READERS COMMENTS

My pick would be Denali in late August. The crowds are gone, and so are the mosquitoes. In one of many trips to this park I witnessed a mother grizzly w/ 3 cubs, a herd of caribou, a porcupine, beaver, a lone wolf, a ptarmigan, 13 Dall sheep rams on Mt Healy and woke one morning to a huge migration of sandhill cranes flying overhead. They don't call Denali the Serengeti of North America for nothing.
But, my close second would be Yellowstone.
Posted: Dec 12, 2009 Nor Eldridge

Did this hike mid sept, 08 (the week of the bank meltdown). Started with a boat shuttle to columbine creek (last day of the service for the year). Made it all the way down to Bridger Lake, than returned by way of eagle pass in the shoshone. Saw 5 hikers; 2 rangers in the park for 5 days. Hunting group of 36 horses, 5 outfitters and 8 city slickers drooling about the prospect of killing animals on our last day. After buying your issue on taking sides in the prez race and reading about how your readership feels about weapons use and protecting the hunter, it was with deep sadness that I divorced with Backpacker! I for one, would be willing to subsidize the outfitting industry, so hunting would be abolished. This would've been one of the best hiking treks I have ever done if it wasn't for this aberration of nature. Even with areas of intense fire damage, the THOROFARE, is as close as modern day Americans get to walking in the footsteps of John Colter, jim Bridger, et al from the 1830's. Bison, Moose, Golden eagles, cranes, wolves (at Nite) and Grizzly tracks and probable near misses were all part of this memorable adventure!

Posted: Dec 10, 2009 Roman Barczynski

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