Guided Trips

“I'm considering taking a guided backpaking trip this summer with either REI Adventures (Mt Ranier) or Big Wild Adventures (Montana/Utah). The trips are somewhat expensive (around $1000 for 6 nights on the trail +airfare) but I'm fairly desperate to get out somewhere outside of the Midwest. Anyone have any experience with either company or other comments concerning guided trips?

Thanks”

“You want to come to California and go on a guided High Sierra hike with the llamas?
I'm one hell of a lot cheaper to hire than $1,000 a week.

www.qnet.com/~sierramel

Pay me a visit is you're interested.

I can get some pretty good recomendations from some of our people here on TT who have been on trips with me.”

“What Mel said.



Or...
Your name implies that you're experienced.
Why not drive out and discover for yourself?

Over the last two summers, I have done loosley planned hikes in The Black Hills, SD; The Wind Rivers, WY; and The Sawtooths, ID.

I also did impromptu hikes in The Tetons, WY, and Bryce Canyon, UT.

My roadtrips usually involve 6000-7000 miles of driving - which, to me, is a major part of the experience. I spend 16-17 days away from home (GA).

I would like to do the UP, Northern Plains, CO, the PNW and the desert SW this summer, which will add prolly 10,000 miles to the ol' odometer, and take more than three weeks.

I'll spend $1000.00.

Roadtrips are cool.”

“gojo

I wish I had the time. I agree roadtrips are very cool. Unfortunately, I've got to try to squeeze everything into a week or in this case 8 days.”

“OhioHiker, hiking to the top of Mt. Rainier would be exciting, but it is also filled with as much danger as hiking Mt. Everest. Take that into consideration. It is an arduous hike. You have to be in excellent condition.

You could always fly to any mountain or mountain range anywhere and make your own plans.

I figure your airfare would be about $400. to fly to WA state from Ohio. The $600 would go to the guides. That seems like a lot of money. Is there anything else the $1,000. covers, hotel boarding for the 1st and 2nd night, any food, transportation, equipment?

Out here in WA, where I live, my hubbies aquaintances from work have hiked Mt. Rainier using local guides and not big outfitters like REI. I have hiked around Mt. Rainier, but have not ventured to the top.
There are also nice overnighters to hikes that last a few days that let you stand back from Mt. Rainer to see it better than being right on it. I imagine, though, the view from the top is stupendous.”

“I meant hotel boarding for your 1st and last night. You wouldn't be starting you hike right from the airport, and then go back on the plane your last day?”

“Generally speaking,
flying + instant elevation = elevation sickness.

Driving offers the opportunity to acclimate.

Eight days, hmmmmm?
Four days driving, round trip, would allow a three niter in The Wind River Range, for instance. I'd be willing to do that...

The Black Hills would be even closer. Front Range (Denver), too.

Heck... come south.”

“Check out Isle Royale National Park. The ferry is $80 round trip and you could fly for less than $1000. Cant beat the northwoods!”

“Wall-man (who I don't think posts here much), Orin (who's picture is with mine on Phil?s photo page), and I are doing a trip in Glacier National Park this summer. We'll be doing the Northern Loop in the Many Glacier area. We have our backcountry permit reservations for four (one guy bailed) and hotel rooms to boot. We'll out there for 11 days and doing the loop for 6 nights and seven days.

You're welcome to join us.”

“Ohiohiker, it turns out hubbies friends went with an experienced hiker friend. I did find a link that you can cut & paste to get info on other Mt. Rainier guides. It's: www. climberguide.com/mntns./rainier/

Click on planning. REI is a well-known organization, so I think you would be safe with them. Since they are well known, you will pay top dollar. With this link, you can do a comparison on what other places have to offer, i.e. training before hand.”

“Yeah...what Mel said”

“Ohio - That's a lot of dough for no guarantees. I was out at Rainier a few years ago, hiked up to Camp Muir for FREE (10,000', nice views), hiked the Wonderland trail for FREE (more nice views), hiked the rain forest and Olympic Coast for FREE (more nice views). Ex-wife and daughter stayed behind when I came back East, and paid for a trip to the top with the Guides. Acclimatization woes and the inability to self-arrest got the wife cut before the trip even started, and daughter only made it to Disappointment Cleaver before she pooped out. Listen to what gojo had to say about flying and instant elevation. There are enough resources out there that you ought to be able to plan a nice trip on your own and save some of that money to BUY MORE GEAR! You wanna do some nice hiking at lower elevations, I'll take you out on the Long Trail, no charge. Hell, I'll even throw in some of my dehydrated delicacies.”