weekend walks
My favorite thing to do on summer weekends starts with a Friday afternoon trip to Stanley, Idaho. I grab a Sawtooth Special pizza and a craft IPA at Papa Brunee’s in downtown Stanley, then head to a dispersed campsite near a trailhead and sleep in my Ford Bronco. Early Saturday morning, I hit the trail and take my backpack to a high mountain lake in the Sawtooth Wilderness, where I camp for the night. On Sunday I walk again feeling recharged from my microadventure. Weekend backpacking trips are my reset button and help me manage the stress of daily life.
For years, my backpacking trips were just weekend getaways because I spent all my vacation days traveling abroad. Then COVID hit in 2020 and suddenly a lot of things changed, including the distance of my walks.
Camping near a high mountain lake in the Sawtooth Wilderness
short walks
In the early days of COVID, when overseas travel wasn’t possible, I began using my vacation days for longer backpacking trips to Idaho and Wyoming. Those multi-day and even multi-week hikes opened up a whole new world to me: ultralight gear, resupply planning, and improving my outdoor skills. The more I walked, the more I fell in love with being outdoors.
I discovered that real magic happens when I spend more than one weekend in nature. Without artificial lights, I start to sleep better: I wake up with the sun and go to bed when it gets dark. Life becomes simple; It’s about the weather and putting one foot in front of the other. My mind calms down and I start to think about what really matters to me and where I want my life to go. When I head into town to resupply, I don’t feel the need to doomscroll on my phone. I just want a freshly prepared meal, a cold IPA, and face-to-face conversations with people.
Once countries started reopening, I started traveling internationally again. But I didn’t stop hiking; Both traveling and backpacking adventures are important to me, so I now divide my vacation days between them.
Sunset over Shadow Lake in the Wind River Range
John Muir Trail
After years of trying, I finally got a permit for the Happy Isles trailhead on the JMT in 2023. That year brought the most snow ever recorded in the Sierra, but there was no way I was going to pass up my chance to do a full SOBO hike on the 211-mile trail. Normally, I’m obsessive about planning: spreadsheets for everything. But this time I had to start with some big unknowns:
- Will it be safe to cross swollen streams and snow-covered passes?
- How will I complete a continuous JMT hike after the South Fork San Joaquin Bridge collapse?
I began my hike without answers to these questions, just days after the remnants of Hurricane Hilary swept through the Sierra, making things even more complicated.
At the JMT, I had to let go of my usual mentality of planning everything and just go ahead with whatever came my way. I got the latest beta version of the trail by chatting with NOBO hikers. If a stream seemed sketchy, I would look for a safer crossing. I teamed up with a hiking buddy to cross snowy passes, which made it much safer for both of us. And despite what almost everyone said on Facebook, the South Fork San Joaquin was passable. Before this hike, I thought «The Trail Provides» was just a hippie-dippie saying; Now I totally understand it.
Fording the South Fork of the San Joaquin on the JMT
Ascent to Forester Pass via the JMT
I started out alone on the JMT, but after a black day at Vermilion Valley Resort, I joined another hiker. In fact, we met before at the Reno airport, spent hours chatting on the bus to Mammoth Lakes, and even stayed at the same hostel. His original hiking partner had to drop out due to injury, so we decided to join forces. She named me 😱⬇️💦 Waterfall after I kept getting wiped out at stream crossings. I gave it a name 🥔💥🥣 Mashed potatoesbecause this was the only vegetarian food I could search through the hiker donation bins at Muir Trail Ranch. (Trail names that come from silly mishaps are the best!) Hiking with a partner wasn’t part of my plan, but our camaraderie and friendship turned out to be a highlight of the adventure.
The JMT was the longest and most rewarding self-sufficient backpacking trip I have ever taken. After finishing, I began to see myself as a “trekker,” just as I am a runner and traveler. It was an important life experience.
Climbing the JMT Golden Staircase
Mini Triple Crown (also known as Triple Tiara)
Last summer, I got my answer after hiking the Collegiate Loop and climbing four 14ers. I proved to myself that I can do the daily mileage needed to finish the Colorado Trail in less than five weeks. Sure, there will be difficult days, but I’m used to moving forward. As long as I don’t get injured, I know I’ll be physically capable of hiking the Colorado Trail.
Mount Yale Summit: Testing Ground for the Colorado Trail
Mentally, I’m ready too. Walking the Collegiate Loop was a blast. I honestly can’t decide what I’m looking forward to more: hiking the San Juan Mountains or soaking up Colorado’s incredible trail culture. Friendly towns and outdoor-loving communities are a big part of what makes this trail special. Plus, I’m pretty stubborn when it comes to my goals. I know the lowest moments will come, but giving up and dealing with regret would be far worse than any difficult day along the way.
I’m excited to hike the Colorado Trail this summer! I hope to finish it and then take on the Long Trail in 2027, which would eliminate my bigger goal of the Mini Triple Crown. Would I love to tackle one of the great Triple Crown trails? Of course, I’m planning to increase the PCT after I retire. Maybe one day I’ll even join the Triple Crown club. Until then, I have a long list of epic shorter hikes I want to check off.
I’m always looking for new trails to add to my short hike list. If you have any recommendations, please share them in the comments below!
Hope Pass on the Collegiate West route
happy to be here
As a veteran reader of The walk and listener of Backpacking RadioI’m excited to join the ranks as a Trek Blogger. The walk The community has entertained me and taught me a lot over the years! I look forward to sharing with you my experience preparing and hiking the Colorado Trail.
Thanks for reading. Happy trails!
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