Skip to content
Boot Wreckers
Menu
  • Home Page
  • Hiking Day Trips
    • Angels Landing – 2015
    • Aylmer Lookout Banff NP
    • Mt Allan Traverse (Centennial Ridge)
    • Mt Nomad (almost) – Kanananaskis Country
  • Backpacking – Overnights
    • Baker Lake 2020 Banff NP
    • Exploring Waterfalls with Volcano – Yoho NP
    • Fish Lakes – Banff NP, Alberta
    • Floe Lake/Numa Creek, Kootenay NP, British Columbia
    • Floe Lake (Revisited 2019) – Kootenay NP
    • Grand Canyon Corridor Backpacking Trip
    • Hermit Trail to Hermit Meadows – Glacier NP, British Columbia
    • Howard-Douglas Lake – Banff NP (2017)
    • Leman Lake – Banff, NP
    • Mystic Lake – Banff NP
    • Ribbon Lake Kananaskis Prov. Park 2016 – Ribbon Creek Route
    • Ribbon Lake Kananaskis Prov. Park 2017 – South Buller Pass Route
    • Simpson and Healy Pass – Banff NP (2016)
    • Stenton Lake – Alberta Wildlands Prov. Park
  • Backpacking – Multi Day
    • Arizona Trail Passages 16 17
    • Brazeau Loop – Jasper National Park
    • Colorado River Float Trip 2015
    • Egypt Lake Epic – Banff NP
    • Egypt Lake Exploration 2021- Banff NP
    • Grand Canyon Hermit – South Kaibab
    • Grand Canyon – Tanner/Beamer Trail
    • GR20 – Corsica
    • Great Divide Trail Hike – Section C 2020
    • Great Divide Trail Hike – Section D 2022
    • Great Divide Trail Hike – Section E 2021
    • Green River Canoe Trip 2017
    • Iceline/Twin Falls – Yoho NP 2020
    • Kilimanjaro – Tanzania
    • Mt Assiniboine Lollipop – Banff NP
    • Rockwall North 2020 Kootenay NP
    • Rockwall 2022 – Paint Pots to Numa Creek, Kootenay NP
    • Sawback – Banff NP
  • The Team
  • Contact Us
Menu

Great Divide Trail Hike – Section C 2020

Wolf at Egypt Lake

I would like to acknowledge that this hike past through the ancestral and traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples. The Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuut’ina, Stoney (Ĩyãħé) Nakoda, Cree, Lheidli T’enneh, Ktunaxa, Secwepemc, Sinixt and Métis who have called the Rocky Mountains home since time immemorial. I acknowledge the many Indigenous Peoples in Canada whose footsteps have marked these lands for generations and I am grateful to be a visitor in these lands.

I learned about the Great Divide Trail after our Assiniboine trip in 2019. My Viewranger App (Android Version) had a the main trail that we followed highlighted in brown. The brown trail extended north and south of where we hiked at Assiniboine and when enlarged I was able to read the words Great Divide Trail. A little bit of searching and I discovered that I had a long distance trail right in my own backyard.

The GDT showing up on my Viewranger App. It was how I discovered the trail.

Hiking long distance trails had become a topic in the family. I had a subscription to Backpacker magazine where they would highlight/idolize long distance hikes and thru hiking. Micah had completed a solo trip of the John Muir Trail in 2016, section hiked the Te Araroa and has plans to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. We had all watched the movies Wild and A Walk in the Woods. Plus in 2018 Micah and I had spent 14 days hiking the GR20 in Corsica.

The knowledge of having a major long distance hike running through my backyard was very exciting. It was time to start doing some research. In September of 2019 I picked up a copy of Hiking Canada’s Great Divide Trail by author Dustin Lynx (side note: I taught both of Dustin’s kids at high school, math and physics). I knew I could never hike the entire trail in one go. I teach summer school in July and there would not be enough time before I had to return to school for the new year. More importantly, I had never hiked more than 14 days so scaling up to the 45 days necessary to hike the GDT would be challenging. Section hiking the GDT would be a great option as it would allow me the flexibility to explore the trail over several years while allowing time in the summer for other hikes and adventures.

