Fall is here in the Rockies, and winter won't be far behind. For many that means outdoor adventures are being shunted to the back burner. But it also means there's lots of time to plan next year's epic adventures in the National Park System. So what treks are you mulling?
A friend and I are going through books and magazines, surfing the Internet, and generally brainstorming to settle on an epic adventure for next summer or fall. And by "epic" I mean something more than just a three- or four-day backpacking trip or rafting journey.
We're talking "trip-of-a-lifetime" here, or at least something you don't bite off every year. For some that could mean finally signing up for that climb to the top of the Grand Teton in Grand Teton National Park, or summiting Mount Rainier, or hiking the entire 93-mile-long Wonderland Trail in Rainier in one fell swoop. For others it could mean taking a few months off to hike the Appalachian or Pacific Crest trails. Or it might mean finally getting around to paddling about Voyageurs National Park.
So what say you, fellow travelers? What epic trips do you hope to checkoff before you check out?
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We flew through Gates of the Arctic NP and landed at Summit Lake, above the Arctic Circle. We then hiked for 5 days along the N. Fork of the Koyakuk River on a trailess route. At the Gates of the Arctic itself, we picked up two small rafts and floated for 9 days until we came to Bettles, Alaska, our take out place.
Total # of people seen: 0
Total # of grizzly scat: uncountable
Total # of grizzlies seen: 0
Total # of fords of the river: numerous
Total # of aircraft observed: several each day
Total amount of awesome scenery: endless
Total days of rain: almost every day
Total number of times we packed wet tents and other gear: almost every day
Total amount of fun: immeasurable.
Rick Smith