ALMOST FAMOUS
Backpacker|Fall 2020
Thanks to COVID-19, big-name national parks are drawing larger crowds than normal this year, leading to busy trails and hard-to-get permits. So skip ‘em and set your sights on these sleeper alternatives instead. Not only will you still nab beauty to rival any national park, but there’s a good chance your social distancing will extend for miles and miles.
HEATHER BALOGH ROCHFORT
ALMOST FAMOUS

SIERRA SKYLINE

SKIP Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California HIKE Mt. Ritter, Ansel Adams Wilderness, California

A permit to summit Half Dome is practically currency in California (also, the famed chunk of glacier-ground granite is on the state quarter), but 13,150-foot Mt. Ritter is the true king of the peak-rich Eastern Sierra. This pyramid blends moderate scrambling with snow-slope trekking up the Southeast Glacier, all nestled in a wilderness far off the tourist radar. The 20-mile out-and-back starts by climbing 1,100 feet into a deep granite bowl that cups the summit-reflecting waters of Ediza Lake. Meadows freckling the western shore make for excellent camping (choose an impacted spot). Next day, ascend to a dark glassy volcanic saddle, bookended by Mt. Ritter and Banner Peak, the latter a favorite subject of Ansel Adams. Hopscotch to the left of the grassy ledges before ascending class-2 granite slabs that dump you at the base of the glacier. Secure your crampons and kick step up the crevasse-free snow toward the summit. You can see the entirety of Yosemite to the north—but far enough away that no cables or crowds mar the view.

TAKE A PASS

SKIP Gunsight Pass Trail, Glacier National Park, Montana HIKE The Beaten Path Trail, Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Montana

Esta historia es de la edición Fall 2020 de Backpacker.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición Fall 2020 de Backpacker.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.