A vast grassland in central Montana might seem like an odd place to go snorkeling. Comprising nearly 463,000 acres of private and leased public land centered on the , the reserve is decidedly un-tropical, a rolling shortgrass prairie that stretches out to the horizon, punctuated by smatterings of trees and rocky buttes. Unless you鈥檙e planning on jumping into the Missouri River, or you have the bad luck to be out when the snowmelt and spring rains turn the ground into gumbo-like mud, you鈥檙e unlikely to get wet. But to go 鈥渓and snorkeling鈥� on this largely trailless backcountry, you don鈥檛 need fins, a mask, or even water鈥攋ust a willingness to rethink what a hike looks like.

The term 鈥溾�� may be unfamiliar. But the idea, as described by Clyde Aspevig and Carol Guzman, the Montana-based artists and longtime American Prairie volunteers who came up with it, is simple: Just wander through nature with no destination, paying close attention to the plants, animals, and natural features around you, like a snorkeler floating through the shallows of a coral reef. While every hiker has land snorkeled at some point in their life, it鈥檚 something many of us become less and less willing to dedicate our time to as we become more focused on making miles and reaching summits, says Anna Schale, American Prairie鈥檚 public access manager.

鈥淜ids are really good at land snorkeling,鈥� Schale says. 鈥淎ny kid that sees a dandelion that has the white puff, they go straight to it, pick it up, and blow on it. I think somehow as adults, we really lose touch with looking at where our feet are moving.鈥�

If you want to recapture that mindfulness and joy in the details of nature, Schale believes that the American Prairie is an ideal place to start your land snorkeling journey. Founded in 2001, the American Prairie Foundation aims to create a wildlife conservation preserve that they hope will eventually cover more than 3 million contiguous acres of never-plowed mixed grass prairie. Counting the adjacent Russell National Wildlife Refuge and , they鈥檙e nearly halfway there, with about 1.3 million acres of both private land and public land managed under grazing leases, where the foundation has reintroduced free-ranging herds of bison. Both the privately-owned and leased sections of the prairie are open to the public, including hikers, cyclists, horseback riders, and hunters. Wildlife abounds, including ungulates like deer and pronghorn, American porcupines, and prairie birds like sharp-tailed grouse and western meadowlarks.

Schale鈥檚 tips for beginner land snorkelers: Plan your day by time, rather than distance. Shift your mindset away from objectives. Instead, let your interest and the natural features of the land guide your walk.

鈥淭here are so many flowers that bloom close to the ground, grasses that are unique and different,鈥� she says. 鈥淓ven to the untrained eye, there鈥檚 just a lot to see in the variations of dirt鈥攚here it鈥檚 really crackly or maybe it鈥檚 different-colored. We have horned toads, woodhouse toads, and several kinds of bugs and beetles.鈥� Dry creekbeds, she notes, can make for natural walking paths.

American Prairie is one of the most remote landscapes in the lower 48, with some sections located hours from pavement. Schale notes that it鈥檚 important to come prepared, even if you鈥檙e just planning on an aimless walk. Besides packing essential gear and bringing maps and appropriate layers鈥攖emperatures can vary from -40 掳F to more than 100 掳F throughout the year鈥攊t鈥檚 important to note that road conditions can be difficult, especially when rain and snow turns the dirt into 鈥減rairie gumbo鈥� that can trap tires. Drive a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle, and check the weather forecast before you leave. With a few exceptions, most of the camping on the prairie is dry, so campers need to carry their water in with them.

Where to Go Land Snorkeling

Visitors to American Prairie can dispersed-camp almost anywhere they want, but Schale recommends that first-timers start at Antelope Creek Campground, a developed campsite just off US 191 featuring cabins ($73), camping ($20 for a tent spot; ), and a bathhouse, as well as potable water. Nearby attractions include a prairie dog town, wetlands, and a 2-mile interpretative trail鈥攐ne of the few dedicated hiking paths on the preserve. For those ready to venture further, she recommends Buffalo Camp on the reserve鈥檚 Sun Prairie Unit. Like Antelope Camp, it has access to water and electric hookups meant for campers or small RVs; unlike that campground, it鈥檚 more than 50 miles from the nearest paved road, making it ideal for spotting the reserve鈥檚 bison herd and stargazing under its dark skies.

For a different perspective on the prairie, head to the reserve鈥檚 PN Unit at the junction of the Missouri and Judith Rivers, which features the steeper topography of the Missouri Breaks and a more forested vibe. Hikers there can spot wading birds like great blue herons and American avocets, find shells on the riverbanks, and wander the thick cottonwood galleries on their shores.