During the initial planning stage a caretaker at the school who had done a lot of hiking in the past, including the GDT, recommended the book Backpacking the Canadian Rockies – High Summer by Chris Townsend. This is the same fellow who lent me the copy of No Picnic on Mt Kenya which we read during our hike on the GR20. I photocopied part of the book by Chris Townsend for us to read during our trip on the Arizona Trail. The book was captivating as Chris Townsend is both an experienced hiker and a gifted storyteller. High Summer is a must read for any GDT enthusiast. When Chris Townsend hiked the GDT in the late 80’s there was no unified trail and he hiked it all the way to the Northwest Territories.

We have a saying as far as trip planning goes: “things don’t get real until dad has a spreadsheet”. I like to put things down and visualize how things are going to play out. Sometimes I feel I walk the entire hike before we actually set boots on the trail. I purchased the guide book on September 14th and by the 26th I had created a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet comprised the hiking plan, a to do list, and a packing list that also calculates weight. I have tried to minimize the weight that I carry since I start with a 6 lbs penalty due to the camera gear that I carry.

Once I had the hike planned the next hurdle would be to book the campsites. As we were hiking the section of the GDT that passes through one of the most highly trafficked areas of the national parks I would have to be quick on the online booking. When the online booking system opened on January 22nd I successfully booked everything.The one hitch was that our first of two nights at Egypt Lake was in the Egypt lake Shelter. Egypt Lake campsites were all booked up for the date I wanted 10 minutes after the online booking opened! This would not become a problem until May, when Parks Canada shut down all the shelters due to Covid restrictions.

We changed plans due to the loss of the 1st night at Egypt Lake and decided to do two nights at Mt Assiniboine. This meant trying to move our Howard Douglas booking by one day. I checked the booking system multiple times a day looking for an opening at Howard Douglas. It only took a few weeks before there was an opening for the date we wanted.

Getting myself physically ready is very simple living in Canmore. I would do hikes up and down Mt Lady MacDonald or Grotto Mt carrying a 50 lbs a couple times a week to go along with my daily runs starting as soon as the snow melted off the trails in April. I had a few challenges during our hike but physical fitness was not one of them.

Micah’s note: I was at university and working that summer in Kelowna, where the heat in July/August got so high I could barely hike. I took to going running early in the morning, and on the rare days I woke up to a cloudy sky I booked it outside to the nearest mountain to get as much elevation in before the clouds burned off and it got too hot to move. I was a little nervous that dad would be far ahead of me fitness-wise, but we seemed to make it through alright on that front.

My original plan for resupplies was to carry 7 days of food to arrive at the parking lot for Floe Lake where we would take on the resupply for the remaining 8 days to take us to Saskatchewan River Crossing. Micah went behind my back and organized a resupply for Field, which reduced the second stretch from one 8 day stretch to a 3 and 5 day stretch. Link to the Resupply Plan.

An unexpected challenge came up when I went to purchase our dried meals for the trip. Due to a few reasons—but mostly Covid—there was very little freeze dried food available at any of the local retailers or online. This was cause for panic as we had less than two weeks before our departure date. I purchased what I could locally and put in an order online with a national retailer, but we were about 5 meals short for both of us. The solution was simple, as Micah had bought me a food dryer for my birthday. We both dried some homemade meals to make up for the shortfall. I was totally impressed how the little dryer handled drying the entire meals. The weight on the cannelloni went from 700 g to just over 200 g after drying. Given more time I would definitely make more homemade meals. When re-hydrating on the trail we purposely ate a store purchased meal on the first night and then reused the empty bags to re-hydrate our homemade meals to keep from having to dirty the our pot. I have learned since returning home that there is a company in Canmore that prepares backcountry dried meals, Peak Eats. I will definitely be purchasing meals produced locally for my future backpacking trips.

Micah’s note: I had some experience with dehydrating meals before, since I did all my meals for the JMT. Still, then I’d always used recipes from a backpacking cookbook, with meals designed to be dehydrated. It was pretty neat to just dehydrate our own meals and see how well they worked.

Drying Canneloni

Once I got around to packing the food I got concerned because most of what I had read and been told was that you should plan for about 2 lbs of food per day. After packing up our food I discovered that we were well under the 2 lb guideline. My solution was simple as I just added more food. We ended up with way too much food on the first leg. This was a good problem to have but quite amusing as we watched our food bags not decrease nearly as fast as they should have. I should have trusted what I had packed to begin with which was based on my previous backpacking trips.

