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idaho centennial trail

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    • been reading trip reports,trail journals, watching videos,reading maps.
      the food planning is gonna be the challenge for sure.im not too concerned with navigation anymore, but it looks like we'll be carrying some heavy loads anyway i look at it. in many of the wilderness areas we pass through,k food caches are frowned upon.not to mention we'll have no way of knowing if food we cached a month or two before will still be where we left it when we get there.
      most everyone who's done this trail had support from friends or family who drove out to meet them at certain points.
      its all good

    • hikerboy wrote:

      been reading trip reports,trail journals, watching videos,reading maps.
      the food planning is gonna be the challenge for sure.im not too concerned with navigation anymore, but it looks like we'll be carrying some heavy loads anyway i look at it. in many of the wilderness areas we pass through,k food caches are frowned upon.not to mention we'll have no way of knowing if food we cached a month or two before will still be where we left it when we get there.
      most everyone who's done this trail had support from friends or family who drove out to meet them at certain points.
      We have a brotha' from anotha' mutha', out there close!

      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:

      The post was edited 1 time, last by CoachLou ().

    • I got back to the shop today & the guidebook was waiting for me. I looked at it a bit & consider it a waste of money. Maps even as an area map almost unreadable. Overview are so old they don't even come close to what I have read of the few trail journals.

      From one of the links on a blog I sent an email to someone that hiked in 13 that blogger said he was going to make up current maps. He responded a week later & said he was busy with work & would get back to me when he had more time & if I wanted his maps! Of course I said yes.

      This definately isn't a cookie cutter long distance hike. The more I research I definately think it's doable without local support. Just going to take a lot of emails & planning. There are several rafting outfitters, hunting & fishing guide services that have bases grandfathered into the wilderness areas. Many reached by private airstips or boats. There are also several State parks we come close to & some NFS campsites managed by commercial companies. Add some ranger stations to the list & there are many potential re-supply points. It's just going to take a whole lot of emails to get things sorted out.

      I have started with large scale maps with my Alltrails program. Pros, can build large scale maps in many different views: topo. road map. sattalite photo, alltrail version, all the same map. So I can cross reference between different maps Cons; No map shows designated ICT. So it becomes a long drawn out process of getting what I need. No much of a big deal. I love looking at maps & planning!

      My direction right now is emailing various guide services, campgrounds & ranger stations & see if they are willing to hold resupply packages at their camp & what it will cost. Going back 20 years ago when I did my LASH of the PCT I wouldn't think this hike as possible without ground support. Now with the internet...doable!

      Side note: The reason I bought my first comp was a frien I rented a room from had a mac & internet. When I got on it & found out how much hiking ifo was out there I was hooked! I bought a laptop to research hiking. Now it has become filtering relevant info!

    • hikerboy wrote:

      CoachLou wrote:

      I have fished many parts of Idaho, but not near the trail south of the Lochsa. That area is for river trips or horse packing, ideally.

      You can count on my buddy Mike, (or both of us, I hope), for assistance north of the Lochsa.
      that would be great. doing this with no local logistical support is close to impossible.
      We rent a car & do water caches for first 150 miles. That's my main concern. Rest can be worked out with a few (dozen) or so emails to outfiiers, guide services, campgrounds, etc. Packs may be heavy at some resupply points but doable. MPD on most journal I have read are fairly high. I guesss because of lots of old roads it follows.

      Ben making large scale maps & downloading what I can from NFS. It's a pain sorting through each district for info needed but fun at the same time. It will be worth all the effort once we set boots to the trail! gif.013.gif

    • Mountain-Mike wrote:

      I got back to the shop today & the guidebook was waiting for me. I looked at it a bit & consider it a waste of money. Maps even as an area map almost unreadable. Overview are so old they don't even come close to what I have read of the few trail journals.

      From one of the links on a blog I sent an email to someone that hiked in 13 that blogger said he was going to make up current maps. He responded a week later & said he was busy with work & would get back to me when he had more time & if I wanted his maps! Of course I said yes.

      This definately isn't a cookie cutter long distance hike. The more I research I definately think it's doable without local support. Just going to take a lot of emails & planning. There are several rafting outfitters, hunting & fishing guide services that have bases grandfathered into the wilderness areas. Many reached by private airstips or boats. There are also several State parks we come close to & some NFS campsites managed by commercial companies. Add some ranger stations to the list & there are many potential re-supply points. It's just going to take a whole lot of emails to get things sorted out.