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I am not going to stand here in front of God and Backpacker鈥榮 readers and pretend I always, or even usually, eat healthy on my trips. I eat loose from my hipbelt pockets while I hike and wolf down instant ramen like I鈥檓 a broke college student and rent is due. I once stuffed an entire box of Honey Buns into a helicopter鈥檚 cargo box during an Editors鈥� Choice trip to Banff National Park (bad idea, those things do not travel well).

But as I鈥檝e gotten older and words like 鈥渉ypertension鈥� and 鈥渁rteriosclerosis鈥� have gradually entered my peers鈥� vocabularies, I鈥檝e gotten more and more interested in finding a compromise between convenience and health when it comes to meal planning for my hikes and backcountry tours. If you鈥檙e on the same path, then this roundup of our best hiking nutrition stories is for you. The following stories are a primer in how to eat on a hike, from the basics of nutrition to busting some of the most persistent dietary myths. Read on to learn more.

From processed ingredients to organic to specialty diets, it鈥檚 easy to get blinded by science when it comes to nutrition. The reality: Figuring out how to eat better on a backpacking trip doesn鈥檛 need to be complicated. We break down the basics of nutrition鈥攅at for recovery, keep an eye on your electrolytes, and, whatever you do, don鈥檛 skip breakfast鈥攊n this easy explainer for beginners.

Sometimes the effects of a poor diet take a while to hit. Sometimes, however, they kick in faster, leading to problems from skinny legs to trail diarrhea. If you鈥檙e planning on going on a long hike鈥攖hink two weeks or more鈥攜ou need to keep a much closer eye on what you鈥檙e consuming than you might on a weekend trip. We consulted two backpacking dietitians to understand how the food hikers eat helps or hinders them.

There are few sciences as rife with misinformation as nutrition. Spend an hour googling, and you鈥檒l find contradictory information, questionable supplements, and even downright dangerous diet plans on offer. Don鈥檛 get fooled: Learn to tell the BS from the valuable information with this round-up from Corey Buhay.

Let鈥檚 be real: Few to none of us are hiking with a pack full of fresh fruits and vegetables, or even a lot of dehydrated ones. Getting our meal bag down to a manageable size while still carrying enough calories to fuel days of hard hiking means making some compromises, from carrying processed food to prioritizing raw carbs over vitamins and minerals. How do your favorite hiking treats stack up? We asked a dietitian to evaluate everything from instant ramen to Pop-Tarts on the value to hungry hikers.

If you鈥檙e hoping to build up your hiking fitness, then protein is non-negotiable. It helps rebuild the day-to-day wear and tear you incur and locks in the muscular gains you earn over days and weeks on the trail. Protein bars and shakes are easy, but these are easier, cheaper, and tastier ways to get your daily dose.

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No matter where we hike, how long we go for, how (or whether) we train, or how much or little weight we carry, there鈥檚 one thing all hikers need: strong legs. On the trail, legs help you keep up the pace, , and maintain your balance on everything from uneven treadpath to tricky creek crossings. Ensuring yours are ready for your next adventure could be the difference between having a fulfilling trip and spending more time thinking about your aches and pains than the scenery.

Need a primer on the science of stems? We鈥檝e collected some of our best writing on it, plus a couple of personal trainer-backed exercises to help you get yours ready to tear up the trail come spring.

The problem with 鈥渉iking your way into shape鈥�: Those first couple of trips aren鈥檛 much fun. If you鈥檙e looking to maximize your trail time, then doing some pre-hike training is one of the best investments of your time that you can make. We鈥檝e collected six of our favorite leg workouts鈥攊ncluding an off-the-couch conditioning plan, plus workouts for steeps, endurance, and overnight trips鈥攊n one convenient place so you can find the routine that works for you whether you鈥檙e starting from zero or trying to take your fitness to the next level.

Of course, getting strong is only half the battle: Leg injuries are an ever-present hazard for hikers, ranging from minor inconveniences like sore feet or quads to season-ending injuries like ACL tears. Learn the anatomy behind your leg pain and get mobility exercises to help you prevent and deal with it in this expert-written primer.

If you mostly spend the colder months on other pursuits, hitting the trail in spring can be a shock to your hammies. These workhorse muscles keep your knees aligned and stable, especially on downhills and uneven terrain, and play a key role in helping to support your pack weight. This three-exercise, three-times-a-week routine is designed to work your hamstrings into shape over six to eight weeks, allowing you to feel more confident tackling your first big trips of the season.

