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Backpacker Magazine – May 2005
America's Hardest Dayhikes
Push yourself on any of these challenging hikes
9. Paintbrush Canyon-Cascade Canyon Loop
Grand Teton National Park, WY
Score: 66 Miles: 19 Elevation Change: 8,000 feet X Factor: The occasional ultramarathoner passing you
Why does the 4,000-foot climb from String Lake up Paintbrush Canyon seem to last longer than Paris Hilton's overextended 15 minutes of fame? There's no shade, and the climb stretches endlessly out over 8 miles. Start before dawn to beat the high-altitude sun-and to get over 10,700-foot Paintbrush Divide before early afternoon, the witching hour for the Tetons' infamous thunderstorms. At the pass, drink in views up and down the range, but don't celebrate yet: 11 long miles down Cascade Canyon await. Contact: Grand Teton National Park, (307) 739-3300; www.nps.gov/grte
10. Bigelow Range Traverse
ME
Score: 64 Miles: 17 Elevation Change: 10,000 feet X Factor: Black flies with attitude
You'll be tempted to run this northbound traverse of the AT from ME 27/16-not because you're feeling jaunty, but to escape the Maine woods' infamous black flies. But the relentlessly steep and rocky trail along long, forested ridges discourages any such fantasies. The trail gets ruthless on the fierce half-mile climb to 3,331-foot South Horn, the ridges are waterless, and the summits windy and exposed. But the wild-north panoramas stretch all the way to Mt. Washington. Contact: Appalachian Trail Conference, (304) 535-6331; www.appalachiantrail.org
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READERS COMMENTS
What happened to the Devil's Path in New York?
It's 25.5 miles and has 18K feet of elev. change!
Posted: Nov 16, 2009 Yaakov Relkin
Why not Rim to rim to rim? Well why not Rim to rim to rim to rim? Isn't that harder? What can possibly beat that? I know. Rim to rim to rim to rim to rim. This article just shows some people have nothing to write. I got a real hard day hike for you. Go from Santa Monica pier to Mt Baldy. So this is suppose to be a day hike list. What happens once you reach the top of San Jacinto? Do you radio in the copter to airlift you out? How do you possibly make it back in the same day? You can't camp, because that would be a backpack trip, and wouldn't be in the same day. Hmmmmm.....
Posted: Nov 10, 2009 Chenendez
Mt. Whitney is tougher than suggested here. 6000 ft of elevation is nothing to sneeze at, and the fact that it happens, for the most part, above the tree line adds another dimension of difficulty. How many people have I seen balk at about 11,000 feet because of the effects of altitude sickness. And bring sunglasses because the sun is surreally bright at that elevation, as well.
Posted: Aug 11, 2009 Carlos
Recently did The Great Range in reverse as a backpacking trip that included Dix and Noonmark. Missing in the description of the GR above is Basin Mountain, which is between Saddleback and Lower Haystack. Also missing is the class 3-4 climb at the top of Saddleback. We did this in reverse, going from Marcy back to St. Huberts, abandoning ship after Gothics (which sports new cables up the southern ascent) because of some pretty raucous thunderstorms. The escape route featured the pretty cool Pyramid Peak, however.
Posted: Jul 20, 2009 Robert Burns
Granted, this is outdated, but I have seen the latest top hikes recently, somewhere. I have hiked several of these hikes and they are awesome.
Question..... why isn't the Rim to rim to rim in the Grand Canyon on the top list? I sure is up there in miles and elevation. It kick most of the hikes in a heart beat.
Posted: May 26, 2009 Cindy
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