(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best maps

The Pharaoh Lake Wilderness has two great mountains to climb- Pharaoh Mountain and Treadway Mountain. Both have great views- the views from Pharaoh are a little bit better, but it also attracts a lot more hikers, so the summit can get a little crowded if you're up there on the weekend and it's a nice day.

I'd also recommend checking out the Lake George Wild Forest- some great peaks there with awesome views. The Tongue Mountain Range on the west side of Lake George, and Black Mountain, Sleeping Beauty, and Buck Mountain on the east side especially are all worthwhile hiking destinations. There is also some really pretty small ponds and lakes to explore in the vicinity of Black Mountain and Sleeping Beauty- Lapland Pond, Millman Pond, Fishbrook Pond, and Bumps Pond are all worthwhile destinations. In fact, the network of trails on the east side of Lake George is quite extensive, and it would take probably a solid week to explore all that the area has to offer.

There are also some easier hikes in the High Peaks. Cascade and Porter are 4,000 footers, but they can easily be done in a day by anyone who is in reasonable shape. Some shorter mountains in the High Peaks, but still with spectacular views, include Noonmark, Round, Baxter, and Roostercomb.

What I would do is invest in a couple of hiking maps, and maybe some guidebooks. National Geographic makes a map set that covers the entire park in 5 different maps- one of the five covers the Lake George region, while another covers the High Peaks region. The Adirondack Mountain Club also publishes some great guidebooks- there's one for the Eastern region (including Lake George and Pharaoh Lake), and one for the High Peaks.

Hope that helps!

Nevada is awesome. Sheldon is awesome.

You'll have a blast.

The majority of NV is relatively undocumented. You can hike up any of the thousands of peak in the state, but most are not even named. Even fewer have real trailheads or established trails. They are still amazing hikes with countless hidden wonders.

85% of the land in the state is /r/publiclands. You are allowed to camp basically anywhere on the BLM or FS land for up to 17 days at a time in the same spot.

Backpacking can be difficult due to lack of water, but there are still several great trails in the area. And you are an easy day's drive from most of the best the West has to offer. If you have multiple days off in a row, take time to explore CA, OR, etc.

However, you can often get all the solitude of backpacking while car camping in NV. You can go weeks and not see another person in the valley. My favorite NV camping is remote car camping + long day hikes.

Generally, desert camping is easier than other camping. Tents are mostly unnecessary. Rain is infrequent. When it does rain, it is enjoyable and anything wet dries in less than a day. Bears are not in that area. Insects aren't bad. No poison ivy/oak. The vegetation isn't usually too thick to easily walk through even off trail.

Talk to people when you get there. Explore and find out how awesome things are for yourself. Just because something isn't talked about on the internet or marked on a map doesn't mean it isn't beautiful/unique/awesome.

Be cautious about advice from people without a sun tan. There are lots of misconceptions about what NV is like. Stay away from the type who try to scare you or tell you there is nothing there.

Buy this atlas. Buy this hat.

Make sure to visit some hot springs.

I've been into the hobby for 6 months or so. Bought myself an 8" dobsonian reflector, and a couple higher quality lenses for it. I have been keeping a journal of my progress, but I am just doing simple writeups of my findings and the conditions/location of any given night of observing.

I bought a couple books that have been a big help in navigating the night sky.. one is the a sky chart by Celestron:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000665V8


The other is called "night watch" and is a complete beginners guide to the night sky/astronomy and has also been very helpful, and I highly recommend it -

http://www.amazon.ca/NightWatch-Practical-Guide-Viewing-Universe/dp/1552093026


I downloaded a quite powerful app for my iPhone called "GoSkyWatch" and I'd say it's been by biggest ally. It utilizes gps as well as accellerometer/gyro functionality, so by simply holding my phone up it shows me exactly what I'm looking at, and also locates what I need to find.

I've gotten out around a dozen times so far, and am finally getting into a groove and knocking off lots of deep space objects. Of all the galaxies/nebula/clusters I've found... I still gotta say nothing quite affects me like locking onto Saturn and seeing it drift through my field of view. After that though, the first time I saw M81 and M82 galaxies in the same field blew me away, and M31 Andromeda galaxy is always a pleasure. Really looking forward to winter months and getting a chance to look around Orion and it's hidden gems within.

Gorruck 34L GR2 Coyote Tan - a good bag, heavy, uncomfortable, probably give it to my grandchildren in like 50 years

Flip Flops - generic things

Bigblue 28W solar charger - very good, can charge my battery up during the day if i leave it in the sun which I've never really done honestly

Jakemy hardware tools - seamed useful? i've never needed this

Army glove shells - i thought i used these a lot and were indistructable but now that i think of it, i don't use them that often and are probably pretty cheaply made.

Sharpie, pen, all weather notebook - probably should switch over to a fisher space pen...