You鈥檝e probably heard the term 鈥渢rail legs鈥� before; for those of you who aren鈥檛 up on your long trail lingo, it鈥檚 the state thru-hikers reach where their muscles handle the daily stress of of the trail well enough that they鈥檙e able to keep going day after day. Turns out there鈥檚 some pretty serious science behind why it happens. In this piece, fitness columnist, personal trainer, and physical therapist assistant Lee Welton went long on how your body adapts when you hike dozens of miles day after day, and whether it鈥檚 possible to keep your trail legs after the hike is over. (Spoiler alert: It鈥檚 not.)

3 Leg Exercises Every Hiker Should Know

Kickstart your fitness routine with these exercises from 鈥榮 Six Weeks to Trail Fit class, taught by coach and guide Jason Antin

Leg Blasters

Combining several different exercises into one, this circuit is a great base to build your leg conditioning routine around.

Goblet Squats

These modified squats are easy to do with any heavy object from a kettlebell to a dumbbell to a weighted pack.

Walking Lunges

Trail your glutes, hamstrings, and more with this exercise鈥攏o weight necessary.

The post Strong Legs Are a Hiker鈥檚 Secret Weapon. Here鈥檚 How to Get Them. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Canada鈥檚 border authority expanded on its decision to bar Pacific Crest Trail hikers from crossing into the country earlier this week, noting that its new policy mirrors the United States鈥� refusal to permit southbound hikers to begin their hikes by crossing the border into American territory.

In , the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) confirmed it would no longer issue permits for PCT hikers to cross into E.C. Manning Provincial Park at the trail鈥檚 northern terminus, and said that the change would 鈥渇acilitate monitoring of compliance of trail users鈥� as well as increase security at the border. In addition, the agency noted that the move 鈥渁ligns with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) who does not allow travellers to enter the U.S. from Canada on the trail.鈥�

Northbound thru-hikers will now need to end their trips by backtracking to the nearest road crossing at Harts Pass, roughly 30 miles away; those who still wish to hike the extension of the trail into Canada will then need to travel to the nearest border crossings at Osoyoos or Abbotsford, both of which are roughly 60 straight-line miles from the trail.

In a blog post, the called the announcement 鈥渄isappointing,鈥� but acknowledged the CBSA鈥檚 points, including that the new policy mirrors one that the U.S. has long held.

鈥淗ikers and equestrians should turn around after reaching the Northern Terminus,鈥� the group wrote. 鈥淲e ask that everyone travels with the utmost respect for nature by practicing gold standard Leave No Trace practices. This area will experience increased use now that more people are traveling this section of the PCT twice.鈥�

The change comes at a tense time for U.S.-Canada relations, as on imports from it and Mexico on February 1 if the two countries don鈥檛 take steps to deter unauthorized crossings. This week, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police unveiled a new fleet of leased Black Hawk helicopters that it is using to step up enforcement along the border.

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At Backpacker, we鈥檙e champions of hiking year-round鈥攚hy trade your trail time for couch time just because it鈥檚 a little chilly outside? But we鈥檙e also clear-eyed about winter hiking鈥檚 challenges. When the mercury drops, what would be a pleasant weekend trip can become an ordeal. Instead of recharging you, it leaves you more drained at the end than you were at the start.

Instead of just surviving your winter adventures, you can learn to . Knowing what gear will help you stay comfortable and happy in the cold is a good place to start. We polled Backpacker鈥檚 editors and the rest of our parent company 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 staff to get our coworkers鈥� personal favorite gear picks for hitting the trail in the winter, and came away with a hit list that might just help you turn the fourth season into your favorite hiking season.

If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside.聽Learn more.

Argali Absaroka 4P Tent

Dennis Lewon鈥檚 idea of essential winter gear: a big tent. 鈥淲inter loads are already heavy so it can be tempting to bring a smaller and lighter tent,鈥� said Lewon, 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 director of content (and Backpacker鈥檚 former editor in chief). 鈥淏ut having more space and ventilation makes winter camping so much more comfortable, especially with the long nights.鈥� is a four-person pyramid tent with an unusual feature: a fold-up titanium stove that puts out enough heat that our reviewers could hang out in their baselayers during freezing nights. This isn鈥檛 like the canvas hot tents you may have tried in the past: The Absaroka聽 packs down to the size of a paper towel roll, the stove to the size of a laptop case, and the whole package weighs just more than 5 pounds.

