Broke Back Trail in Lassen National Park was the hike with no view. I got so close, 350 ft from the top and ran into warm bear scat. I had to hit hard descending. It was high wind and threatening a thunderstorm. I was so determined to get to the top. It was the last hike I took solo before the Dixie Fires... and now I'm living vicariously through you... until I move west again.
You made the safe call turning back; I'm sorry that you missed the view though! If there's any hike in particular, you'd like to see vicariously, I can try to visit and send you some pictures! Just let me know
I will certainly do so. One view I'm interested in is Shasta. It's a goal - although I may be too old by the time I get back out there... but I'm still holding on to that glimmer of hope we all share: to get back on the trail "one more time."
It's funny how the more memorable trips are the ones where something went wrong. It probably has to do with our built-in negativity bias - pay attention to the bad things and learn from them. I remember bushwacking with frame packs in December, only to have Andrew fall flat in the freezing river we forded; the time the rope got stuck in a crack as we pulled it down from a toprope, making us walk out in the dark; the time my friend wrecked her bike badly enough for us to call an ambulance. They're all memorable, and what our family termed AFGEs (pronounced af-gee, standing for Another F*#@ing Growth Experience).
I've not heard that lesson before, but I love it! I agree with your sentiment, but I do have a slightly different theory as to why these experiences stand out to us so much: I think we're creatures with incredibly chaotic minds. When nature is a little too pristine, I always feel out of place. But when conditions are a little more chaotic, I actually feel in harmony. I also think having something pressing to focus on helps us worry less about frivolous things!
I’m definitely a view hiker. I prefer hiking/walking places where I don’t have to constantly look at my feet so I don’t trip and so I can experience the expansiveness of all that’s around. In other words, I’m more a desert hiker. Give me Sedona or New Mexico any day!....
Omg. You MUST do the Bisti Badlands/De-Nah-Zin wilderness. It’s literally out of this world!! Google it. If you come out from 371 just south of Farmington it’s easy to get to. No trails. I got All Trails gps and it was easy. And just remember this, ignore yr gps like Waze or Google maps when driving there. It’ll take you to wrong place. You need to follow the signs. Turn off is like 7 miles before Google says and there’s an obvious sign. If you do that you should also go to Chaco Canyon while yr there. It’s about an hour drive from bisti. That was one of the most amazing trips of my life!
The other place that I LOVED- tho I recommend doing in colder weather- is White Sands. You can play on the dunes. And you can hike and camp in back country. We crested one dune and it was cool. We crested the second dune and it took my breath away. Just white sand everywhere. You can get plastic disks at info center to sled down dunes on. I seriously have not had that much fun since I was a kid!
Otherwise the places I’d recommend are burning right now - the fires here are so horrible. I can give you more tips when they’re out because I’m not sure what’s going to survive. But put Tsankawi on yr list. Amazing hike. Valles Caldera. Jemez Springs.
Tent Rocks has been closed since I got here end of 2019 but that’s supposed to be amazing also. Not sure when it’ll open. I hope you make it here. This is the most unknown beautiful state in the country!!
Broke Back Trail in Lassen National Park was the hike with no view. I got so close, 350 ft from the top and ran into warm bear scat. I had to hit hard descending. It was high wind and threatening a thunderstorm. I was so determined to get to the top. It was the last hike I took solo before the Dixie Fires... and now I'm living vicariously through you... until I move west again.
You made the safe call turning back; I'm sorry that you missed the view though! If there's any hike in particular, you'd like to see vicariously, I can try to visit and send you some pictures! Just let me know
I will certainly do so. One view I'm interested in is Shasta. It's a goal - although I may be too old by the time I get back out there... but I'm still holding on to that glimmer of hope we all share: to get back on the trail "one more time."
I'll have to look into it! Thanks for reading and reaching out
It's funny how the more memorable trips are the ones where something went wrong. It probably has to do with our built-in negativity bias - pay attention to the bad things and learn from them. I remember bushwacking with frame packs in December, only to have Andrew fall flat in the freezing river we forded; the time the rope got stuck in a crack as we pulled it down from a toprope, making us walk out in the dark; the time my friend wrecked her bike badly enough for us to call an ambulance. They're all memorable, and what our family termed AFGEs (pronounced af-gee, standing for Another F*#@ing Growth Experience).
I've not heard that lesson before, but I love it! I agree with your sentiment, but I do have a slightly different theory as to why these experiences stand out to us so much: I think we're creatures with incredibly chaotic minds. When nature is a little too pristine, I always feel out of place. But when conditions are a little more chaotic, I actually feel in harmony. I also think having something pressing to focus on helps us worry less about frivolous things!
I’m definitely a view hiker. I prefer hiking/walking places where I don’t have to constantly look at my feet so I don’t trip and so I can experience the expansiveness of all that’s around. In other words, I’m more a desert hiker. Give me Sedona or New Mexico any day!....
Do you have a favorite hike in New Mexico? I've never been, and I'd love to actually get to experience something there!
Omg. You MUST do the Bisti Badlands/De-Nah-Zin wilderness. It’s literally out of this world!! Google it. If you come out from 371 just south of Farmington it’s easy to get to. No trails. I got All Trails gps and it was easy. And just remember this, ignore yr gps like Waze or Google maps when driving there. It’ll take you to wrong place. You need to follow the signs. Turn off is like 7 miles before Google says and there’s an obvious sign. If you do that you should also go to Chaco Canyon while yr there. It’s about an hour drive from bisti. That was one of the most amazing trips of my life!
The other place that I LOVED- tho I recommend doing in colder weather- is White Sands. You can play on the dunes. And you can hike and camp in back country. We crested one dune and it was cool. We crested the second dune and it took my breath away. Just white sand everywhere. You can get plastic disks at info center to sled down dunes on. I seriously have not had that much fun since I was a kid!
Otherwise the places I’d recommend are burning right now - the fires here are so horrible. I can give you more tips when they’re out because I’m not sure what’s going to survive. But put Tsankawi on yr list. Amazing hike. Valles Caldera. Jemez Springs.
Tent Rocks has been closed since I got here end of 2019 but that’s supposed to be amazing also. Not sure when it’ll open. I hope you make it here. This is the most unknown beautiful state in the country!!
Thanks for the recommendations! I'm adding all of these to my list!!!