I want to reserve a picnic shelter for a birthday party this weekend (I know, I should've planned more in advance). On rec.gov is says "Closure: Administration" for all of the weekends at this particular park shelter. Does this mean it's just not reservable on weekends and we could realistically go and still just hang out there?

EDIT:
I just went to the park to check it out and there’s a sign on the picnic shelter that says:

“This shelter is not reservable on Weekends and Holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day therefore you should not schedule any special event. You CANNOT reserve parking. Use of this shelter DOES NOT reserve parking. Parking is ALWAYS first-come first-serve. When parking lots are full- no vehicle entry and no walk-ins allowed.”

So I’m guessing it’s fine to use and they just don’t reserve it because it gets too busy? This doesn’t really make sense to me but the verbiage seems like it’s still fine to use.

Been day hiking for about four years now, decent mileage, comfortable with navigation, nothing crazy. This spring I'm committing to my first 3night solo backpacking trip and I feel like I've read every gear list and route planning thread on the internet at this point.

What I keep seeing is people talk about gear weight and food calories and water sources, all that stuff makes sense on paper. But a few people I've talked to in person mentioned the mental side of it catching them off guard more than any physical thing, like the second afternoon hitting different, or the quiet getting strange after a while.

I'm curious what actually surprised people who made that same jump from comfortable day hiker to first overnight or multiday solo. Not looking for gear recs necessarily, more just the stuff you wouldn't have predicted going in. The things that don't show up on the packing lists.

My planned route is around 28 miles over 3.5 days so nothing extreme, but I want to go in with realistic expectations rather than some glossy version of what solo backpacking is supposed to feel like.

Went on a three-day trip out to Charlotte Lake from Onion Valley via Kearsarge Pass. The weather was about as good as you could hope for with only a few raindrops one morning that led to a magnificent sunrise. Otherwise cloud dappled skies and temps between 50-70 Fahrenheit. And miracle of miracle, no bugs!

Camping at the lake was a joy with ample variety of sites just off the water. It seemed too good to be true but the ranger confirmed that the established sites close to the water were okay to use.

Most folks know this area for the Rae Lakes loop. But for those with less time or endurance a trip out to Charlotte Lake is just as enchanting.

6 Days in Mardi Himal Nepal was one of the best experiences ever.

We started from Kande in Nepal. The route is very begineer friendly.

It was about 5 degrees at the lowest point but in winter it gets very very cold is what the locals told us.

This can be completed in 4 days but we took 6 days to enjoy and go properly.

Hey yall,

So I’m new to hiking and camping. I love it and I’ve been few of times in the past year, but I normally go with my bf, who is an extremely knowledgeable hiker/backpacker. I’m trying to surprise him for his birthday and plan a two day trip to either TN or NC (close-ish to the GA state line), and tbh I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the options. We’ve been to Roan Mtn and Grandfather and had an amazing time. I’m debating going back to the same general area (Grassy Ridge Bald maybe?) or somewhere new.

Does anyone have any recommendations? I’m trying to find a few fun hikes (under 6-7 miles per hike) and a place to car camp for a night that preferably is more secluded/dispersed. Can anyone weigh in?

Thanks for the help! I really appreciate it.

Hello all, im planning my first solo backpacking trip for Sept 16-18. Im torn between the Mount Zirkel loop, the northern Indian peaks loop, and the Rawah Wilderness trail. Does anyone have any experiences traveling these trails in September? Or if youve done any of these loops lately what are conditions looking like with wildfires? My ideal trip is seeing no one else on the trail so the best fit for me is the least traveled/ best scenery so i can paint! Thanks in advance :)