ReadEra App

With early sunsets, winter nights are already long, and when winter storms move in, it鈥檚 easy to find yourself waiting out the weather for hours or even days. Packing a book is a great way to kill time, and I鈥檓 partial to this free e-reader, which I鈥檝e paired with public domain ebooks (Dracula, anyone?) from . ReadEra doesn鈥檛 have any ads, subscription fees, or annoying pop-ups, handles a wide variety of file formats well, and it makes it easy to organize your files. I especially appreciated the customization: Being able to change font size and background has kept me from straining my eyes into oblivion while paging through stories on my phone.

Hothands Hand Warmers

We鈥檝e lost count of how many colleagues professed their love for these disposable warmers, which they stuff into gloves, boots, and sleep systems. 鈥淚 hold onto those puppies real tight each night or stuff them in my sleeping bag,鈥� wrote Emma Veidt, Backpacker鈥檚 associate editor. Trying to cut down on your waste in 2025? Zippo鈥檚 HeatBank 9s, which combines a USB-rechargeable hand warmer with a power bank, is a reusable option.

Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Down Pants

Packing down pants to take the chill off the coldest nights is a favorite strategy of Jake Stern, 国产吃瓜黑料 Magazine鈥檚 digital editor. Mountain Hardwear鈥檚 Ghost Whisperer pants keep weight down with 800-fill down and gossamer ripstop construction; a men鈥檚 medium weighs in at 9.6 ounces, but still features two side pockets and ankle zips to make getting them on and off easy despite the trim cut. Bonus: Pair them with a matching Ghost Whisperer Hoody to create the world鈥檚 most technical sweatsuit.

Baffin Cush Booty

Cold toes are a little issue that can have a big impact on your comfort, and packing insulated booties is a lightweight, easy way to banish them in camp. There are a lot of good choices on the market, but Ryan Snow, 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 data warehouse engineer, suggests this pair, which features a B-Dry waterproof liner and blended polyester and wool insulation for warmth. A drawstring around the cuff seals out drafts, while the nylon bottom is resistant to punctures and features silicone accents for slip-resistance.

Warbonnet Blackbird XLC Hammock and Wooki Underquilt

On fourth-season adventures, Mike Ardagh, a support operations tools specialist for 国产吃瓜黑料, prefers to avoid sleeping on the cold ground entirely with a hammock system. His model of choice: the Warbonnet Blackbird XLC, which at just under 1 pound 6 ounces is comparable to some ultralight tents out there. Ardagh pairs it with the company鈥檚 Wooki underquilt, which he calls a 鈥済ame-changer.鈥� The quilt features 850-fill dry-treated duck down, and fits users up to 6 feet, 6 inches; a 0-degree, XL model weighs in at a reasonable pound and a half.

A Warm Water Bath for Your Canister Stove

This cheap hack comes from Anthony Walsh, Climbing鈥檚 digital editor, who鈥檚 used it down to -30掳F. Just put a plastic container big enough to fit your fuel canister in on a sleeping mat or pack, add warm water, and stand your canister inside to help increase the canister鈥檚 pressure. 鈥淚t seems like a magic trick: literally just a splash of water will turn a sputtering stove into a total beast,鈥� Walsh said.

Underwood The Bubbles Sparkling Wine

If you鈥檙e a fan of a tipple around the fire, these cans of sparkling wine are a compact, great-tasting option. 鈥淪ure, it鈥檚 added weight, but life鈥檚 too short not to celebrate the moments that make us feel alive,鈥� said Sierra Shafer, editor in chief of Ski and editorial director of 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 国产吃瓜黑料 group. 鈥淗ow fun is it to pop a little bottle of champagne at the summit or once you鈥檙e settled in camp for the night?鈥� (A non-alcoholic canned option: Gruvi鈥檚 Sangria is a fruit-flavored, alcohol-removed wine that鈥檚 just tannic enough to taste like the real thing.)

Skida Sunday Alpine Neckwarmer

A neck gaiter is a multifunctional piece of equipment for staying comfy on both summer and winter adventures. Quality is important when you pick which neck warmer to bring, said Shafer, but so is quantity: 鈥淚 swear by my Skida Sunday Alpine Neckwarmer, but more importantly, packing a second gaiter in your pocket or pack can be a lifesaver when your first one gets damp from condensation or snow,鈥� she said of this polyester model, which comes in an array of vibrant prints. 鈥淎 fresh, dry gaiter makes a world of difference in keeping the elements out and staying warm,鈥� Shafer said.