The Great Mistake of the trip came just a week before we planned to leave. After a short day hike I noticed that my Salomon hiking shoes had a hole in the material over the toes. In Canmore we have a shoe repair store, Comfy Shoes, but I needed the shoes in less than a week. I should have gone and pleaded my case for an emergency repair but I didn’t. I went to the local hiking store but they did not have my shoes and they were not available. I had been thinking of switching from Salomon because I was not a big fan of the quick lace system. I have been wearing Salomon’s for about 6 years, first a pair of boots then hiking shoes. Never had I had a blister so less than a week before a major hike was a bad time to switch brands, but I did. I switched to a pair of hiking Keen Targhee shoes. I went on a couple hikes up Grotto Mt and except for a bit a rubbing on the soles of my feet they felt fine. The decision to switch not only footwear but brands right before an extended hike would have dire consequences for my both my feet and the trip.

Micah’s note: While not so dramatic as dad’s, I also had some footwear issues that summer. I got a pair of Oboz’s in May, but by mid-July it became evident that all my efforts to break them in were futile. After an aborted two-night overnight where I bailed due to large blisters after one day, I went back to MEC and picked up a reliable pair of Salomon X-Ultra shoes. The pickings weren’t as good this year, due to COVID impacting production, so I had to get a slightly different version than my ideal. The only ones available were the Gore-Tex quick-lace version. I prefer non-Gore-Tex since they dry faster, and I just don’t like the Salomon quick-lace, but I wasn’t in a position to be picky. The X-Ultra has served me well on several trips and I knew I’d be best off with a familiar model. So while I hadn’t changed brands right before the trip, I still had two-week old shoes when we started, so my future foot issues were probably at least partially due to the shoes not being broken in before the trip. Definitely by the end of the trip my blisters had mostly cleared up, while dad’s only got worse due to the unfamiliar shoes.

The trip did not work out as planned. Due to the condition of my feet we ended up stopping at Field after 10 days on the trail. It was a fantastic trip full of adventures and great people. What we/I learned will help make future trips more successful. Our 2021 Trip from Field to Jasper is already planned (you can see a tab for it on the bottom of the Excel sheet).

A short movie summarizing our 10 days on the Great Divide Trail.

Link to what I packed and weights.

What we/I learned:

  • Less food, we barely touched our dried fruit, did not need “extra” Logan Bread snacks
  • Shoes must be at least 1 month old and have been on at least one hike of 8 hours in length
  • Do not switch brands of shoes a week before trip
  • Keep days to under 25 km if at all possible. Attempt to start with a couple of medium days, in the mid teens in terms of distance, to work into the hike
  • On long backpacking trips, have full strapped sandals that can be used to hike in on flat/easy trail, help allow the feet to keep cool
  • Bring full rolls of blister tape to start hike. White tape for blisters, clear tape to shield toes from white tape
  • Have a paper map of each section. Mark up with potential campsites for Wild Camping sections
  • Physical preparation was perfect. Using a 45lbs pack and 600m – 800m elevation trips up Mt Lady MacDonald or Grotto Mt twice a week. No muscle soreness at all on trip
  • For summer in the Canadian Rockies, have horsefly repellent
  • Summer in the Canadian Rockies means possibilities of near zero morning temperatures, need adequate warm clothing
  • Carrying a near 50 lbs pack (complete with camera gear) is not a big deal with good physical preparation.
  • Read the guidebook description of the coming day to uncover any unique details. The section from Og Lake to Citadel Pass is listed in the guidebook as dry, wish I had read that before we had to ration our water as we hiked up Citadel Pass in the afternoon sun.
  • We might be able to hike at 5kph in good terrain, but rely on a 3kph average over the whole day. It just seems to work out that way, however carefully we schedule our breaks
  • Tap heels on first day to prevent blisters
Our favourite blister tape.

