Hiking Options

[Nate]

For those who have hiked out west, is there a fair amount of mountains out there that have trails to their summits? Is bushwhacking more common out there? Since those mountains are much taller than the Whites, isn't the bushwhacking there much more arduous than anything around here? Or do the sane hikers merely avoid hiking up anything that entails fighting really thick stuff for three days straight?

 

[ADK4Life]

Its totally unrelated bush wacking out west. In the east you may need to bushwack your whole way to the summit of a mountain. In the west you may need to wack through small patches of growth to get to the next open point but it is never extended. There are established routes up many peaks in the west but most good approaches require having a knowledge of route finding on rock. I made it my point to attempt 3 peaks trailess to gain this experience. I might have used the word "bushwack" but I was going up 10,000 foot plus peaks not 3 to 4 thousand wooded mountains.

 

[AntlerPeak]

For those who have hiked out west, is there a fair amount of mountains out there that have trails to their summits? Is bushwhacking more common out there? Since those mountains are much taller than the Whites, isn't the bushwhacking there much more arduous than anything around here? Or do the sane hikers merely avoid hiking up anything that entails fighting really thick stuff for three days straight?

Nate, I find the term bushwhacking not the right one to describe off trail hiking in the west. There are perhaps by sheer number far more trails in the Washington Cascades than any single state in the east. But there are high numbers of untrailled peaks. The off trail scrambles usually begin in high passes or cols and rarely involve any brush.

The routes can be nothing more than walking up rock slopes and along ridges. The degree of difficulty varies from easy walking to class v rock climbing. Almost all have outstanding views and few if any are treed. However, there are many ridges at 6,000 feet that have standing Dug-Firs up to fifty feet tall. For the most part thick brush and battling through spruce thickets is non existant.

A typical example is shown in the pic below. This is a view of Yellow Aster Butte about 7000 feet. The trail into a high mountain meadow ended about three hundred feet below where this pic was taken. As you can see the terrain is not difficult and your route is visible the entire distance. This is fairly typical of areas between 5 and 8 thousand feet. Higher up it becomes more technical. farther down and more susceptible to thickets of trees, usually dug fir and typically that tree produces an open forest with little or no undergrowth. Actually they are usually welcomed for the shelter from the hot sun.

 

[RGF1]

While there are a lot more oppoortunties for off traill travel out west most climbers use a established trail to get to the climbing route . This may or may not be marked by ciarns usually it is not signed . There eare Exceptions Such as Mt Elberet a easy Class 1 walk up or the well signed trail head fro La Plata Peak it is a large parking are off RT 82 ( Indepandance pass.) Ther uskaly is a "climbers trail " and once you ar at treeline route finding skills are needed as cairns are often swept away by avalanches , On say the Grand Teton there are many climbing routes on exposed rock you should either be experinced in this type of climbing and or hire a reputable guide . I soloed the Grand in thge Winter and I knew i was well off any route but I was taking the best and safest line I could find . this is common on peaks such as the Grand in the winte4r. Or even Gannet Peak in the Summer. Depending on wher you are ther can be alot of under growth or little but that does not mean it is easy by any means . both good map and compass skils and or a knowledge of the areeithe needed or helpfull for example I am vey comfortabel in the Elks near Aspen i rearely lok at a map as i know land marks and whger i am but If I was to hike in the Wind rivers i would have both my maps and two compasses. I do not trust GPS yet.
Going with a skilled guide you can learn a lot or hooking up with some one who is extreamly famil;ar with the area is hepful as if you get lost it means days not a few hours to get out in many places . of climbing exposed ridges and racing severe storms .

 

[Nate]

To return to the topic of New England hiking lists, once one completes the Y-Alpine list, does one simply send a post card to the Alpine Club stating that one has completed all those peaks, or does the club request that some paperwork be filled out or some trip reports be submitted? Do they offer any sort of recognition for completing their list?

 

[RoySwkr]

You can get a patch http://s92966274.onlinehome.us/hikenh/img/ATPatch.jpg
for 100 hours of work maintaining the Appalachian Trail. This does not
necessarily require a lot of hiking such as If you were digging waterbars
near the road.