Bear Creek Soups

What鈥檚 better than hot soup on a cold night? With classic flavors like minestrone and cheddar broccoli, this popular brand 鈥渕akes a big pot of warmth, is super easy鈥攋ust add water鈥攁nd is pretty dang good for a packaged mix,鈥� Lewon said. (Downside: None of these mixes are vegetarian, so if you鈥檙e plant-based, you鈥檒l need to look for another option.)

Patagonia Fitz Roy Down Hoody

It鈥檚 not the lightest down jacket on the market, but the Fitz Roy is as warm of a layer as you鈥檒l feasibly be able to pack in. 鈥淚t鈥檚 way too warm to hike in, and I鈥檝e been told it makes me look like I鈥檓 wearing a trash bag, but it makes hanging around in sub-freezing conditions actually bearable,鈥� says Jen Smith, a software engineer for 国产吃瓜黑料. The Fitz Roy features 800-fill down encased in a DWR-treated recycled nylon shell. At 14.8 ounces and packing to about the size of a 1-liter Nalgene, it鈥檚 reasonable to carry, and includes twin chest pockets, side pockets, and an internal stuff pocket for quickly storing essentials. Plus, a drawstring waist helps keep out the elements.

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Next to not bringing enough warm enough layers and forgetting to check the weather, hitting the trail without appropriate traction is among . It鈥檚 one that鈥檚 easy to miss until it鈥檚 too late, too: Trails that climb from lower elevations聽 may be bare at the beginning but covered in heavy snow and boilerplate ice higher up. Even if your hike doesn鈥檛 end in disaster, having to carefully edge your way down a slippery trail instead of stepping with confidence can cost you time, leading you to get to camp or your car later than you had planned. Here鈥檚 why you need traction, and .

How Hiking Traction Works

Grab a pair of your street shoes and a pair of your hiking shoes and . Compared to your casual footwear, your trail runners or boots have a toothier, more rugged-looking sole. Hiking traction鈥攕uch as ice cleats, crampons, and snowshoes鈥攖akes that to an extreme: By concentrating your body weight into a small area, their points penetrate into and grip hard snow and ice in a way that your footwear alone can鈥檛, and provide multidirectional grip rather than skating off the surface. Which specific kind of traction you need depends on the conditions you plan on hiking in.

Ice Cleats

Better known as Microspikes (technically a trademark for Kahtoola鈥檚 version of them), these diminutive points are smaller and generally more flexible than crampons. They feature a set of small steel or tungsten carbide points, mounted on either a chain or rubber structure that fits snugly around your footwear. Ice cleats are great for general use in winter; they鈥檙e usually enough for everything but steep, mountaineering-adjacent routes in the mountains.

are a good middle-of-the-road solution that can handle a wide variety of conditions, with twelve 鈪�-inch spikes per foot and a secure elastomer upper. The , which features a Boa system for dialing in fit, is another option.

Crampons

For the most extreme routes that involve long, steep alpine ascents or the potential for high-consequence falls, you may want something a little toothier than ice cleats. That鈥檚 where crampons come in. These clawlike steel spikes come in a variety of flavors; for hiking and light mountaineering, you鈥檒l want a pair of strap-on 10-point crampons鈥攏ot one of the heavier-duty (and just plain heavier) models intended for ice climbing. Unless you know you鈥檒l be hiking strictly on snow, resist the urge to get aluminum crampons, which are lighter but will dull or even break quickly on rocky terrain.

feature chromoly steel spikes, an independent rear, and toe bindings that work with just about any boot or shoe and feature a fold-flat heel support so they take up as little pack space as possible. At just under a pound and a half per pair, they鈥檙e relatively light for the category, too.

Snowshoes

If you鈥檒l be negotiating deep snow as well as hardpack, a pair of snowshoes that鈥檚 built for mountain use can be a good option; just keep in mind that they鈥檒l be clumsy and not especially useful on variable or rocky terrain. Look for a pair with teeth along the frame as well as at the toes, sturdy construction, and a heel lifter, which will help your calves from wearing out on long climbs.

were a favorite of our snowshoe testers this year. More than 70 steel teeth along the frame and seven at the toe provided reliable grip even on icy sections, and ratchet straps on the upper foot kept our tester鈥檚 footwear from slipping and sliding during testing in Montana.