Day 1 GDT Section C 2020 – Upper Kananasksis Lake to Wild Camp Palliser Pass

Day 2 GDT Section C 2020 – Wild Camp Palliser Pass to Big Springs CG

Day 3 GDT Section C 2020 – Big Springs CG to Lake Magog CG

Day 4 GDT Section C 2020 – Niblet and Nublet, Mt Assiniboine Provincial Park

Day 5 GDT Section C 2020 – Lake Magog CG to Howard Douglas CG

Day 6 GDT Section C 2020 – Howard Douglas CG to Egypt Lake CG

Day 7 GDT Section C 2020 – Egypt Lake CG to Floe Lake CG

Day 8 GDT Section C 2020 – Floe Lake CG to Tumbling Creek CG

Day 9 GDT Section C 2020 – Tumbling Creek CG to McArthur Creek CG (Draft)

Day 10 GDT Section C 2020 – McArthur Creek CG to Ottertail Creek Trail Head (Draft)

4 thoughts on “Great Divide Trail Hike – Section C 2020”

  1. Carol says:
    April 17, 2023 at 6:33 pm

    great advice on shoes- I always say that the feet will fail you first. Switching to Trail Runners and either Injiji or Wright Socks or has been a great success for me.

    Working my way through the JMT (thinking this high snow year is a no go) and looking forward to the GDT (while questioning my solo skills on section A).

    Thanks for taking the time to share your story!

    Reply
    1. Ian says:
      April 17, 2023 at 8:36 pm

      I just heard how big the snowpack is in the Sierras, The GDT is a a different adventure but very rewarding. Good luck this summer.

      Reply
  2. Oliver says:
    July 27, 2021 at 9:55 pm

    Where’s day 9 and 10? Eagerly awaiting. Your series is very thorough, we are glad to have found it. This hike will be the first “long” backpack for my wife, and definitely the longest I have ever done. This is great prep.

    Reply
    1. Ian says:
      July 29, 2021 at 9:45 am

      I will let my daughter know we have people waiting. She has to add her comments 🙂

      Glad you have found the series informative.

      If you have any questions, please ask.

      ian

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

bootwreckers

New trip posted, three day trip in the Rockwall in New trip posted, three day trip in the Rockwall in Kootenay NP with @sio.mellors. Introduction and Day 1 up on Bootwreckers.

Trip was suppose to be hiking Northover Ridge in Kanananaskis but smoke had us change plans at the last minute.

This would be my third multi day trip on the Rockwall but the first for Siobhan.

Managed to get two camping sites on the Rockwall and instead of smoke we had to deal with the threat of rain.

We did get wet but we had a blast.

Day 1 is from Paint Pots TH to Helmet Falls CG, with a side trip to get up close the the falls. Pretty straightforward day but visiting Helmet Falls is always special.

#parkscanada #parks #bcparks #trails #longdistancehike #longtrail #outdoors #outside #thruhike #hike #thruhiking #outside #backpacking #waterfalls #waterfall #naturephotography #naturephotography #nationalparks
The sixth and final day of our 2022 GDT Section D The sixth and final day of our 2022 GDT Section D hike is up on Bootwreckers, see link in bio.

This day took us from a random camp on the Howse Floodplain to the Mustafa Canyon parking lot. This was an adventurous day with bushwhacking, stream crossings and dead fall but a simply glorious end to a wonderful hike on the GDT. 

Again thanks  to Sara (@sd_kuz) and Lillian (@waterlilizee) for sharing this adventure with me. I am sure we will meet again on a trail someday.

Photo 1 - Morning Colors

Photo 2 - tents on the floodplain

Photo 3 - bushwhacking to start the day

Photo 4 - fields of flowers going to seed

Photo 5 - looking south down the Howse River

Photo 6 - thigh deep water crossing

Photo 7 - big views

Photo 8 - Sara crossing some dead fall

Photo 9 -Mistaya Canyon

Photo 10 - picked up a thru hiker named Roy, enjoying beverages left by Natasha and Kyle from Backpacks and Bikeracks

#greatdivide #greatdividetrail #gdt #parkscanada #parks #bcparks #trails #longdistancehike #longtrail #outdoors #outside #thruhike #hike #thruhiking #outside #backpacking #waterfalls #waterfall #naturephotography #naturephotography #nationalparks #duplex #sectionhike #sectionhiker
Day 5 of our 2022 Great Divide Trail Section D hik Day 5 of our 2022 Great Divide Trail Section D hike is posted on Bootwreckers, see link in bio.