Straws - these are probably already broken.

Whistle - really really really loud

Fire-striker, matches, lighter - i'm not sure i have enough ways to start a fire

Fresnel lens - ok, now i have enough

LED flashlight - i used to go running in the middle of the night with this flashlight, its tiny

LED flashlight - this isn't the one i have but looks kinda similar? i don't remember where i got mine

Earbuds - generic cheap earbuds

Leatherman Surge - given to me by my wife for passing the bar. thanks wife!

First Aide kit - i put mine together from stuff i've stolen from friends houses whenever i go over and use the bathroom

playing cards - these look very similar to the ones i have, they are plastic so they won't get rained on

glasses/ sunglasses - i have really bad vision

personal hygiene kit - aahhhh dry shaving

Sawyer Mini / syringe, collapsible canteen (dirty), heavy duty straw - i've never used this

collapsible canteen (clean) - i've never used this either

sewing kit - i've used this a lot

ID tags - i guess if i get blown up they'll know my blood type?

garbage bag - for when my pockets are full

elastic bands - i use these when packing to keep rolled socks and things from falling apart

Salt - i have nooooo idea why i have this

cooking grate - i'm not going to hold meat over a fire with a stick like some sort of caveman

heavy duty ziplock bag - in case my mapcase breaks and other reasons

rip-patch - leftover from when i needed a pack because i bought a crummy cheap inflatable sleeping pad.

Army Fleece Beanie - i always keep this at the top of my pack

4 Bungie Cords - not the one i use but similar. to make a field-expedient shelter

Trowel - for disposal of biological wastes

Lensatic compass - because GPS should only be a backup

Pocketboy 130 folding saw - i have a bigger one for yardwork, this small one is really great

Tent stakes - for tent staking

Ravpower 26800 Battery - use this all the time can fast chage my stuff

Battery Battery holder, cables, wall charger - all fits togehter like glove!

Army Poncho - wear it, make a tent out of it etc

Microfiber towel - not the one i use but similar. i mainly use this for when the kids accidentally fall in a lake like they tend to do for some reason

Down Jacket - cheap chinese knockoff... i feel bad for not buying american

Wet weather top - not sure this is worth the space/weight

Wet Weather bottom - not sure if this is worth the weight/space

Silkweights - PJs! and warmth

Jungle Blanket - this is a lot better than the army's woobie. lighter and warmer

Gransfors Bruks Wildlife Hatchet - again, gift from wife. she wanted me to chop things and be more manly, generally. now i come home with parts of wildlife for her to cook

Map of New England - or, how i stopped worrying and love dismounted land navigation

PT belt - keeps me safe in all situations

Compression straps - i don't like lashing things to the outside but i guess i can if i wanted to

Fork and Spoon - stole these from the kitchen. i'll probably be replacing this soon with something titanium.

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EDIT: i just priced it out: $1,585.08 total

You can camp on BLM and National Forest land. IMO, this is the way to go. You have more space and solitude. I agree to u/c00tr about the San Juan Mountains.

Here is a map book that will help: http://www.amazon.com/Colorado-Road-Recreation-Atlas-Benchmark/dp/0929591917/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=01BDN0A98SB3V3WHQXWM

Do you have a 4X4? (Just stock nothing "serious" but something with ground clearance).

Here's a thought:

If you are coming into Colorado at Cortez, driving through Denver and then leaving by way of I-70:

• I'd drive 160 to Durango and then 550 North to Ouray. Ouray is a good stopping point - nice hot springs and a beautiful town.
  
• From Ouray continue 550 to Montrose and Take Highway 50 east towards Gunnison - Stop and see the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park along the way.
  
  
• From Gunnison take Highway 50 East towards Salida (over Monarch Pass) to the intersection of US 285. If you have an extra day stop in Buena Vista and take a whitewater day trip in Browns Canyon.
  
  
• Otherwise, 285 through South Park (yes - it's really South Park), all the way into Denver.
  
  
• In Denver see the side bar for recommendations - hang out with the Reddit crowd :)
  
  
• I-70 west is really one of the most beautiful stretches of interstate in the country IMO. Just don't drive it in the summer on a Friday afternoon! (Mountain traffic).
  
  
• Along I-70 if you have the time - hike Hanging Lake in Glenwood Canyon - and marvel at the canyon itself - then stop in Glenwood Springs for a night and enjoy the hot springs.
  
  If you have a 4X4 PM me and I'll give you more ideas - but any of them will take time.
  
  (sorry about the formatting - had some issues)

I'd imagine there's a few out there, but it depends on weather. The state park with hells revenge trail is always busy and is right next to town, so it should be okay for wheeling alone.

You can talk to the BLM for more information on the area.

Having a CB that is properly installed would be a big help, if you see a group going out you may be able to reach them and ask to come along.