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Whether or not a backpacker carries a camp chair tells you a lot about them. Do they view camp as a destination to get comfortable and enjoy? Or just a brief pause that鈥檚 necessary if they want to spend a weekend walking without collapsing from exhaustion? While camp chairs have gotten lighter and lighter over the past several decade, they鈥檙e still far from standard in most backpackers鈥� gear lists. Should they be on yours? We asked two of our editors to weigh in.

Ditch the Camp Chair

I want it on record that . I鈥檓 the kind of person who鈥檚 constitutionally unable to sit on a couch without eventually oozing into a lying-down position. I like fireplaces and cozy flannel shirts. I鈥檝e been known, on occasion, to wear Crocs. But when it comes to comfort, it鈥檚 possible to have too much of a good thing.

If you鈥檙e a middle-class person in the global north, you likely live in an environment that鈥檚 tailored to your physical ease. Your clothing is mostly soft and always clean; your furniture is upholstered, your temperatures are controlled. Like a fish in water, you鈥檝e likely become so used to the comforts surrounding you that you鈥檝e ceased to register them.

But sometimes, I think, a little discomfort can help us fully engage with the world. When you feel the sweat trickling down your neck or the hard rock underneath the seat of your pants, what you鈥檙e really experiencing is the feeling of being a human being out in nature, immersed in the sun and the bugs and the cold ground. Yes, when you leave the chair at home, you鈥檙e sacrificing a little bit of comfort鈥攂ut you鈥檙e gaining so much more.

Then, there鈥檚 the obvious problem with carrying a chair: the weight. Backpacking chairs have gotten a lot lighter over the years, with models like the tipping the scales at a single pound. But you know what weighs less than bringing a lightweight seat? Leaving it at home. A chair is a luxury item that you can replace with any log or relatively flat rock. If I鈥檓 going to carry that weight, I鈥檒l bring a book, a first-night meal, or exactly 1 pound of .

I don鈥檛 judge anyone who brings a chair鈥攐r any other personal luxury鈥攂ut to me, focusing on comfort in camp is missing the point. The joy of backpacking is in movement and, for once in our comfort-swaddled lives, immersing ourselves in the wide world around us. So rebel, I say. Leave the chair at home. Sit on the wet grass or the cold, hard rock. 鈥擜dam Roy, Editor in Chief

Pack the Camp Chair

Just like Adam, I have an admission up top: I don鈥檛 hate discomfort. I several years ago, and it changed the way I behave. This Nordic trait boils down to channeling your determination to rise above all adversity. Just when you think you鈥檝e reached your limit, you can always dig deeper. Basically the opposite of hygge, it鈥檚 how Finns are resilient enough to ice swim through the winter months, which is central to their culture.

Since I read that book, a lot of my life has trended toward hobbies and activities that test my patience: I actually enjoy running marathons. I write for a living. On the weekends, I climb rocks until my fingertips are raw. Plus, I regularly spend long hours carrying lots of weight on my back and setting up camp far from my comforts of home. I know what it鈥檚 like to test my strength, and doing so has let me experience parts of the backcountry that I鈥檇 never be able to if I took the easy route. However, there is a line between a hardy challenge and straight-up misery. How can you balance the two when you鈥檙e voluntarily putting yourself into uncomfortable scenarios? For me, having reliable comforts makes all the difference.

I bring a chair on most backpacking trips, and I actually use it. It doesn鈥檛 detract from my ability to connect with the outdoors at all. I鈥檓 still hearing the same birds, feeling the same wind, and getting bitten by the same bugs as I would if I was sitting on a rock. In fact, I feel like I can focus on connecting with nature a little more. (Sitting directly on wet grass or cold ground would also trigger my Raynaud鈥檚-prone extremities to numbness that would take me out of the experience of being outdoors.)

In a community that prides itself on grit, it can be controversial to admit that you go out of your way for luxury. However, determining your hiker status by how much you want to suffer isn鈥檛 something we should be doing. We all have had hikes that tested us, whether with , technical scrambles, or . After a brutal hike, being able to reliably and comfortably sit down can help recharge your suffer meter. And doing so on an uneven log or soggy grass patch definitely doesn鈥檛 do it for me.

