The only pay showers I know of are at the KOA campgrounds--one outside of West Glacier on Highway 2 and the other in St. Mary. Otherwise, you're going to get too far outside of the park to be useful (and both are a bit out of the way without a vehicle).

I'll just offer the two I'd recommend in my neck of the woods. The Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainer has been mentioned and it is a rugged 1 week hike. Most people plan for more than a week so depending on your conditioning it may be too much to bite off the entire loop.

It has easy access from a major airport as you can see the mountain on any clear day from Seatac.

The other option I'm doing this summer over Labor Day weekend and there is full bus service that get's you close to all these points (entry and exit). I'm hiking from Lake Quinalt in the southern Olympics to Hurricane Ridge on the northern side. I'm taking 4-5 days as that is the limit of my time off. It could be stretched a little longer with shorter days and/or alternate routes. That is about 60 miles of hiking with a fair amount of elevation change and late August is prime time for hiking the Olympics.

The bus service from Seatac is well established from Port Angeles around to Lake Quinalt so you could start from either direction. You may need to hitch a ride down from Hurricane Ridge but I've done that many a time without a problem. I don't think it has ever taken me longer than 10 minutes to find a ride in summer.

I've hiked all over North America inlcuding the Northern half of the AT, Colorado, Utah, Alaska, Southern California section of the PCT and the Olympics are fantastic hiking. The biggest problem with them are the short high-country season.

Edited by kevperro on 01/22/2012 12:07:56 MST.

It's getting more complex. Seems there's a conference I should go to in Ashville NC at the end of July. This would give me 3 weeks free. Any recommendations for walking in the Appalachians?

JamesMc

The AT is very close to Asheville. You can fly into Asheville or Knoxville, TN. It is fairly easy to get a shuttle from the Knoxville airport to the Smoky Mountains. The AT runs 75 miles through the state of Tennessee. The highest elevations is just under 7,000 feet. Many many options for week long trips. The only downside is the southeastern US is hot and humid in August!

I would NOT choose the AT if you could get out west. From the pictures I've seen of Australia I don't think the AT is going to be higher or more scenic than than Australian mountains. I'm not saying it will be horrible just that the western mountains are better, especially when you consider the weather.

If you end up in the Ashville area don't despair there is plenty to do there.
From Asheville I would suggest hiking along the Art Loab Trail through the Shining Rock Wilderness. Go in the middle of the week and you'll see less people. Its one of the higher areas so it will be cooler. The Smokies are good but they are a National Park so plan reservations ahead of time. If you need another trip try Grayson Highlands. There's a nice 22+ mile loop through that area. Its also a bit higher so it will be a bit cooler. There should also be some nice whitewater rafting near Ashville if you're into that.

I agree, I would not choose the AT or Asheville area over the western US, but if you are going to Asheville, the Smokies and Blue Ridge Mountains offer plenty. The Smokies does offer a trip that you can fly very close to (Knoxville) and shuttle to the park. Crowds are high in the Smokies as it is the most visited park in the US. The area offers the AT and the Mountain to Sea Trail. Many options for kayaking, cycling, and rafting. The Obed River area has some great climbing and bouldering available.

check out linville gorge and surrounding area (a bit of a drive from ashevegas)
i found the area suprisingly rugged and somewhat removed
teems with climbers, but also offers woods exploration
minus the crowds
(if you know where to go and where NOT to go)
hit up a local for prized beta.
lt

It turns out I really 'should' go to Phoenix for work as well. So how about this for a plan?

Spend a few days in the hills around Asheville, then fly to Phoenix.
Pick up a hire car and drive via a few sights like Monutment Valley and Mesa Verde to Durango.
Catch the steam train into the hills and hike for a week in the Weminuche wilderness.
Get to Aspen somehow (probably hire car)
Hike the Maroon Bells / Snowmass Wilderness
Fly out to New York from Aspen
This is contrary to my preference for not hiring a car - I just didn't want to pay for a hire car to sit in a car park at the end of a road for a week. I really don't mind driving even though the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car.