The grocery store meetup should be going all year round, just talking to people with jeeps will lead to lots of new friends. My recommendation is to find people with jeeps equipped the same as yours and are going to a trail that has a rating you are comfortable with.

Moab trail book this book is pretty good for getting an idea of the trail ratings, but it's not foolproof, the conditions change month-to-month due to erosion.

You should have a check in system with family and friends about where you are going, with who (a licence plate number of one of your new friends), when you expect to be back in town would be wise.

This is how I learned / stopped being made nervous by the CTA: plan trips to random destinations outside of your neighborhood on the weekends / days off and take your time exploring. If you don't plan on getting a Chicago Card, pick up a short-term unlimited ride pass at a local shop - I tend to grab mine from my nearest Walgreens.

The CTA's maps are helpful, as are services like GoRoo for planning your trip. (Fair warning, GoRoo will incorporate Metra routes. These fares are a little bit more expensive, and less useful for travel within the city; better used to get out to the suburbs.)

As for learning the grid? Besides exploring the city on my feet, with a car, or mass transit, I bought this map when I moved here and found it very valuable.

Best of luck! I moved here last July and I'm very, very happy to be here.

Just random notes -

• go to the library (or buy your own) and check out guide books like National Geographic's Scenic Hwys or Road Trip USA to get ideas for scenic drives along your route
  
• if within your diet, Memphis BBQ
  
• maybe go no farther than Hot Springs the first day
  
• example of scenic highway you can find in those guide books - Talimena
  
• maybe Amarillo, TX, for the second day - Cadillac Ranch, Palo Duro Canyon SP nearby
  
• Santa Fe for food and museums the 3rd day; maybe overnight here or continue on to some place like Durango - lots in the Santa Fe area like Bandelier NM, Jemez Springs Mt Trail, Valles Caldera that you can check out while in Santa Fe or on your way to next destination
  
• Now you're entering a stretch where you wish you had more time. You could do Mesa Verde NP, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Dead Horse Pt SP, Goblin Valley SP, Capitol Reef NP, Bryce Canyon NP, Zion NP, Cedar Breaks NM, Snow Canyon SP but that would take a week; instead take as many scenic highways as you can - UT24, UT12, UT14, and more if you look. Hate to recommend not actually stopping at any of the national parks but you really don't have time - so take notes for your planning your next vacation; you can search out some cool restaurants on these scenic roads too. like Hells Backbone Grill; maybe overnight in St George for the 4th night (lodging near the National Parks is expensive and likely booked)
  
• maybe head to the Mammoth Lakes area for the 5th night
  
• You don't mention time of year for the trip, but if Tioga Rd is open (generally early June), take that and swallow the Yosemite entrance fee (unless you've already purchased a National Park pass for $80 that's good for a year); if Tioga Rd not open, then go up to Tahoe area before heading to San Francisco

Just a heads up to not underestimate the sheer amount of driving this involves. Google Maps shows a drive from Miami to Los Angeles at almost 40 hours. That's 5 solid 8 hour days of driving. Unless you are staying at places right on the side of the road, figure another hour per day at least getting to where you want to go and getting going in the morning. In reality you will probably be looking at 5 hours of actual drive time even if you push it. Not eight. So that's 8 solid days of drive time.

My own experience was 7 days and 11 days for the two trips I did across the northern part of the US. They were slow paced but man, you really feel it trapped in that car for hours per day.

Camping "along the road" is an option in certain parts of the country but I don't know about this route. It's only an option in certain areas. It's worked well in the Northwest for me. National forests (definitely not national parks) can work as they are pretty liberal about their back country camping. The issue is that it can be pretty difficult to get into them. They aren't developed. Just woods with poorly marked roads. I suspect that pretty much all of the land managed by the Bureau of Land Management is available for camping as well. I'm not sure though as I haven't lived in an area where they are common. Again though, BLM land is used to graze cattle, bison, and for mining. It's not well marked. That's really it though. BLM and national forests. Camping in state parks, national parks, national monuments, and private property are all a definite no unless you are in a marked campsite.

Edit: If you want to do stuff in national forests at a minimum you need a Delorme Atlas for whatever state you are in. Yes, an actual printed map. You won't have reliable cell service in these areas and the online maps won't have enough detail for you. That one is for Florida but they make one for every state. They show the National Forest roads, old woods roads, and even some ATV and hiking trails. This is THE map to have for that sort of thing.

ABSOLUTELY get the Trails Illustrated Smokies hiking map. It not only shows ALL the trails in the park, but it is the official map section for the GSMNP AT section.

Just got back from 2 nights at Balsam Mountain campground with my family.

