Guy at the trailhead told me my route plan was backwards and it fixed my whole summer

Hannah Robinson · 2026-10-11T16:05:04.829298+00:00

Two years back I was planning a loop through the Wind River Range and feeling pretty good about it. A guy named Dale, older hiker, saw my map spread on the hood of my car near the Big Sandy trailhead and just pointed at it. He told me I had the whole thing flipped, going up the steep side first with a full pack and saving the easy valley for day four when my legs would be shot. I blew him off at the time but he was dead on. Next summer I redid the same loop with the hard climb on fresh legs and the miles felt half as bad. Now I sketch out every trip by putting the biggest elevation day first, even if the map looks weird that way. Kind of funny how a stranger at a parking lot gave me better advice than three guidebooks. Anyone else plan routes around where the climbs land or do you just follow the miles?

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Guy at the trailhead told me my route plan was backwards and it fixed my whole summer | Backpacking Routes - Chatter Central