Truly epic day on the trail. Pass through the debris of two avalanches, had lunch by a waterfall, crawled over so much dead fall and hiked on the Howse Flood Plain.

The sunset on the flood plain was one of most magical I have seen.

As always a big thanks to Sara (@sd_kuz) and Lillian (@waterlilizee) for sharing this adventure with me. The Team totally rocked the trail.

#greatdivide #greatdividetrail #gdt #parkscanada #parks #bcparks #trails #longdistancehike #longtrail #outdoors #outside #thruhike #hike #thruhiking #outside #backpacking #waterfalls #waterfall #naturephotography #naturephotography #nationalparks #duplex #sectionhike #sectionhiker
Evening light on Picketpost Mt. #aztrail #aztasso Evening light on Picketpost Mt.

#aztrail #aztassociation  #nps, #nationalparks, #slotcanyon, #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside #nationalpark #desertphotography #grandcanyon #grandcanyonnationalpark #grandcanyonassociation #nationalparkweek #reichallenge #nationalparksweek #rightnow #nationalparktrust #goparks #aztrails
Arizona Trail Passages 14 and 15. Some photos of Arizona Trail Passages 14 and 15.

Some photos of my recent hike down a couple of Passages of the Arizona Trail. 

The trail is so diverse, rolling terrain cut by shallow washes leads to the expanse of the desert then into rugged canyons and tall peaks, all in a space of 92 km (58 miles).

Had a great time, some blisters gave me some concerns but they seem to be doing fine now that they are out of my hiking shoes.

Got lucky with Trail Magic courtesy of Condiments who drove his 4x4 deep into an unarmed wash, was really in the middle of no where, and then again at the start of Passage 15, missed the Trail Angel's name, the wind was so loud.

Like to thank my Trail Angels, Carole for driving me to Oracle to start the trip, with side trip to a Hayden Az, a real ghost town and to Edith for leaving a water cache for me at Passage 15.

Included a video of my time at the high point for Passage 15. My kid likes it when you stop and enjoy the view you earned, thought they would appreciate my effort in the face of 1000 mph winds (ok maybe thats a bit of an exaggeration).

Thanks Arizona and the AZT for providing more memories.

I will be back

#aztrail #aztassociation  #nps, #nationalparks, #slotcanyon, #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside #nationalpark #desertphotography #grandcanyon #grandcanyonnationalpark #grandcanyonassociation #nationalparkweek #reichallenge #nationalparksweek #rightnow #nationalparktrust #goparks #aztrails
That sunset says when I wake up it will be time to That sunset says when I wake up it will be time to start my hike on the Arizona Trail, Passages 14 and 15

Love my little motel in Superior, Az, Copper Mt Motel. Has murals painted on all the buildings

Spied the Grand Canyon from the plane 

Adventure awaits 

#aztrail #aztassociation  #nps, #nationalparks, #slotcanyon, #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside #nationalpark #desertphotography #grandcanyon #grandcanyonnationalpark #grandcanyonassociation #nationalparkweek #reichallenge #nationalparksweek #rightnow #nationalparktrust #goparks #aztrails
Frosty Paws all packed and ready for an adventure. Frosty Paws all packed and ready for an adventure.

Arizona Trail Passages 14 and 15 starting Sunday

Off weekend gooooooo!

#aztrail #aztassociation  #nps, #nationalparks, #slotcanyon, #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside #nationalpark #desertphotography #grandcanyon #grandcanyonnationalpark #grandcanyonassociation #nationalparkweek #reichallenge #nationalparksweek #rightnow #nationalparktrust #goparks #aztrails
Last weekend before heading to Arizona for a four Last weekend before heading to Arizona for a four day adventure on the Arizona Trail.

I wonder if hiking in the 15 cm of fresh snow will be good prepared for hiking the deserts of Passages 14 and 15?

#aztrail #aztassociation  #nps, #nationalparks, #slotcanyon, #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside #nationalpark #desertphotography #grandcanyon #grandcanyonnationalpark #grandcanyonassociation #nationalparkweek #reichallenge #nationalparksweek #rightnow #nationalparktrust #goparks #aztrails
Day 4 of our 2022 GDT Section D hike is up on the Day 4 of our 2022 GDT Section D hike is up on the website, see link in bio.

