I am primarily a hiker. I do a couple canoe trips a year and about 3 or 4 hiking trips. I've done the Border Route Trail, all around Snowbank, Disappointment, Old Pines Loop, the Pow Wow Trail, parts of the Sioux Hustler Trail, and some shorter day hikes. It's going to be fun talking to fellow hikers.

Totally. :) Slow to start though. I hope others find us.

seems like this group could give a lot of good info. im just getting into hiking, so i dont have much to post though!

I do a lot of day trip hiking. Haven't done overnight hiking and I'm not sure I could (physically). But I enjoy hiking and cross country skiing for miles and hours every week. TG

This is great. I've been a hiker before I got into canoeing and kayaking.

TG,
Backpacking is just a matter of getting your load light enough. If you enjoy camping backpacking can provide a way to get to some truly secluded spots. I saw your post abouth the Big Moose trail on the other board, that was one of my first overnights into the BW.

Some day, maybe.

While hiking the Superior Hiking Trail, I've seen trip hikers and their huge loads. Not sure I would enjoy that, as I'm more free spirited. I like to climb rocks, peek under logs, run along shores, check out caves... etc.

I think I'm more of a daytrip hiker, and prefer my overnights to include canoeing.

But I really admire those who do hiking trips, and love to read their reports.

TG

Ok, I just found this forum and I am glad to see it, maybe we need to promote it on the regular forums abit.

My wife and I typically do a BWCA trip one year, a whitewater trip then next, a backpacking trip the next year, and then back to the BW again and start all over. When we do a BW trip, we prefer to paddle areas that have hiking trails nearby so we can dayhike. Now we're thinking maybe a straight backpacking trip in the BW.

But, I keep reading about poor trail conditions, limited campsites, and confusing intersections/directions. I love to backpack, but i do not want to get lost in the wilderness or end up camping on the trail illegally because of a simple mistake. We have had no serious problems in the Smokies (NC), in the Laurel Highlands (PA), or

Are some trails better then others? Are some used more then others?

Suggestions?

Some trails are better than others. The trail around Snowbank is very well defined. Generally the farther into the woods you go the less trail maintenance. It's actually the allure of the trail. I enjoy being out there in that rough country, sometimes losing the trail temporarily. Crossing a beaver dam and having to find the trail again. There aren't any trails like the Superior Hiking Trail but most places there is only one trail. If you are on a trail it is the right trail. Quite often there will be trees across the trail and you have to pick your way through or around them, sometimes crawl on your belly. And there is no illegal camping. 150 feet off the trail, 150 feet away from a water source you can camp anywhere. Just no fires and don't cut anything. May not be comfortable but you can sleep there. I've even fixed a meal in the middle of the path. Not recommended but I left no trace.

Winemaker,

I don't think your are limited to camping at campsites while backpacking most trails in the BWCA. It is better to camp at a site where you can have a fire, but you don't have to. So no worries about camping illegally! Getting lost is a different matter.

Are some trails better than others?

At one point or another, I have lost the trail when hiking the Pow Wow, Snowbank, and even the short Sioux Hustler trail. Almost always it was near a water crossing when I lost the trail. I have always been able to locate the trail within few minutes.

There are short trails that you can use to help get acquainted with the trails in the bwca. The best resource for info on these trails is at a Ranger station. They have trail maps and usually have first hand knowledge of the trails and of their conditions.

I'm not really sure what poor trail conditions really means. I guess to me it means finding garbage and T.P. all over the trail. The trails in the BWCA are rugged with many obstacles such as beaver dams, fallen trees, rocks, mud, no trail blazing-no signs. All of those obstacles set the BWCA trails apart from the rest of the nation. That and the lack of people who travel on those trails.

Timberrrgirl, Andrew Skurka is pretty good at hiking fast and light. Skurkas bwca trip

man I sure do take a long time to type a response at times. Sorry to post what Talusman already stated.

LOL LOL LOL

I don't think that TJ, (my hubby), would be too happy about me hiking around like Andrew! TG

Soledad,
I don't think there is an "h" in Winemaker.

:) the "H" was not intentional. TG, that pic was pretty distracting! He hiked 380 miles in the middle of Jan with 24lbs of gear. He certainly was not naked the whole way, just during that celebratory moment.