My buddy argued for skipping established trails entirely, and I'm still chewing on it.

We were looking at a map for a 4 day loop in the Wind River Range last week. He pointed at a blank spot between two valleys and said, 'Why follow the dotted line when we can just go straight through?' He called established routes 'crowded hallways' and argued real adventure is making your own path. It hit different because I've always trusted those dotted lines to keep me safe and on schedule. But part of me wonders if he's onto something about missing the raw experience. Has anyone else planned a trip deliberately off the marked trail, and how did it go?

3 comments

3 Comments

anna_hill2mo ago

Wait, he wanted to cross the Wind River Range off-trail?

the_kim2mo ago

Yeah, "off-trail" in the Winds is no joke. My buddy tried a shortcut near Titcomb Basin last summer, got totally turned around in some boulders, and spent a cold night out before SAR found him. @anna_hill, it's the kind of place that looks fine on a map but will eat you up in person.

perez.barbara10d ago

Off trail in the Winds is a whole different beast for sure. He was actually trying to link up some unnamed lakes near the Cirque of the Towers, which is doable but you really have to have your nav skills dialed in for that kind of travel. The boulder fields up there can stretch for MILES and the cairns people leave are never reliable.