I did a multi-day hike around the park a couple years ago (in addition to thru-hiking the AT in 2005). We did a big loop that connected the AT with some of the other hiking/horse riding trails in the park. You can't really go wrong with whatever you decide, but I would try to walk a couple miles on the AT as part of the hike.....if only to contrast the rest of your hike (crowds/well used trail vs. remote trail/very few people). The AT in the Smokies is heavily used.....the rest of the trails.....not so much. Look for peaks, campgrounds, and waterfalls on the map for your planning. Also, make sure to hash out a rough itinerary and register with a ranger. Also, tell some of your family exactly what trails you plan on hiking, just in case.

EDIT: If you are starting in Gatlinburg, plan on starting your hike from Newfound Gap or one of the trailheads on your way up to the gap from town. Also, eat some Gatlinburg pancakes either before or after your trip. Well worth it.

EDIT 2: Obviously, hiking a loop is the easiest, logistically. If you need to get dropped off or picked up, contact the outfitters in Gatlinburg. I am sure you can arrange a shuttle.

We stay at Cherokee Lake campground (off of the Sawbill trail) for the night before we head into the BWCA. Cherokee lake is supposed to be nice for fishing and there are some small portages into adjacent lakes that you could take. No showers (which Sawbill campground does have for a fee) but there is water and bathrooms available.

https://www.amazon.com/Boundary-Wilderness-National-Geographic-Illustrated/dp/1597754137
If you get these maps, they show a lot of the SNF and different canoe put ins, hiking points, etc.

Good luck - I falling more and more in love with that area each time I go up. Can't wait until my 2 year old is old enough to bring along on some of the trips.

Grab a topographic map, use your phone as a backup. The paper map will never run out of battery and is super helpful. A good idea would be to grab a portable battery, put your phone in airplane mode and use an app like Gaia GPS to confirm locations. You can save maps for offline use with Gaia, too.

https://www.amazon.com/Colorado-Trails-Central-Region-Backroads/dp/1930193513

This is the book I use, live in Boulder. Best advice is always local and timely, but this should help pass the time and get excited for next summer before you get out here! Hit the high passes! Go to the Maze the canyonlands! He Uncompahgre is one of my favorites. You're gonna have a good time.

I guarantee that any guidebook will have a map of relevant transit systems. At least the rail ones. Bus you may have to do a little research before the trip though train stations all have maps for the bus routes that serve it.

Fares are usually easy to figure out. Most places have 24/48/72 hour passes that make it easy unless you're really only going to use public transportation to/from the airport.

Any city map like this is going to have transit maps included as well.

The hostel should have public transportation directions. It might help to write them down just so you don't have to rely on your phone that might not have signal or battery after a long day at the airport.

If you wanted a neat "theme" for your trip out there you could take US 50 almost the entire way to Grand Junction.

There's a really good book for road trip lovers that hits some of the highlights of this route:

https://roadtripusa.com/the-loneliest-road/

https://www.amazon.com/Road-Trip-USA-Cross-Country-Adventures/dp/1612389023

My favorite book. Great for dirt-road finding. Worth it, and available and Barnes &
Noble, too:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Roads-Texas-A-University/dp/0940672642

Alaskan moving to NC here -- this is the field guide I would recommend. This is the travel guide that I usually recommend, but that's because it has the most pages devoted to my local area -- but as it also covers Denali, could be of interest.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. After some more googling, this looks like a good option. Too bulky for a handlebar bag, but I could photocopy the pages I need (old school).

http://www.amazon.com/California-Road-Recreation-Atlas-Benchmark/dp/0929591496/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y

I was persuaded by this negative review:

> I've enjoyed the Benchmark atlases for years [...] but don't care for the new one. [...] Benchmark has now included so much detail -- every tiny stream, for example -- that it's hard to read.

Bingo! Anybody used this series?

just about any state you want ....

https://www.amazon.com/California-Road-Recreation-Atlas-Benchmark/dp/0929591496/ref=sr_1_45?ie=UTF8&qid=1486500907&sr=8-45&keywords=map+atlas+usa

https://www.amazon.com/California-Atlas-Gazetteer-Delorme/dp/0899333834/ref=pd_sim_14_60?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BZFWVQPP8M10HWEC13BK

have a mind to download or print? ....

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6-eYcf1HwPUUnNwTE00WXlLMkE/view

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6-eYcf1HwPUbUZ4WlBDNnpsc2c/view

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6-eYcf1HwPUZkZtX3d1aS1Ybjg/view

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6-eYcf1HwPUdGY0ZUtEbFY1MlpjS2JQWHU3Y0lsYWZqMHBJ/view

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6-eYcf1HwPUOFFSQVdhd0hiVm8/view

http://www.abandonedrails.com/

http://trains.rockycrater.org/pfmsig/atlas.php

If you ever want to push the limits of the versys and get off the main roads, I can't recommend this book enough:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1930193076/ref=oh_details_o06_s01_i00

http://www.amazon.com/Colorado-Trails-Central-Region-Backroads/dp/1930193513/ref=pd_sim_b_5