Hi Backpacking group! Nice to meet you all. I usually spend my tribe days over in the hula hoop group, so it's nice to find there are other things to do on tribe. :-)
Anyway, I'm writing because me and two of my friends are planning on going backpacking somewhere in the United States for spring break, but really have no idea where to go. It's kind of nice having options open, but there's so much to choose from and our trip is in about a week and a half. We are looking for a moderate 3 days hike, perhaps in a desert area? But we're open to anything. We live in Wisconsin and it's been a cold winter and I'm ready for some sunshine so that's the only real requirement. I'm hoping to drive no more than 24 hours to get to the trail head. If you have any ideas, please let me know! I would love to check something new out.
Thanks for the help!
Danielle
Anyway, I'm writing because me and two of my friends are planning on going backpacking somewhere in the United States for spring break, but really have no idea where to go. It's kind of nice having options open, but there's so much to choose from and our trip is in about a week and a half. We are looking for a moderate 3 days hike, perhaps in a desert area? But we're open to anything. We live in Wisconsin and it's been a cold winter and I'm ready for some sunshine so that's the only real requirement. I'm hoping to drive no more than 24 hours to get to the trail head. If you have any ideas, please let me know! I would love to check something new out.
Thanks for the help!
Danielle
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Wisconsin
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Re: Recommendations?
Fri, March 7, 2008 - 6:29 AMconsider the Gila Wilderness in Gila National Forest New Mexico. You can park at the Gila Cliff dwellings - worth a side trip - and go up the Gila river. Early Spring should be fairly warm because of how far south it is. The Gila is a million acre wilderness and also the oldest wilderness in the untied states. Don't forget your hoola hoops! -
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Re: Recommendations?
Fri, March 7, 2008 - 10:44 AMThey make folding hoops for portability.... they're heavy though...
24 hours driving time? Is that one way or two? Driving straight through to NM from WI might be about 12 hours each way. If more driving time is allotted then consider Grand Canyon National Park. While both the North and South Rims will be a bit chilly at 7,000+ feet the bottom of the canyon and feeder canyons should be nice and warm.
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Re: Recommendations?
Sat, March 8, 2008 - 8:04 AMCool, thanks for the recommendations! I definitely will be bringing the collapsible hoops... there's one type that you can make that is just the same weight as a regular hoop, but it has two connectors and twists down into half its size. Similar to (www.bodyhoops.com/infinityt...lhoop.htm) but hers is definitely nicer that the ones I make.
I mapquested Gila and it looks like it's a 24 hour drive... one way. So that might be a little long just for a spring break excursion. However, I found one that is 21 hours away, called Capitol Reef National Park. Has anyone visited there before? It seems really cool, free backcountry pass and relatively isolated from crowds. -
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Re: Recommendations?
Mon, March 10, 2008 - 10:08 PMThe reef is great even though the best hiking is next to the highway. Better yet is a trip into the San rafael swell, 4wd essential. Make sure you check out goblin valley state park, and if you have the time hiking "back of beyond" area in moab is great to camp in. MAYBE even hike the laverkin creek trail in zion np. Wow, where to begin? Go to white sands NM for a truly awe inspiring trip, or the Chiricahua/cochise stronghold area in AZ. Oh and no trip would be complete without a soak in a natural thermal spring.
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Re: Recommendations?
Wed, March 12, 2008 - 5:52 PMAt this point, since you'll be spending a small fortune on gas it may be a good idea to start checking out cheap airfares headed south. Since you'll be traveling with just a backpack, consider flying into Las Vegas. Yes, I said Las Vegas because there are usually cheap flights and there are some pretty awesome destinations within 50 miles like Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire State Park, and a whole host of natural hot springs in the slot canyons that feed into the Black Canyon Section of the Colorado River. Bighorn Sheep, Gila Lizards, and other neat desert wildlife inhabit the area.
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Re: Recommendations?
Wed, March 12, 2008 - 9:36 AMIf you are going this month (March) you might want to try further south than Utah. Even souther Utah (i.e., the san rafael swell, arches nat. park, canyon lands, moab) will still be quite chilly at night. You're likely to see upper 20's low 30's.
You might be just fine with this, but I thought you should be aware. -
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Re: Recommendations?
Wed, March 12, 2008 - 5:53 PMOh yeah, southern Utah is accessible from Las Vegas too....
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Re: Recommendations?
Wed, March 12, 2008 - 9:47 PMDanielle's from Wisconsin. If she's the backpacker I was when I lived there, 20's-30's at night will be downright balmy, lol. -
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Re: Recommendations?
Wed, March 12, 2008 - 10:43 PMZion np 2.5 hrs, snow canyon sp 2.5 hrs, death valley np 2 hrs, red rock canyon 30 mins, valley of fire sp 40 mins, desert national wildlife refuge 30 mins. Gotta go to death valley and see the desert flowers bloom in the spring.
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Re: Recommendations?
Sun, March 16, 2008 - 11:19 PMThis all sounds great! Thanks again... I think that I will have more than one trip to plan in the future :-)
We ended up talking to a professor that has visited almost every natural area there is in the United States, and settled on Guadalupe Mountains National Park near El Paso, TX. It's only a hop, skip and a jump from Carlsbad, which we're also going to check out. Sounds like ancient reef meets desert which rises into a forest. Now all I need to do is find a good way to hike with a hell of a lot of water!
I'll let you all know how the trip went!
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Re: Recommendations?
Mon, March 17, 2008 - 4:59 PMZion's National Park Down in Southern Utah is great. Very Many trails and trail types. Plus several other day hike locations all around. Red Rock Pass, Snow Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks. The temp around Southern Utah is hanging in the mid 60's to low 70's right now.
