I'm thinking of making a loop out of a section of the Hayduke Trail, something totaling ~200 miles.

Has anybody done a big loop hike in that area or have a similar experience? Looking for a way to get in big miles but avoid shuttle logistics.

I was thinking a loop could be doable in the Escalante area, say starting and ending on the Boulder Mail Trail. Or, a big loop in and around Canyonlands.

Anybody looking to do a few weeks of hiking this May?

Is there anything in the Andrew Skurka trip report that helps?

Thanks for the suggestion Joe. I've taken a look at all of Skurka's material and unfortunately most of the real beta is for sale as part of his Hayduke bundle, which would probably be a good purchase if I was planning to do the whole deal.

I probably just need to sit down with some topos and figure it out myself.

There are tons of loops you could do.

From Hite, go up into Dark Canyon and the Needles, cross the river (only logistical hurdle) and go through the Maze into Twin Corral Box (or another nearby canyon) and finish by going south down the Dirty Devil.

Start the Hayduke near Jacob Lake, hike through the GC to Kanab, up Kanab to Fredonia, hitch back to the start.

A bunch of loops are possible in the Escalante. Boulder mail trail over the the river, down the river, back using Allen's overland route, up the Gulch and/or Boulder Creek to the start.

Etc.

David-

Thanks a bunch for the ideas. I looked into your first suggestion - Hite, Dark Canyon, Needles, Dirty Devil - and I think that'd be a great hike. Plotting the route it came out to about 90 miles which would be a great week.