Two great hostels in the heart of downtown Come and enjoy the wild west coast!With 75,000 miles of trails in the U.S., choosing the perfect multi-day (or week, or month) backpacking trip can be overwhelming. So, with the help of veteran backpacker Jennifer Pharr Davis, who once held the record for fastest hike of the 2,185-mile Appalachian Trail, and American Trails, a non-profit that maintains the largest online resource for footpaths in the U.S., we set out to put together a list of the 20 most spectacular trails. RELATED: Everything You Need to Pack for a Backpacking TripSome of these, like the Continental Divide Scenic Trail which Meriwether Lewis first crossed in 1805, are rich in history; others follow ancient geographical boundaries that shaped their region. All are wild and remote. The shortest trip, the 30-mile Art Loeb Trail can be completed in a long weekend and follows a ridgeline over the dense Pisgah forest in western North Carolina; the longest, the 3,100 mile Continental Divide National Scenic Trail which will take you from Montana to Mexico, crosses five states. 

"I've hiked in six continents and consider the U.S. the most wild of any of the places I've been backpacking," says Davis. "It makes you realize there are parts of our country that are still completely untamed." Tucked among the northern Sierra Nevada and Carson mountain ranges, the Tahoe Rim Trail roughly circles Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America. The mountain vistas, dense fir and hemlock forests, granite rock outcroppings, and views of the waters of Lake Tahoe offer stellar scenery, while the access to numerous off-season ski towns make this trip a complete package.backpack sarki sozu "The best description of this trail comes from my friend Chris, who calls it the Nieman Marcus of long distance trails," says LaRuffa. backpack masuk kabin"It's very well maintained and marked, and because it's designed for multi-purpose use, the terrain is somewhat forgiving in the way that it's graded. laptop backpack 6681

And you can hitch a ride to town everyday if you want a hot meal." Time to Complete: 2 weeks Terrain: Elevation ranges from 6,240 to 10,335 feet, but the 30,000 feet of elevation gain and loss is in more manageable doses than most of the other high elevation trails. Best Segment You Can Do In a Day: Relay Peak from Tahoe Meadows (9.25 miles round-trip). This route is packed with alpine mountain views and leads to the Tahoe Rim Trail highpoint at 10,335 feet.husqvarna 580 backpack blower Herschel Supply launches New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball collectiontimbuk2 ace laptop backpack messenger bag Herschel Supply launched on Thursday a collection of New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball accessories, as part of a partnership with Major League Baseball announced last month. obersee backpack diaper bag

Herschel Supply launches New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball collection. - Herschel SupplyItems launched by the global accessories brand include the Settlement backpack, the oversized Bamfield tote, the Sparwood duffle, the Chapter travel kit, an Anchor Sleeve for MacBook, and an exclusive Bat Bag. Each silhouette has a green satin interior inspired by the brim underlay of a ball cap and feature embroidered “NY” and “LA” monogram patterns as well as premium leather accents inspired by the laces of a pitcher’s glove.   The Major League Baseball Collection is available at select global retailers and online in Canada only at shop.herschelsupply.ca.   Herschel Supply was founded in 2009 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.The West Coast Trail, a challenging 77 km (47 mile) hiking delight between Port Renfrew and Bamfield on Vancouver Island, is proving so popular that a reservation system is now in effect! You can call the Super Natural British Columbia travel information line at 1-800-435-5622 (HELLO BC) and reserve your hike up to 3 months in advance of your adventure.

A discover camping number at 1-800-689-9025 also provides reservation services at British Columbia parks. How did this great hiking trail come into such acclaim? It started with a shipwreck back on January 22, 1906. The 253 foot (77 meter) vessel SS Valencia ran aground just north of Klanawa River on Vancouver Island's west coast. The wild and rugged shoreline bordering a temperate rain forest offered no relief whatsoever and the lives of all 126 passengers were lost! This tragic event spurred the government at that time to construct a trail between Port Renfrew and Bamfield in case of future shipwrecks as this section of the Pacific had been the site of more than 60 shipwrecks since 1854! The present West Coast trail generally follows the route of the historic life saving trail. A heavy wet climate has produced a dense forest of cedar, hemlock, fir and spruce. The forest floor is jammed with salmonberry, huckleberry, salal and in places, the heavy spiked stalks of devil's club. The 47 km (29 mile) section from the trail's northern end at Pachena Bay near Bamfield to Carmanah Point is mainly a wide and clear path.

Part of it can be covered on the beach, especially at low tides. One highlight is Tsusiat Falls which cascade almost 50 feet (15 meters) down to the beach. The 29 km (18 mile) section from Carmanah to Port Renfrew is definitely a hiker's challenge, requiring many crossings of streams, gullies, fallen trees, near vertical ladders and narrow log bridges. There are two major river crossings that cannot be forded, the Gordon River in this section and the Nitinat Narrows near mid-point. Members of local Indian bands can be depended on to ferry you across these waterways. At certain points on the trail, you could catch sight of Pacific gray whales, killer whales and sea lions offshore. The sheltered coves abound with bird life and at low tide, all manner of sea life can be spotted in the pure tidal pools. Black bears are still a frequent sight as they roam the shores in early morning and evening looking for a share of the many edibles along these tidal flats. A hike of the entire trail takes 6 to 10 days so your backpack should include a sleeping bag and a rainproof light weight tent.

The annual rainfall in this area is 270 cm (106 inches) so rain gear is essential although there are often periods of sunny days in July and August. Remember, you must be completely self sufficient as supplies cannot be acquired on the trail. Planning your food, the more light weight and spoil proof the better, for each day along the trail is a must! Good preparation will ensure that you can thoroughly enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery in the world! Editor's Note: One of our readers has suggested that we toughen up the last paragraph to more adequately warn hikers of the difficulty of the trail. His words were, "the WCT is not to be undertaken lightly, and that this trail is absolutely no place for the casual weekend camper." If you are interested in reading a well written documentary about hiking the trail under very inclement weather conditions by a group of four Alberta hikers, kindly go to the internet site WCT Mudhounds Your comments are welcome at "dhaaheim at telus dot net"