This was a truly epic day spent on the Amiskwi and Collie Creek Alternates.

The weather cooperated starting with a spectacular sunrise on the Mummery Glacier, rainbows and blue skies on the ridge.

We had a brief encounter with a little black bear who scampered quickly away. 

Finished off the day with a cold beer, Grizzly Paw Rutting Elk Red, that I had carried with me and it tasted great.

Easily one of th best days on the trail ever.

Again big thanks to Sara (@sd_kuz) and Lillian (@waterlilizee) for sharing this adventure with me. The Team totally rocked the trail.

#greatdivide #greatdividetrail #gdt #parkscanada #parks #bcparks #trails #longdistancehike #longtrail #outdoors #outside #thruhike #hike #thruhiking #outside #backpacking #waterfalls #waterfall #naturephotography #naturephotography #nationalparks #duplex #sectionhike #sectionhiker
Day 3 of our 2022 Section D hike is posted, see li Day 3 of our 2022 Section D hike is posted, see link in bio.

This was a shorter day, only about 17 km but took us from the end of the Kiwetinok Alternate up to Amiskwi Pass and then a beautiful meadow at the the base of the Amiskwi Ridge.

Photo 1 - morning sky

Photo 2 - on the Kiwetinok Alternate

Photo 3 - Kiwetinok Alternate

Photo 4 - break time at a stream crossing, Frosty Paws hanging in there

Photo 5 - Fireweed with a view down the Amiskwi Valley,

Photo 6 - fields of flowers as we approached Amiskwi Pass

Photo 7 - Yellow Columbine on the way up to Amiskwi Lodge

Photo 8 - Our camp in the meadow

Photo 9 - Setting sun

Photo 10 - one of the best adventure stories ever! True story of how three prisoners of war escaped and climbed Mt Kenya

Again big thanks to Sara (@sd_kuz) and Lillian (@waterlilizee) for sharing this adventure with me. The Team totally rocked the trail.

#greatdivide #greatdividetrail #gdt #parkscanada #parks #bcparks #trails #longdistancehike #longtrail #outdoors #outside #thruhike #hike #thruhiking #outside #backpacking #waterfalls #waterfall #naturephotography #naturephotography #nationalparks #duplex #sectionhike #sectionhiker
First two days of my 2022 Great Divide Trail Secti First two days of my 2022 Great Divide Trail Section D adventure are up on the blog, see profile for link.

Day 1 was from Burgess Pass Trail head to Yoho Lake Campground. A relatively short day but a good warm up for the rest of the trip.

Big thanks to Sara (@sd_kuz) and Lillian (@waterlilizee) for sharing this adventure with me. The Team totally rocked the trail.

Photo 1 - at Burgess Pass looking at Mt Wapta

Photo 2 - Flowers, it was a great time to hike to see all the flowers in August bloom

Photo 3 - Emerald Lake from up high

Photo 4 - at Yoho Pass, did I mention the flowers

Photo 5 - Duplex tent all set up with Frosty Paws on guard, and oh ya, more flowers

Photo 6 - the north end of Wapta Mt as seen from Yoho Lake.

Super fun little day, the opening a grand adventure.

#greatdivide #greatdividetrail #gdt #parkscanada #parks #bcparks #trails #longdistancehike #longtrail #outdoors #outside #thruhike #hike #thruhiking #outside #backpacking #waterfalls #waterfall #naturephotography #naturephotography #nationalparks #duplex #sectionhike #sectionhiker
Sound On. Video clips from my hike along th Supe Sound On. 

Video clips from my hike along th Superstion Ridgeline.

Was an epic hike, 24km from my campsite at Miners Needle to First Water Trailhead where my car was.

Wouldn't recommend doing all in one day backpacking, as the final descent down Siphon Draw Wash is brutal, but I did it in 10hrs 45min

Would love to redo th hike at some point and actaull stop and camp along the ridge.

I had enough water to stop, but I was enticed by the prospects of a beer to finish.

