Extreme Hiking
4 Pass Loop Trail (Colorado): This is an extreme one day hike with a total length of over 26 miles and 4 climbs over passes that are all approximately 12,500 feet. Most will be hiking from dawn to after dark, but what a sense of accomplishment you’ll have when you finish! If the hike proves too long, an out and back (13 miles) to the first pass (West Maroon) is a great hike with spectacular scenery.
Zion Narrows, Zion National Park (Utah): This 16 mile one-way hike down the Virgin River in Zion National Park has a gentle slope, but the teeth-chattering cold water and slippery rocks will test your limits. At the beginning, some hikers gingerly walk across rocks when crossing the river to keep their feet from getting wet, but before the end of the hike, as the river channel narrows under 1,000 foot cliffs, each hiker will be wading in water at least waist deep. Permits are required. Flash floods have taken lives here in the past, so plan your trip for late summer or early fall when the chance of rain has lessened and the water is warmer. Rim to Rim, Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona): The view from the top of the Grand Canyon is spectacular, but Grand Canyon hikers know it gets better. No permits are needed for this one day hike across the canyon, but make your reservations early at the lodges on the south rim for the night before the hike and at the north rim cabins after the hike. Make sure to get an early start (before dawn) on the South Kaibab Trail and then hike across the bridge over the Colorado River to the North Kaibab Trail and up the North Rim. The hike is 21 miles in length and temperatures on the canyon floor during the middle of a summer day can exceed 100 degrees. Water is available at points along the trail, but make sure to take plenty of food to keep up your strength during the long hike. Climbing the higher north rim (5,750 ft. elevation gain) after a long day of hiking will test your stamina, but at least it is in the shade whereas the south rim is exposed to the sun in the afternoon. A side trip diversion to Ribbon Falls will add a half mile to your journey, but it makes a beautiful lunch stop. Mt. Whitney Summit (California): This hike will seriously test your stamina at 22 miles and over 6,000 feet of elevation gain, but after ascending the peak, you can brag that you have climbed the tallest peak in the continental U.S. The toughest part of the climb is the 100 switchbacks (it is actually a few more than 100), but after the climbing the switchbacks and reaching the ridge, the views are certainly worth it. Be warned that you do need to plan ahead to secure permits and all waste (including feces) must be carried out with you. Half Dome, Yosemite National Park (California): The 14 mile hike to Half Dome is gorgeous, especially the Mist Trail section below Vernal Falls, but it is also deadly. The hike is tough (4,800 ft. of elevation gain), but doable for above-average hikers. Over the years, however, some careless visitors have died by getting in the water and being swept away by the current above Nevada or Vernal Falls. Other deaths have occurred further up the trail from lighting strikes on the exposed granite or while climbing the cables on the last part of the ascent. If you take proper precautions (use safety lines and avoid inclement weather), you need not worry. The hardest part of this trip, however, may be securing permits, which is done by lottery. Mt. Charleston Loop (Las Vegas, Nevada): Few would believe that just 35 miles from Las Vegas is a 12,000 peak. It is not as difficult as some other hikes on this list, at 17 miles and over 4,000 feet of elevation gain, but it still requires a bit of work. There are great vistas over Las Vegas and a plane wreck to investigate just before you reach the peak. Mount Timpanogos (Utah): While this trail is only 13.5 miles out and back, it does gain nearly 5,000 ft. of elevation and will test the average hiker. There are two trails, but the Aspen Grove trailhead is particularly beautiful with stunning waterfalls and gorgeous alpine views. |