Peru Hikes

I went to Peru in 2009 and am writing this years after the fact, so this post will be pretty general and photo-heavy.

We did two big treks in Peru: The Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu and the Santa Cruz Trek over Punta Union Pass near Huaraz.  Prior to hiking, we took a few days to acclimatize by going from Lima to Arequipa (7,600 ft.) and then to Cusco (11,100 ft.).  There are lots of interesting things to see and do in Arequipa, Cusco, and Huaraz, so taking a few days to adjust to the elevation is not boring and comes highly recommended.  We felt the elevation but didn't get sick.  Some tourists in our group got VERY sick and it wasn't surprising to hear they'd flown in from Lima just the day before starting their trek.  

There are multiple routes to trek to Machu Picchu and they are being added/rerouted all the time so do your research.  We chose the Salkantay Trail because it was supposed to offer more in terms of scenery and natural wonder.  The Inca Trail is thought to have better cultural offerings.
Having only done the Salkantay, I can't compare the two, but I was perfectly happy with our choice.

We got to Machu Picchu early in the morning in order to get a limited spot to hike more of the site.  This additional area was very strenuous and felt pretty dangerous at times with lots of ropes and old ladders along the route.

I loved the city of Huaraz and would love to go back.  It has great cafes and restaurants and is surrounded by mountains.  Our trek over Punta Union Pass had some incredible scenery and let us experience an extreme elevation of 15,500 ft.

On both treks we were given coca tea in the morning.  We also bought leaves to chew along the way.  There is some debate about whether the leaves help with elevation acclimatization or just with the symptoms of altitude sickness.  If you don't want to use the local strategy, you should do some research on other meds or using ibuprofen or naproxen to prevent altitude sickness.

Arequipa Airport

Hell For Sure Pass - Hiking and Backpacking the High Sierra

The hike up to Hell For Sure Pass, at the NW border of Kings Canyon National Park, is very strenuous and incredibly beautiful.  With the trailhead at Courtright Reservoir at 8,200' and the pass at about 11,300' you are looking at lots of elevation gain and the risk of altitude sickness if you don't drink enough water and give yourself time to acclimate.  Luckily, the John Muir Wilderness and national parks have lots of amazing campsites to stay at and there are some nice lakes with trout along the 14 mi. route up to the pass.
We spent one night at Rae Lake (not to be confused with the Rae Lakes which are 32 miles away and spectacular) and then camped the next night at Disappointment Lake which, while possibly not as stunning as Hell For Sure Lake, is more hospitable for camping and saves you 500' feet of elevation and another mile with your pack on.  After ditching our packs we made the trek up to Hell for Sure Lake and swam in its frigid, deep waters.  There are some islands nearly 100 yards offshore and we nearly got hypothermia swimming out to one (and didn't want to swim back).  After that we hiked up to Hell For Sure Pass to take in the amazing views of the lake and the majestic, dark, and rough looking ~2,000' deep Goddard Canyon.  The next day we hiked part of the way out and camped at Rae Lake again.

If you hate in-and-out backpacks, you can turn this into a longer, more strenuous loop by heading south into Bench Valley and out along North Fall Creek.

Hell For Sure Lake

Hell For Sure Lake

Goddard Canyon

Disappointment Lake (Not That Bad)

Rae Lake

View from Island in Hell For Sure Lake

Rae Lake

Bear (from same trip, but not this hike. Actually in Sequoia Ntl. Park)

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Marble Mountain Wilderness - PCT

In the summer of 2007, I went with my good friend Luke and my dad on a three-night backpack along the Pacific Crest Trail in the Marble Mountain Wilderness.  One great thing about the route from Etna Summit to Lovers Camp is that you don't have to earn your elevation and accompanying views.  The trail starts high and stays between 6,000' and 6,600' for most of the next twenty miles.

I'm writing this five years after doing the hike, so I will keep details to a minimum and let the photos and map below speak for themselves.  We stayed the first night st Shelly Lake, the second night above Summit Lake (with a trip down to swim briefly in its frigid waters), and the third night at Lower Sky High Lake.  We'd intended to day-hike up to the summit of Black Marble Mountain but opted instead to relax at the lake before taking our time heading down the Sky High Valley to our car.

The coolest part about this hike for me (besides the swimming, hehe get it?) was seeing newts!  I think they were California Newts appropriately enough and it was awesome watching them swim lazily down to nibble plants on the pond bottom and then up to the surface for air exposing their bright orange bellies.

Pops making sure we are still on track

Newt!

Chipmunk and that moss that never comes out in photos but looks awesome

More Newts!

Crazed Deer Ate Something Wrong

Ok, the trail wasn't entirely easy going

Newt close-up!

Even back then I couldn't grow a real beard.

There was still some elevation change 

Who wants to climb Black Marble Mountain?

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Big Bend National Park

I've been to Big Bend three times now and hope to go again soon.  For Arkansans, this is one of the closer big National Parks.  Spring Break is a great time to visit since the big parks out west are still buried in snow and the Texas desert can be miserable in the summer.  

The first time I went, I went on a memorable backpacking trip with my dad around the Chisos to the Southwest Rim.  We spent the first night in Boot Canyon where there is a seasonal spring that is popular with the local mountain lions and then made our way to the rim the next day.  The sheer dropoff and bleak desert scenery below make for an incredible view.   

The park has many other interesting features including deep canyons, the Rio Grande, springs, old mines,  numerous species of cacti, and tinajas.  I have yet to see the famous javelinas but hope you get to!

South Rim

View From Rim

Boot Canyon

View From Rim

Elephant Tusk

Ernst Tinaja

Fun With Headlamps and Long Exposures

Rio Grande

View from Emory Peak

 

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