It鈥檚 easy to get caught up in the argument about weight, but honestly, chairs don鈥檛 weigh that much. My legs have never buckled under the weight of my 1 pound, 11 ounce REI Co-op Flexlite Camp Chair. And a chair weighing a single pound, like the Helinox Chair Zero? Weight-wise, that鈥檚 chump change. A decade ago, we wouldn鈥檛 be splitting hairs for the sake of weight class status, and doing so now is pretty trite. Just grow up and bring the extra pound or two. 鈥� Emma Veidt, Assistant Editor

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Muhammad Ali, Dale Earnhardt, Florence Griffith Joyner: Even the most high-flying heroes eventually fall to Earth, weighed down by time, accident, and the vagaries of biology. To that pantheon, add the King of Fat Bear Week, 480 Otis.

Otis, a roughly 28-year-old Alaskan brown bear who made his home in Katmai National Park and Preserve, drew the kind of lasting fandom that few Internet-famous animals enjoy. In 2014, he won the inaugural Fat Bear Tuesday contest put on by the park and Explore.org. He would go on to capture a record three more titles, most recently in 2021, in the process becoming an unofficial symbol for as it went from a park service in-joke to an online phenomenon that now counts more than a million votes every year.

Anthropomorphizing wild animals can be a dangerous game, but if viewers on Explore.org saw a little bit of their aspirational selves in the aging bear, it鈥檚 hard to blame them. Even as his teeth wore down to stubs and , 480 Otis would return to his habitual fishing grounds on the Brooks River year after year. He was a model of mature patience, sometimes dozing off in the river as he methodically scooped out a winter鈥檚 worth of salmon. In recent years, his late arrivals to the river had occasionally left fans worried that Otis had passed away; sooner or later, though, he would show up, perhaps emaciated, but alive and ready to eat.

But even the greatest eventually give in. With Fat Bear Week just days away and Otis nowhere to be seen, it doesn鈥檛 seem like the GOAT is coming back. We鈥檒l likely never know Otis鈥檚 ultimate fate; as Explore.org noted in a video, Katmai is a big place. It鈥檚 possible he decided to switch up his feeding grounds after more than two decades; maybe he just wanted to live out his remaining days far from the cameras. But wild bears live hard lives, and it鈥檚 probable that he succumbed to age (at nearly 30 years old, he was pushing the limits of a brown bear鈥檚 typical lifespan), injury, or starvation somewhere in the park鈥檚 vast forests or tundra.

Every year we ask where Otis is, but this year he hasn鈥檛 answered that call. We can鈥檛 say for sure where he鈥檚 gone, but either way we hope it鈥檚 close Music by @S Y M L

Wherever he鈥檚 gone, Otis, the Fattest of the Fat Bears, will continue to be a super-size inspiration to his fans, us included. So goodnight, sweet prince. We鈥檒l go have a snack and take a nap by the river somewhere in your honor.

Read our 2021 tribute:

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鈥淢ore than a third鈥� of the Appalachian Trail is currently inaccessible to hikers as the southeastern United States recovers from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) said in a statement on Saturday evening.

In a , ATC Executive Director Sandi Marra said that the organization believed some sections of the trail could be closed for an extended period of time 鈥渂ecause of bridges that have washed away and downed trees and mudslides obstructing the treadway鈥�

鈥淎.T. Communities such as Damascus, VA; Erwin, TN; and Hot Springs, N.C. have been devastated,鈥� Marra wrote. 鈥淎ll national forests in Georgia and North Carolina are closed as is Great Smoky Mountains National Park. And access to and from Asheville, home to ATC鈥檚 Southern Regional Office, is extremely limited due to the destruction. Needless to say, it will be weeks, months, and even years to see recovery from this event.

In an update on Saturday morning, Great Smoky Mountains National Park said that while a handful of roads had reopened, Newfound Gap Road remained closed from Gatlinburg and Cherokee, as did Balsam Mountain, Cataloochee, Roaring Fork, Greenbrier, Foothills Parkway East, and Rich Mountain Road. The park received heavy rain, measuring 9 inches at Newfound Gap, while Cataloochee flooded to 9.5 feet, breaking a record set in 1963.

The also remains closed as the National Park Service (NPS) assesses storm damage and conducts cleanup.

Some state-managed lands along the trail have announced their own closures. In a post on Friday, in Virginia said that there was no access to the park 鈥渄ue to road closures from downed trees, mudslides, and significant flooding,鈥� and that campgrounds in the park would remain closed until at least Monday, September 30.

Helene鈥檚 impact on trail communities and their residents has been equally devastating. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management told , that Damascus, the home of Appalachian Trail Days, was the most-damaged town in the state. So far, officials have confirmed 60 deaths across the hurricanes path.