#teamzpacks #zpacks #zpacksduplex #aztassociation #aztrail #aztrails #hike #loveazt #desertphotography #desert #hikingadventures #hikes #backpacking #camping #getoutside #familytime #traillife #aztassociation , #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside  #rightnow #goparks #aztrails #aztrail #loveazt  #azt #arizonatrailassociation
Day 5 and 6 of our Green River Canoe trip from 201 Day 5 and 6 of our Green River Canoe trip from 2017 is up on Bootwreckers, see link in Bio.

The day started in the dark with a hike up to the Dollhouse to watch the sunrise.

After doing an bit of exploring including a short hike out to Beehive Arch we headed back to camp to pack up and catch the jet boat ride back to Moab.

No trip to Moab is complete without a stop at the Moab Brewery, I had a tall smooth Derailleur Ale to compliment my mushroom, Swiss bacon burger.

Once back home it was time for snuggles with the little fella who waited patently for us whole we were away. Doggie snuggles for the win!

Another epic adventure in the books.

#canyonlands, #canyonlandsnationalpark, #nationalpark, #nationalparks, #turkshead, #anasazi, #anasaziruins, #utah, #exploreutah, #coloradoriver, #canoeing, #redrocks, #hikingadventures, #camping, #hikingadventures #texriverways, #floatritp #canoe #familytime❤️ #outdoors #outside #outsidethebox #earthpix  #wildernessculture  #wildernessociety  #seeutah  #igsouthwest #discoverearth #earthofficial
Just some of my favorite photos from my New Year's Just some of my favorite photos from my New Year's Arizona trip to the Superstitions

#teamzpacks #zpacks #zpacksduplex #aztassociation #aztrail #aztrails #hike #loveazt #desertphotography #desert #hikingadventures #hikes #backpacking #camping #getoutside #familytime #traillife #aztassociation , #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside  #rightnow #goparks #aztrails #aztrail #loveazt  #azt #arizonatrailassociation
Just a few photos from my epic 3 day hike through Just a few photos from my epic 3 day hike through Superstion Mts of Arizona. 

I think it was Plan D or maybe E. Saw photos of th Grand Canyon and many of th roads there were closed, so good choice not to go.

Day 1 - First Water TH over to Ther Battleship via many stream crossings and camp near Black Top Mesa. Due to the heavy rains, water was not an issue.

Day 2 - up past Weavers Needle and over to camp below Miners Needle

Day 3 - Epic 26 km day up on down the Superstions Ridge Trail and back to the car. This was probably the second hardest day I hav e had on trail. The trail is more "route" very ill defined for the first 2/3rds of the way. Also includes numerous down climbs, I frequently tossed my poles down 3m (10ft) of more. This is not an easy trail, and the final descent down Siphon Wash is absolutely intense. After leaving camp at 7:15am (sunrise at 7:30) I arrived at the car at 5;45pm.

Needless to say I didn't do much Friday.

Will write more later.

Thanks to my adopted trail team, James, John, Kevin and Patrick. Four Med students from UofM who allowed me to tag along as the caboose for the first two days.

Now, time to fly home.....

#teamzpacks #zpacks #zpacksduplex #aztassociation #aztrail #aztrails #hike #loveazt #desertphotography #desert #hikingadventures #hikes #backpacking #camping #getoutside #familytime #traillife #aztassociation , #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside  #rightnow #goparks #aztrails #aztrail #loveazt  #azt #arizonatrailassociation
Sound On! About that hike.....it is not going to Sound On!

About that hike.....it is not going to happen this year.

A winter storm has come through, bringing rain, risk of flash floods and near freezing temperatures. At the prospect of hiking two or even three days in the rain, I kept hearing this voice in my head "You know, I'm not having any fun" , spoken by @kbsymington on day two of a four day hike, I could totally see that thought passing through my head if I went ahead with the hike.

I did meet my Trail Angel Bev the Kelvin TH and the scenery was just spectacular! I could hear the desert calling me. It was simply beautiful, but Bev didn't try to talk me into going and did say when I come back I was to contact her, can't wait.

My motel manger told me to go up Hwy 60 towards Globe, AZ, and check out the Queen River Canyon just after the tunnel.

It was a lot of fun to do a little exploring and it actually confirmed I made the right decision,  I got so cold in the few minutes I was out taking photos.

As I got back to the motel I was happy to see a ray of light at the horizon, maybe the rain is going to go away.

I also discovered my getting old hiking shoes leak.....

