Apurímac canyon, Peru
Choquequirao
3 days · 29 miles · tent, no guide
From Capuliyoc above Cachora down into Peru's Apurímac canyon, up to the Inca site of Choquequirao and back.
- All three days
- My GPX files
- The park
- Getting there
Sawtooth Wilderness, Idaho · 3 days · 71 miles · tent, a loop
Sawtooth Wilderness Loop Hiking Guide
In July 2020 I hiked a 70-mile loop through Idaho's Sawtooth Wilderness alone in three days, from the Grandjean Trailhead up to Sawtooth Lake, over the Baron and Cramer divides past dozens of lakes, and back down the South Fork of the Payette River. It's the trip from my film Hiking 70 miles Alone in Idaho. This guide has my GPS files, maps and notes for every day, a slower four to six day plan, the wilderness permit and rules, and what I ate and carried. Read this first: debris flows closed the Grandjean trailhead in July 2026 (Forest Service order 0414-04-165, through December 31, 2026), and the guide explains the closure and the ways in from the Stanley side.
What's inside
- All three days. Stats, my times at each lake, pass and junction, my notes, the trail with Forest Service trail numbers, where to get off, a map with an elevation profile, and links to that day in my film.
- My GPX files. My own recordings for each day and the whole loop, with waypoints for the trailhead, junctions, passes, lakes and my two camps, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
- The 2026 closure. What the Grandjean closure order covers, what the floods damaged, and how to reach the same mountains from Iron Creek and Redfish Lake, checked in September 2026.
- Permits and rules. The free self-issued wilderness permit, group sizes, the campfire bans, camping and dog rules, and food storage.
- Other ways to do it. The loop in five or six days split at lakes, a first overnight at Sawtooth Lake, and a two to three day route from Iron Creek to Redfish Lake.
- Food, gear and filming. What I ate and carried, the heat and the mosquitoes, and how I shot the film.
- Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of year-to-year checks and a printable one-page summary of the loop.
Look inside
The details
- Format
- A 43-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
- Edition
- 2027 season edition, updated September 2026.
- Delivery
- Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
- Payment
- Secure checkout through Stripe. The price is in US dollars, and sales tax or VAT is added where it applies.
- Questions
- Email kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions
- Can you hike the Sawtooth loop from Grandjean in 2026?
- Not while it's closed. Forest Service order 0414-04-165 closes the Grandjean area, its trailheads and the first miles of the trails through December 31, 2026, and the Trail Creek Trail was washed out in July 2026. Until it reopens, you can reach Sawtooth Lake, the Baron Lakes and the Cramer Lakes from the Iron Creek Trailhead or Redfish Lake near Stanley.
- How many days does the Sawtooth Wilderness loop take?
- I did it in 3 days, 71.3 miles by my GPS, so over 20 miles a day, and I pushed through way faster than I probably should have. I recommend 4 or 5 days.
- Do you need a permit for the Sawtooth Wilderness?
- Only the free wilderness permit, which you fill out yourself at the trailhead and carry with you. In 2026 it's required for every visitor, day or overnight, with no quota and no reservation.
- Where do you camp on the Sawtooth loop?
- In your tent; there are no huts or designated campgrounds inside the wilderness. Almost every lake had one or a couple of campsites. Camp at least 100 feet from trails, lakes and streams. I slept at Baron Lake and above Ardeth Lake.
- When is the best time to hike the Sawtooth loop?
- I hiked July 17 to 19, 2020, with clear skies, amazing wildflowers and a few snow patches near the Cramer Divide, but it was in the high 80s from noon to 5 p.m. and the mosquitoes were the worst part. Snow lingers on the high passes into early summer, and wildfire smoke is possible in late summer.
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Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Teton Crest Trail
2 days · 50 miles · tent, a loop
A two-day loop in Grand Teton National Park from String Lake over Paintbrush Divide and Hurricane Pass to Alaska Basin, the northern half of the Teton Crest Trail, then over Static Peak Divide and down Death Canyon back to String Lake. Covers the park permits and the 2026 Death Canyon Trailhead closure.
- Both days
- My GPX files
- Permits and camping
- The 2026 closures
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Resurrection Pass
5 days · about 90 miles · solo, tent and a cabin
Hope to Seward on the Resurrection Pass, Russian Lakes and Resurrection River trails, through Cooper Landing, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.
- All five days
- My GPX files
- The cabins and camping
- The Resurrection River Trail
Get the next guide
I'm making guides for more of my hikes, and I host a group trip about once a year. Get an email when a new guide or trip is out. A few emails a year.