How Hikers Can Help

Towns along the Appalachian Trail host thousands of hikers a year; the worst-affected trail towns will need our support for months or even years to come as cleanup and rebuilding efforts progress. Here are a few ways to give back to the region鈥檚 recovery post-Hurricane Helene.

provides direct cash grants to individuals and groups affected by U.S. domestic hurricanes.

Donations to the fund its relief efforts across the area impacted by Helene and beyond.

feeds survivors of disaster and conflict around the world. The organization was on the ground distributing food and water in affected communities within 12 hours post-Helene.

is a grassroots initiative that leverages its network of volunteers to give directly to survivors of climate-change-driven and -worsened disasters.

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In a fast-changing world, the permanence of our favorite hiking trails is comforting. Apart from the occasional closure, reroute, or , most of us could go back and hike the same miles again and again, and enjoy the enduring views. But decades from now, will that still be true?

With the help of the National Park Service鈥檚 historical photo archive, we鈥檝e collected nine photos of popular American trails taken between 1930 and 1996. You鈥檝e probably heard of most, if not all, of these well-visited spots. See if you can recognize what they looked like back in the day; you鈥檒l want to pay attention to geological formations, the skyline, and the few clues we鈥檝e offered you. Scroll to the end for the answers.

1.

This trail is a household name in the US and around the world, with more than 10,000 people having finished it. But it wasn鈥檛 always that way, especially in the decades before the hike enjoyed the amenities it does now.

2.

This burly hike is the most straightforward way up one of the National Parks鈥� most iconic peaks, but that doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 easy. Hikers who brave it still need to keep an eye on the weather and watch out for snow that could send them tumbling down a steep drop.

3.

Want to hike this popular trek in the desert southwest? Hope you鈥檙e ready to get wet. Whether you do it as a dayhike or an overnight, you鈥檒l spend miles wading up a river and marveling at the geological scenery.

4.

This might as well be America鈥檚 national hike. In the 100 years since construction began on it, it鈥檚 drawn millions of day-, section-, and thru-hikers, and has become a byword for finding yourself.

5.

As you might guess from the retro-casual apparel, this hike is more of a stroll than a true wilderness experience. But the wildlife鈥攚hich is bigger and toothier than most national parks鈥欌�攊s enough to capture your attention.

6.

It鈥檚 still possible to traverse this iconic, steep trail by mule. But today most visitors who brave it carry their own gear, with a few hardy souls attempting to run it.

7.

Look hard at this black-and-white snapshot, and it may begin to look familiar: Some of the most famous scenery in one of America鈥檚 most beloved national parks is visible in this mid-trail picture.

8.

You鈥檒l need a permit nowadays to hike this famous high-country trail, which crosses through three different national parks over its span.

9.

All right, so it鈥檚 not technically a hike. But this ultra-classic (and ultra-ultra-popular) lookout is accessible by a number of different trails. (Start early, and carpool if you can.)

Answers

1. Pacific Crest Trail. In this undated archival photo, hiker Dick Kerns poses next to Tunnel Falls on an Oregon section of the trail which doubles as a beloved local dayhike, the Eagle Creek Trail.
2. Keyhole Route, Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park. The rock formation that gave one of RMNP鈥檚 premier hikes its name is visible in this undated archival photo.
3. The Narrows, Zion National Park. A group of hikers enter the Narrows via Deep Creek in this 1955 snapshot.
4. Appalachian Trail. It鈥檚 a little hard to tell where on the AT photographer Richard Frear snapped this undated photo, but it鈥檚 a safe bet that hikers are still enjoying that scenery today.
5. Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park. This 0.8-mile boardwalk, pictured in 1971, traverses a freshwater sawgrass marsh. A variety of birds鈥攁s well as alligators鈥攁re common sights there.
6. Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon National Park. Bright Angel was considerably quieter in 1930, when this photo was snapped.
7. West Rim Trail, Zion National Park. Visible from left to right, eagle-eyed viewers will spot the Great White Throne, Angels Landing, Gothic Arch, and East Temple, all snapped in 1932.
8. John Muir Trail. The alpine lake and peaks of Evolution Basin tower over the trail, which runs concurrently with the PCT at the spot, in this 1976 photo from Kings Canyon.
9. Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park. Back in 1996 when this photo was snapped, anyone could drive to the top; starting in 2019, however, the national park began requiring reservations. Yet another reason to hoof it.

Lead Image: A snowy scene high on the Pacific Crest Trail

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