Planning on a 4 day trip around th Superstitions starting the day after tomorrow. 

Happy trails.

#aztsos #teamzpacks #zpacks #zpacksduplex #aztassociation #aztrail #aztrails #hike #loveazt #desertphotography #desert #hikingadventures #hikes #backpacking #camping #getoutside #familytime #traillife #aztassociation , #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside  #rightnow #goparks #aztrails #aztrail
Happy New Year from Superior, Arizona. Getting re Happy New Year from Superior, Arizona.

Getting ready for 5 days on the Arizona Trail, passages 14 and 15, if the weather allows (could rain, hard, in the desert eh, who knew)

Now time for some sleep

#teamzpacks #zpacks #zpacksduplex #aztassociation #aztrail #aztrails #hike #loveazt #desertphotography #desert #hikingadventures #hikes #backpacking #camping #getoutside #familytime #traillife #aztassociation , #hiking, #hikingadventures, #familytime, #camping, #campingadventures, #outdoors, #outside, #nature,  #FIndyourpark #landscape #landscapephotography #optoutside  #rightnow #goparks #aztrails #aztrail
Day 4 on the Green River was another great day exp Day 4 on the Green River was another great day exploring canyons, hiking and of course paddling. Full summary on the website, see link in bio.

We started off the day exploring Jasper Canyon, found an amazing Anasazi house.

Then we hit the river and joined the Colorado River for the last couple of miles to our final desk at Spanish Bottom.

After dinner we took a quick hike up to Doll House, which we would revisit the next morning for sunrise.

A real mix of a day which made it a whole lotta fun.

#canyonlands, #canyonlandsnationalpark, #nationalpark, #nationalparks, #turkshead, #anasazi, #anasaziruins, #utah, #exploreutah, #coloradoriver, #canoeing, #redrocks, #hikingadventures, #camping, #hikingadventures #texriverways, #floatritp #canoe #familytime❤️ #outdoors #outside #outsidethebox #earthpix  #wildernessculture  #wildernessociety  #seeutah  #igsouthwest #discoverearth #earthofficial #river
Day 3 of our 2017 Green River Canoe trip up on Boo Day 3 of our 2017 Green River Canoe trip up on Bootwreckers, see link in bio.

15 mile paddle from Cabin Bottom to Jasper Canyon. 

Checked out Anasazi Petroglyphs at Cabin Bottom. Stopped to explore Turks Head Bottom where there were two sets of Anasazi dwellings. 

After a good day on the river enjoyed a beer given to us by some friendly boaters. 

Finished off th evening taking some fun night time photos of the stars and the tent.

Was an amazing trip with still one more day on the river and one day exploring.

#canyonlands, #canyonlandsnationalpark, #nationalpark, #nationalparks, #turkshead, #anasazi, #anasaziruins, #utah, #exploreutah, #coloradoriver, #canoeing, #redrocks, #hikingadventures, #camping, #hikingadventures #texriverways, #floatritp #canoe #familytime❤️ #outdoors #outside #outsidethebox #earthpix  #wildernessculture  #wildernessociety  #seeutah  #igsouthwest #discoverearth #earthofficial #river
On the river with Day of our 2017 trip down the Gr On the river with Day of our 2017 trip down the Green River, see link in bio for full summary.

Was a fantastic day with blue skies and warmer weather. We made two stops to explore Anderson Bottom and some Anasazi granaries that were located about 30ft up a cliff!

Stopped at Cabin Bottom where I dumped dinner in the sand but rescued it and got two free beers.

Finished the day off getting up at 3 am to take pictures of th Milky Way.

#canyonlands, #canyonlandsnationalpark, #nationalpark, #nationalparks, #turkshead, #anasazi, #anasaziruins, #utah, #exploreutah, #coloradoriver, #canoeing, #redrocks, #hikingadventures, #camping, #hikingadventures #texriverways, #floatritp #canoe #familytime❤️ #outdoors #outside #outsidethebox #earthpix  #wildernessculture  #wildernessociety  #seeutah  #igsouthwest #discoverearth #earthofficial

Always a great day being out on the river.
Load More Follow on Instagram

For more photos of these and other Bootwreckers Adventures

© 2023 Boot Wreckers | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme