,,just wait 'till I take you guys on an illegal border crossing to Santa Eleana or Boquillas,,,LOL.”

“heh.. I bet JoshMan wuld go.

November?.. lots of time to plan...”

“It could get pretty touristy and crowded and over-publicized, but if I could only go to one place I would prolly choose Yellowstone. It is a huge amount of area, there is alot of rarely traveled back country, it has just about every natural wonder, it has a really good cross-section of North American wildlife, and it would be awesome if you could brave it in the winter.”

“Newgirl I too also want to go to Yellowstone.That is on my dream list.A must before I die....:)”

“Gotta be the BC Rockies... Yoho NP or MT Robson???... Maybe Banff or MT Assiniboine???... I dunno... there's just too many to choose from.”

“Well you are right there is just to many I could keep going on and on so I guess there is just no picking just one........


Mike”

“NewGirl: Yellowstone is also on my list of favorites.. but only in the sense that I WANT to go, and this would be my first time. Tell me, did they close down all the auto access?.. or go the other direction and make it completely accessible? (paved paths, wheelchair width at least, etc.)”

“I'd love to hike Yellowstone, too. I doubt I'd be brave enough to do it in winter, though.”

“I have see some real cool pictures of winter time in Yellowstone and it looks very cool.But ya you are right to me it seems like it would be a very hard hike there in the winter.

Mike”

“Geez one place?
I've been thinking all day and can only think of one option.
North America, you know, the contenient.

Sorry, I can't get more specific.”

“Illegal border crossing, Chili?? Cool!!!! lol”

“Yeah, count me in!”

“I like that North america but ya know what I'll top that how about the whole world......:)

I know thats too much.....

Happy hiking”

“I listed the Black Hills as the place I'd go with if I only had one place to hike but my dream is to Thru-hike the AT. I'll be retireing from my job in 20 years. That's when I'll do it.”

“Walkindude I too also want to do a thru hike by mine is TNC but it's not done yet and I will be dead and gone when it gets done.Maby not I hope.I'm only 29 but there is still a long way to go on that trail.

happy hiking.....:)

Mike”

“Hey Mike -

I'd choose Baxter State Park as well. I go there several times a year and I'll be heading north in January for my first winter trip there.

Hope you get there someday, it's a really great place!”

“Man twigeater you are very lucky!!!I have seen pictures of that park and every time I seen them drool comes out of my mouth.Do you have any pictures if you do send me some via email I would like that very much.

happy hiking.....:)

Mike”

“I have some pictures here. Click on "adventures with jerbear," a twelve day trip that took us from BSP to Isle au Haut.
http://www.dotphoto.com/MemListAlbums.asp”

“Sierra's (CA)- I'm already there, that's where my weekends are spent. Either backpacking (all seasons), or snowboarding in the winter. We have the high peaks and passes and alpine lakes....I like being up high.

Would like to hang out in the Rockies (planned for next year...)”

“Man you guys are luckey.......:)

I relly want to go backpacking there...

Twigeater I am going to check out the pictures...

Take care everyone and have a great day.....:)

Mike”

“looks like I need a member logon?”

“Iluv and TD, if you guys decide to come out here for the MT TT BP trip, we will only be a stones throw away from two of the entrances to Yellowstone. You could easily go check it out. In the middle of summer, it will be crowded in all the main parts though. The back country (according to what I've been told) is always pretty uncrowded. I have only done little day hikes in Yellowstone and camped at the designted camp sites. It is an awesome place though and if I ever get really good at bping I will spend alot of my time there. Aero has winter experience in the Park, so he could give you info. on that. Lots of hotsprings . . . nice!”

“newgirl: I would luv to go.. if for no other reason to finally get to meet you.. but hey.. reality sets in and reminds me that I can't afford a trip like that.. nor can I get off work that long right now that I know of.. so hey.. *sniff*.. not this time I don't think... but trust me.. I will be soooo jealous!”

“The Tahoe Basin, beautiful four season wilderness.”

“I too would also love to go.I need to ge out west...I looking forward to next year...

Keep me up to date newgirl...

Happy hiking....:)

Mike”

“For a large destination, I am there. MICHIGAN!

More specifically the Michigan North country trail. 1100 miles when complete.”

“I am obviously biased, but..

Lake Superior.

Sheer cliffs and crashing waves near Munising and LSPP. Mountains on the Canadian and Minnesota north shore. Surprisingly southwest-looking rock formations near Thunder Bay. And enough water to put a foot on top of North and South America. Wolves, moose, caribou, bears, elk...

Once connected, the Superior Hiking Trail, North Country Trail and Voyageurs Trail will circle the greatest lake of all and its 2,730 miles shoreline.

That will be a trail that could beat the AT.”

“the Grand Canyon. I was born there, and I'll probably die there when I'm like 102.”

“Reformed lurker I like the way you think........That place is what 50% of my daydreaming is about.....And the North Country Trail........:)

happy hiking

Mike”

“There is only one place that I would and continue to go to on a very regular basis...the Great Adirondacks of NYS. I've been fortunate enough to have packed in both the eastern and western states as well as the Canadian Rockies. Nothing, to me, has the beauty, solitude (away from the crowds) of these great mountains. 6,000,000 acres of park...from the High Peaks to the Northville-Lake Placid trail. Something for everyone. Well used trails to total solitude. I plan to retire there in a few years and hike...and pack...and hike...and pack, ad infinitum...spring, summer, winter, fall!”

“switzerland?

new zealand?

somewhere in southern asia?”

“Out west...........”

“How about one trail...

CDT

I think I haven't been to the best places yet so I can't pick. It would be the Rockies or Sierras, some place above the tree line. Some place really big.”

“I could spend a liftime trekking nepal, the annapurrna circuit was the bomb, the hill tribes of thailand, damp/wet...but like dorthy said... there's no place like home GSMNP and anything else out there,why limit myself to just one”

“I may head to the Adirondacks next year. My parents live in the Albany are and I'm due for a visit to that area. I spent 25 years in upstate NY and never did any hiking. Now I'll have to get on a plane to enjoy it.”

“Trinity Alps - a trip each of the last four years.”

“Man the list is just too much...I look at all these places it makes me want to quit my job and go all around the world backpacking now that would be cool....


OK and then I wake up.....:(

Mike”

“I own everything in Northern Arizona north of the Verde River and on up into Southern Utah and the SW corner of Colorado. It is my job to walk about checking up on my property. It will take the rest of my lifetime.”

“its a hard choice, each of my trips has had plenty of magic, the place that blew me away the most though is Zion NP. To massive to fully comprehend. Lots of mojo. Second cool place was the Great Sand Dunes in southern colorado...38,000 acre sand box, surrounded by 14,000 snow capped mountains...surreal”

“stikmon...you forgot to mention that hike we did up a forested gorge in central Pennsylvania when suddenly we encountered a nearly naked centerfold shoot taking place in the middle of no-where....you know the one....you've got to have that etched into you mind....”

“There is just too many......If you could live to 200 years old you still would not be able to see all of the cool places to backpack in the world.I think what I will do is right a bunch of places that I would like to backpack on small bits of paper and put them in a hat.Mix it up and each year pull one out from each of my 2 week trips...That sounds like a good idea.....:)

Happy hiking....

Mike”

“There is just too many......If you could live to 200 years old you still would not be able to see all of the cool places to backpack in the world.I think what I will do is right a bunch of places that I would like to backpack on small bits of paper and put them in a hat.Mix it up and each year pull one out from each of my 2 week trips...That sounds like a good idea.....:)

Happy hiking....

Mike”

“iluvbackpacking........
me too”

“I would say 25% at 200 years maby.....”

“Does anyone know how to get to the River to River trail in IL?”

“this one came late.. i bet no one saw it..”

“stratusloop, yeah, but I have the photo's...oh yeah, so do you. welcome to the coolest place on the web.

Gotta get back to the Buffalo River next year. thats a cool place too”

“If I could narrow it down to just one state, that would hafta be Idaho...

The Frank Church Wilderness is larger than Yellowstone, and much more remote. The "Church" has trails totalling in length longer than the AT, yet only 1/3 of the wilderness is covered by those trails. Cross-country trekking could occupy a hiker for the rest of her bp'ing life. The River of No Return lies within the Church, as well as the Salmon River Mountains.

The Sawtooth National Recreation Area is vast, too. Within the SNRA is the Sawtooth Wilderness and the White Cloud Peaks - two very impressive mountain ranges.

The remainder of the state is covered by millions of acres of National Forests. Mountain ranges that lie almost completely within NFs include the Lemhis and the Lost River Range (highest pt. - Mt. Borah 13,000ft). Backpacking options are almost infinite in these two ranges alone.

In four westward roadtrips, I have yet to make it past ID to the west coast and PNW - there's so much to see and do in the Gem State!

Idaho may be the lower 48's best kept secret.”

“It was until now. Next thing you know, Backpaker mag will have a big article on Idaho.

Way to go gojo.”

“Bogong High Plains, Victoria. Australia.
Overland Track, Tasmania. Australia.
Annapurna Circuit, Nepal.

It took me a couple of days to narrow it down to three, let alone one.

These I would have picked if I'd done them,
Inca Trail, Peru.
Routeburn Track, New Zealand.”