Hiking/Backpacking Destinations

iamtheari

iamtheari

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One thing I like to do is load my dog and backpacking gear into the plane and go for an adventure. What always holds me back is ground transportation. For example, a friend and I did a trip a couple years ago and it involved renting two vehicles, leaving one at one end of the trail, and then hiking across the mountains from the other end.

I’m looking for something that doesn’t require anything but the airplane to accomplish. Dog-friendly is important, so no national parks (those with nearby airports are also too obvious). Any ideas?
 
I just bought a folding bicycle, it arrives next month. If it fits in the back of the aircraft I think I have this particular problem nipped. My other suggestion in the absence of a sci fi virus would be Uber.
 
If you hike some of the bigger trails, a lot of places offer rides to/from the trailheads for a small fee. Some airports allow you to land and camp/hike starting from the airport.

What do you fly and what area do you want to backpack in?
 
MountainDude said:
Location?
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I have an airplane, so location is wide open. I am in North Dakota but have family on nearly all compass points so I can make a multipurpose trip almost anywhere in the country. If there is a really amazing fly-in dog-friendly backpacking experience to be had in Maine, Florida, Arizona, or Washington, let's hear about it. (Alaska and Canada, too, although that seems like a long shot for 2020.)

LevelWing said:
What do you fly and what area do you want to backpack in?
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Arrow for now, faster plane when I get done building it. I'm open for any kind of hiking, backpacking, or just camping experience. I mostly prefer to be away from other humans.

steingar said:
I just bought a folding bicycle, it arrives next month. If it fits in the back of the aircraft I think I have this particular problem nipped. My other suggestion in the absence of a sci fi virus would be Uber.
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I can't rely on dog-friendly Uber/Lyft. I hope you'll post a PIREP on the folding bicycle as I have been considering one for the trips where I don't have a dog but I do need to get from the airport a mile out of town to a meeting in town, especially when the courtesy car won't start.

Thanks to @Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe and @MuseChaser for specific ideas so far. Keep 'em coming!
 
iamtheari said:
I have an airplane, so location is wide open. I am in North Dakota but have family on nearly all compass points so I can make a multipurpose trip almost anywhere in the country. If there is a really amazing fly-in dog-friendly backpacking experience to be had in Maine, Florida, Arizona, or Washington, let's hear about it. (Alaska and Canada, too, although that seems like a long shot for 2020.)


Arrow for now, faster plane when I get done building it. I'm open for any kind of hiking, backpacking, or just camping experience. I mostly prefer to be away from other humans.
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You can always start at the beginning of the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain, GA. There are shuttle services that will take you to the trail head or pick you up. There are several airports in the area that would work. 49A, KJZP, KCNI, and KDZJ to name a few.
 
Marcy Field (1I1) in the Adirondacks is right at the trailhead to Porter and Cascade mountains.
 
Funny, I got the pointing dog and been contemplating flying to the Dakota's for bird hunting... But like you say, transportation once on the ground kind of makes that idea implausible. That and I like to camp where I hunt.
 
Racerx said:
Funny, I got the pointing dog and been contemplating flying to the Dakota's for bird hunting... But like you say, transportation once on the ground kind of makes that idea implausible. That and I like to camp where I hunt.
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I wonder if some of the South Dakota airports like Pierre could arrange a dog-friendly rental car/pickup. The one time I rented a car through the FBO at Rapid City, I got a pickup. I'm certain they get fly-in pheasant hunters at all those places. We're a bit more laid back about birds here in the other Dakota, but Dickinson might have some options.
 
Dana said:
Marcy Field (1I1) in the Adirondacks is right at the trailhead to Porter and Cascade mountains.
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Which is one of my FAVORITE day hikes,by a wide margin.
 
iamtheari said:
I wonder if some of the South Dakota airports like Pierre could arrange a dog-friendly rental car/pickup. The one time I rented a car through the FBO at Rapid City, I got a pickup. I'm certain they get fly-in pheasant hunters at all those places. We're a bit more laid back about birds here in the other Dakota, but Dickinson might have some options.
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Was actually looking into the Fort Pierre National grassland. National forests and grasslands don't get enough love.
 
Improvisation, ingenuity, and creativity allowed us to fly and buy flying contraptions, surely we can figure out the ground portion for a bit of Imagination and cash. I am guilty of the same ground-based fears.
 
My favorite would be KTEX. You can easily go in 3 directions:
- The Last Dollar Road passes by the airport and takes you NW to some incredible scenery (see the panorama from our campsite below) very quickly.
- You can walk over to Alta Lakes (amazing views) from above the lakes as a day hike.
- You can go through the town of Telluride and hit Imogene pass road or Black Bear pass (both are incredible)

Just flying to TEX and back out is an amazing experience
IMG_0730.JPG
 
swingwing said:
Can you camp at Marcy?
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I believe you have to hike in about a mile to the state land boundary to be legal to camp, but I suspect like most small airports nobody'd care of if you stretch your sleeping bag out under the wing.
 
If you want to not be around people, there are lots of backcountry strips in Montana and Idaho but I've heard quite a bit about Scahefer 8U2. It's right in the middle of the Bob Marshall Wildnerness. Dogs allowed. Bear spray recommended. I've done some day hikes in The Bob a few times but never overnighted. Would love to do a multi-day trip up there. Some folks from my flight school recently did a weekend camping trip. Runway is in "pretty good shape" from what they said.
 
allPrimes said:
If you want to not be around people, there are lots of backcountry strips in Montana and Idaho but I've heard quite a bit about Scahefer 8U2. It's right in the middle of the Bob Marshall Wildnerness. Dogs allowed. Bear spray recommended. I've done some day hikes in The Bob a few times but never overnighted. Would love to do a multi-day trip up there. Some folks from my flight school recently did a weekend camping trip. Runway is in "pretty good shape" from what they said.
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I've thought about Schafer USFS as long as it's a cool day and I'm loaded light. It's about 3 hours from me in the Arrow which works out well for reducing fuel load en route. This video from last summer makes the runway look not too bad. Skip to 2:14 for the turn to final. Maybe I should do it.