A couple of questions...
Will it be insanely hot in Arizona? (A Swedish colleague who has been there assures me I'll die from the heat, but he's used to ice.)
Will I be able to buy stuff like freezedried food and disposable gas cylinders at Durango?


Thanks

JamesMc

Looks good to me James.
In the Ashville area I'd check out Shining Rock wilderness (actually I think I already mentioned it). Its scenic and cooler up there. I've only been in Linnville Gorge a bit but I would't go there. It is lower and it will be hot and muggy that time of year, also farther away from Ashville. You can drive up to Mt. Mitchell if you want, I've heard its nice on top (haven't been yet).
Another idea is to see if there are any cool gear stores in Ashville. From what I've heard American outdoor gear doesn't always make it down to Australia so it might be fun to see something different.
I don't know a lot about Arizona.
The San Juans via the railroad should be great. You can go up the Elk Creek valley on the Colorado Trail and loop back and com down Chicago Basin (or the other way around). I believe a ticket currently costs about $85. This is an amazing area, a bit crowded by wilderness standards but the scenery is awesome.
I really like your plan, you get to see a lot of different places. I think the only downside is you won't be able to get really remote and away from people but you can't have everything.

Just my humble opinion....i have traveled and hiked the western US all of my 35 years on earth so my opinion is fairly valid and completely non biased. While colorado is strikingly beautiful, all the other areas mentioned are much more beautiful.

If i were planning a trip of a lifetime to the western US, colorado wouldnt make the cut. Saying that ill be hiking maroon bells first week of august this year....im invited on a trip....id rather be in the sierra

if solitude ranks high on your list, the Bob Marshall Wilderness complex (Bob Marshall, Great Bear and Scapegoat) should fit the bill pretty darn well. planning a week hike won't be a problem, it's a vast area- there are some logistical hurdles just because the area is very under utilized and remote

I also rate the Absaroka Beartooths very highly, not as much solitude, but certainly not overrun be any stretch

I'm a little bias as I reside in Montana :) btw both of these areas have strong populations of grizzlies, so familiarizing yourself with bear protocol is a given

I do have the Wonderland Trail on my must do list, looks like a dandy

Mike

I gather ( with a degree of amazement) that hunting is permitted in Colorado wilderness areas. Does this mean that if I want to see wildlife such as elk I'm better hiking in national parks?

JamesMc

James, that sounds like a good plan. Phoenix will be insanely hot, but Monument Valley is at a higher elevation and while still very warm in summer, is tolerable. Durango will have all the supplies you could want for backpacking.

Hunting season is in autumn. I'm not familiar with the Weminuche elk population, but I imagine you'd see a fair bit of wildlife.

I'm home now, so here's where I went.

Drove from Phoenix to Moab. Horrible town in a great location. Explored the desert for a few days, then went for a walk up Mt Tukuhnikivatz. This was mainly to get away from the heat, but was a nice walk anyway, with great views. One moment of stress was returning to camp after dark by the Colorado River only to find my tent blown away in a severe wind storm. Another camper said he thought he'd seen it blown into the river. Eventually someone found it in the bushes nearby!

Then headed over to Durango, and took the Silverton train into the mountains. Walked the Elk Park - Vallecito Ck - Needleton not quite loop. This took me six days, by the time I climbed a few peaks along the way. It was the highlight of the trip, and I'd totally recommend it for anyone looking for a good walk in the Rockies. Chicago Basin was very nice, though hardly "wilderness".

Over to Aspen and around the "4 Passes" loop in three days, which was pleasant. (Had planned to stay longer but the weather deteriorated.) I also did day walks up Mt Elbert & Longs Peak which were nice and social.

It was a great three weeks, and I met lots of wonderful people along the way.

Thanks for your advice everyone.

James Mc