      I have started with large scale maps with my Alltrails program. Pros, can build large scale maps in many different views: topo. road map. sattalite photo, alltrail version, all the same map. So I can cross reference between different maps Cons; No map shows designated ICT. So it becomes a long drawn out process of getting what I need. No much of a big deal. I love looking at maps & planning!

      My direction right now is emailing various guide services, campgrounds & ranger stations & see if they are willing to hold resupply packages at their camp & what it will cost. Going back 20 years ago when I did my LASH of the PCT I wouldn't think this hike as possible without ground support. Now with the internet...doable!

      Side note: The reason I bought my first comp was a frien I rented a room from had a mac & internet. When I got on it & found out how much hiking ifo was out there I was hooked! I bought a laptop to research hiking. Now it has become filtering relevant info!
      if its the gudebook by steven steubner, yeah, the maps are useless.and the sections are not detailed enough for the guide to be of any true value. im waiting for the other one i ordered, much more recent.
      its all good

    • I have some knowledge of low water supply hiking.
      Water caches (and oversupply them) are important. I would go so far as saying split them in two at each cache. Assume it is possible some low life may find and remove them. Water is critical. You can survive for weeks without food. In hot conditions you're history in hours without water.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • hikerboy wrote:

      Mountain-Mike wrote:

      I got back to the shop today & the guidebook was waiting for me. I looked at it a bit & consider it a waste of money. Maps even as an area map almost unreadable. Overview are so old they don't even come close to what I have read of the few trail journals.

      From one of the links on a blog I sent an email to someone that hiked in 13 that blogger said he was going to make up current maps. He responded a week later & said he was busy with work & would get back to me when he had more time & if I wanted his maps! Of course I said yes.

      This definately isn't a cookie cutter long distance hike. The more I research I definately think it's doable without local support. Just going to take a lot of emails & planning. There are several rafting outfitters, hunting & fishing guide services that have bases grandfathered into the wilderness areas. Many reached by private airstips or boats. There are also several State parks we come close to & some NFS campsites managed by commercial companies. Add some ranger stations to the list & there are many potential re-supply points. It's just going to take a whole lot of emails to get things sorted out.

      I have started with large scale maps with my Alltrails program. Pros, can build large scale maps in many different views: topo. road map. sattalite photo, alltrail version, all the same map. So I can cross reference between different maps Cons; No map shows designated ICT. So it becomes a long drawn out process of getting what I need. No much of a big deal. I love looking at maps & planning!

      My direction right now is emailing various guide services, campgrounds & ranger stations & see if they are willing to hold resupply packages at their camp & what it will cost. Going back 20 years ago when I did my LASH of the PCT I wouldn't think this hike as possible without ground support. Now with the internet...doable!

      Side note: The reason I bought my first comp was a frien I rented a room from had a mac & internet. When I got on it & found out how much hiking ifo was out there I was hooked! I bought a laptop to research hiking. Now it has become filtering relevant info!
      if its the gudebook by steven steubner, yeah, the maps are useless.and the sections are not detailed enough for the guide to be of any true value. im waiting for the other one i ordered, much more recent.
      Yeah, it is Steve's. I'm more excited about recent maps I hope to recieve soon. I definately think we should compile all info we gather & make so type of current guide for this trail. Maybe like Mag"s reports. I spent a couple of hours working in the store today, a lot of it just downloading stuff to sort out later from Nez Peirce NFS. One overview map there is best so far. So many others to go!

    • OzJacko wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      without caches we'd be carrying 3 gallons+ at a time
      But seriously, when you cache do 2 at least 100yds apart. You can't afford for an entire cache to be "compromised".
      I hear you there. I have the maps of the area downloaded & will look into where to cache water. To much is never a problem. We may arive in town with a butt load of empty plastic jugs , but it bets the alternative.

      I hae carried 3 gallons...once...it sucked!

    • OzJacko wrote:

      Are you taking some sort of gps?
      If you have too much water leave some cached and after the hike you can either pick it up or give gps coordinates to another hiker.
      the maps we have already are detailed enough not to need gps.mm is working on better maps and we're both proficient with map and compass. i dont really want to rely on an electronic device if we're out for over 2 months.
      its all good

    • I really don't see the need for GPS. I can follow a topo pretty much as I walk. On PCT with no trail markings & trail covered with snow in North CA I'd go most days only catching a glimpse of trail each daywhere the snow was melted.

      Also not many hikers do the desert. Mostly mountainbikes. Lastly I will believe in LNT. If I know someone is behind & pick it up & use it, fine. Otherwise I will use it & carry out the trash.