 
If you fly into an unattended airport And a town without Uber or any transportation. I find a ride by calling church’s in the area an ask the secretary if she knows anyone with a car and would like to earn some money.
 
Jim Carpenter said:
There's also Benchmark (3U7) in Montana, paved strip.
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Direct access to hiking? I feel dumb for not considering Benchmark. I looked right past it when I looked at Seeley Lake (23S) as an option.
 
Hard to beat Idaho, there are several arrow friendly strips that offer easy access to wilderness... 2U7, U87, 3U2, and U60. Even MYL offers opportunities for hiking...
 
The North Country Trail runs past quite a few airports. Many times I’ve done a 4 or 5 day out and back from Kalkaska. The new reroute goes right past the approach end of 27. I just finished a 190 mile hike from White Cloud to Kalkaska. My son dropped me at White Cloud airport and picked me up at Kalkaska 9 days later. Next I will probably go from St. Ignace to Munising. Last January I did 90 miles of the Florida Trail. Landed at Palatka and got a ride from a service off Facebook to Clearwater Springs campground. Hiked back to the airport in 5 days. I hate driving.
 
HCM said:
The North Country Trail runs past quite a few airports. Many times I’ve done a 4 or 5 day out and back from Kalkaska. The new reroute goes right past the approach end of 27. I just finished a 190 mile hike from White Cloud to Kalkaska. My son dropped me at White Cloud airport and picked me up at Kalkaska 9 days later. Next I will probably go from St. Ignace to Munising. Last January I did 90 miles of the Florida Trail. Landed at Palatka and got a ride from a service off Facebook to Clearwater Springs campground. Hiked back to the airport in 5 days. I hate driving.
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Thanks. Florida is a long way from me but I'll keep this in my back pocket when I do fly down that way. Based on your distances per day, either you're much more ambitious of a hiker than I am, or the flat terrain is even easier than I sometimes imagine when I am out in the Badlands here in ND. Or both. :)
 
Was looking forward to a Grand Canyon hike this year but was cancelled due to covid. I’ve only done some day hikes in Colorado and was planing on some backpacking but again cancelled due to covid. I have a Grumman Tiger and I put my bike in the back and do rail trails in Michigan. Also fly down to Ocala, FL usually March and bike some beautiful rail trails there.
 
steingar said:
I just bought a folding bicycle, it arrives next month. If it fits in the back of the aircraft I think I have this particular problem nipped. My other suggestion in the absence of a sci fi virus would be Uber.
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What bike did you end up with & do you love it?
 
HCM said:
The North Country Trail runs past quite a few airports. Many times I’ve done a 4 or 5 day out and back from Kalkaska. The new reroute goes right past the approach end of 27. I just finished a 190 mile hike from White Cloud to Kalkaska. My son dropped me at White Cloud airport and picked me up at Kalkaska 9 days later. Next I will probably go from St. Ignace to Munising. Last January I did 90 miles of the Florida Trail. Landed at Palatka and got a ride from a service off Facebook to Clearwater Springs campground. Hiked back to the airport in 5 days. I hate driving.
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It also runs pretty close to Sidnaw (6Y9) Prickett Grooms airport at the west end of the UP
 
Kristie Belcher said:
What bike did you end up with & do you love it?
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Some POS thing built in China. It's only distinction is it was the cheapest thing on Amazon. Trying to figure out the thing's dimensions when folded was futile, so I cheaped out. Earned my place in the CB club. The sellers claim it weights 33 pounds, which was about 5 more than higher end products. I suspect if it doesn't fit in the luggage bay it will if I remove the pedals, though the sellers claimed those were foldable. We'll see. I will happily put up a post if this fool thing works. Doesn't arrive until Sept.
 
I just did a fly-in hike trip this weekend to Mineral County Airport, Creede CO C24. The airport is about a mile and a half walk into town, along a gravel path by the Rio Grande headwaters. The trail to Inspiration Point is a steep 3.5 miles each way. Makes for a fairly strenuous day, but when you finish that hike there's Doug's BBQ truck right in front of you. You can cut out the 3 miles to and from the airport if you make use of the courtesy car. On a beautiful summer Saturday, there was only one other plane using that airport during the six hours I was in town.

Can make an overnight out of it and go to the Wheeler Geologic Area by continuing on the trail for more miles. Supposed to be a fantastic spot, but I haven't been that far.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/riogrande/recreation/recarea?recid=71054&actid=34

Jon
 
These three aren't backpacks but I like them as day hikes.

The first is North Adam's, Massachusetts (KAQW). You can pick up a trail that goes up Mount Greylock, 1.5 miles from the airport.

The second is Bar Harbor, Maine (KBHB). You can get a short bus trip into Acadia National Park from here that has a good amount of hiking and a very nice touristy town with good food.

The third is Provincetown, Massachusetts (KPVC). Just across the street is a beach on the ocean and there's a good paved trail that goes south down the Cape that has some nice beach nature scenery.
 
Here are some of my favorites:

Lost River (W12), WA - Multiple hikes right from the field, both backcountry and day options in the wilderness(es) nearby
Ranger Creek (21W), WA - Great hiking and views on the east side of the valley
Shelter Cove (0Q5), CA - Hike the Lost Coast Trail right from the field
Mifflin Co (RVL), PA - A short hike to the trailheads of Rothrock State Forest with miles and miles of trails.
 
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