Wild West Trail Blog
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How To: Float Portage Creek, Alaska
Portage Creek is the outflow of Portage Lake, which is formed by Portage Glacier. One of the closest glaciers to …
What is Chaga Mushroom? Benefits, Harvesting, and Side Effects
Are you asking the question, “what is chaga mushroom?” Maybe you’ve heard about health benefits, have questions …
How To Floss For Salmon
Are you trying to fill the freezer but have no idea how to floss for salmon? Don’t worry, I didn’t either …
A Review Of Epic Water Filters
Epic Water filters is a company that takes the phrase “reduce redundancies” to it’s logical conclusion. Any backpacker knows that …
Hawks Rest, Wyoming
Hawks rest is the remote location – as measured by distance from a road – in the lower 48 United States. Over 30 …
Crater Rings, Mountain Home, Idaho
Crater rings is one of the most unique and under visited natural features in the state of Idaho. Located 45 minutes …
Craters of the Moon National Monument | Volcano Skiing
Craters of the Moon National Monument is located in eastern Idaho. One of the largest monuments in …
Will The U.S. Buy Greenland?
The U.S. buying Greenland is an idea that went mainstream during the Trump presidency. Lampooned by some in the media, the …
Prince Albert Hot Spring, Idaho
Located in the Bennett Mountain Hills – a mountain range that runs west to east. Prince Albert Hot Spring offers a …
Hunting White-Tailed Deer In Idaho
When people think of hunting in Idaho, white-tailed deer is not the first game species that comes to mind. While larger …
Lake Trout Fishing In Idaho
Lake trout fishing in Idaho is better than ever before. Lake trout, sometimes called mackinaw, are one of Idaho’s best sport …
Grizzly Bear In Idaho
Grizzly bears have lived in Idaho since the last Ice Age – about 10,000 years. However, for the last 100 years, their …
25 Best Outdoor Movies
Survival Movies remind us that as bad as things get, they can always get better. We at the Wild West Trail recognize …
Spamghetti primarily consists of Spaghetti and Spam (hence the name), typically in a rich tomato sauce.
It’s the perfect meal after a long day of hiking …
Indian Hot Springs, Idaho
Located in the Jarbidge-Bruneau Canyon Wilderness, Indian Hot Springs offers a remote and beautiful soak. The proximity to the Bruneau River allows …
Feathered Friends Gear Review
Feathered Friends sleeping bags are top-of-the-line gear. Wild West Trail has field tested two sleeping bag models, and we offer a review …
Cowboy Camping | Tips And Tricks
Wondering what “cowboy camping” even means? It’s sleeping outside, without a tent or shelter! For many, the term evokes romantic …
Rainbow Trout Recipe
Catching a rainbow trout and then making a meal with it is quintessential outdoor living. Knowing the right recipe that pairs well with …
Why Make A Bug Out Bag?
Having a bug out bag for a survival situation is the difference between life and death. In times of crisis, …
The (Novel) Coronavirus
What is the coronavirus? Well, a coronavirus is a type of virus that affects animals, such as birds, bats, and other mammals – …
Conservation Vs. Preservation
At first glance, most outdoors people wouldn’t flinch at being called either a conservationist or a preservationist. For the majority of outdoor lovers, …
Take A Sabbatical
A sabbatical is a rest or break from work. A serial sabbatical is the idea of taking those breaks regularly, viewing them as …
3 Day Backpacking Menu
Ramen Noodle And Wild Caught Trout
Use the Wild West Trail 3 day backpacking menu for your next epic trip. Over the years, …
A brief rundown on what hitchhiking is, how to do it safely and effectively, and why you should try it.
An Apple A Day
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, or so the saying goes. And it’s true. Not necessarily because the apples themselves …
LT4 Carbon Trekking Pole Review
This is my negative review of the LT4 carbon (fiber) trekking poles available from Gossamer Gear.
As I’ve mentioned in other articles, …
Cut Your Own Christmas Tree
A Perfectly Cut Christmas Tree
Are you looking to cut your own Christmas Tree? Look no further, the Wild West Trail is …
Dispersed Camping
Dispersed camping, or free camping, is the term used for camping anywhere on public land outside of a designated campground. It is an excellent and …
Appalachian Trail Murders
Murders on the Appalachian Trail are rare on a year-to-year basis but they are not unheard of. The first recorded murder on the …
Benefits of Hiking? The Proof Is In The Pudding
There’s an old saying which means that to truly understand and appreciate something, you have to try …
Idaho Fishing
Rainbow Trout In Idaho
A state so huge, some refer to Idaho as a temperate Alaska. The Idaho fishing opportunities are vast and provide some …
Castaway & Gator take a moment after reaching 100 miles in 4 days; Pitamakan Pass, Glacier National Park, on the Wild West Trail in 2018.
Blaze …
Mass Extinction Definition
A mass extinction is a massive and relatively sudden decrease in the biodiversity of life on Earth. It is this decrease in the …
DIY Truck Camper
Living out of a pick-up truck isn’t as glamorous as you think. Insulating a truck camper shell is of primary importance in the …
10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Hiking The Idaho Centennial Trail
The Idaho Centennial Trail is 930 miles long, making it similar in length to …
11 Best Camping In The Rain Hacks
Nothing is more frustrating than getting stuck in the rain on a camping trip unprepared. Instead of embracing failure, …
Escape The Crowds On The P.C.T.
If you’re planning to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (P.C.T.) the new, stricter permitting lottery has most likely caught your …
Idaho Elk Hunting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXvFdNR6tPI
When the romantic image of elk hunting takes shape inside a man’s mind, the vision is always backdropped by the West. The snow-capped …
Sawtooth Wilderness Fishing
Planning or dreaming of a fishing trip in the Sawtooth Mountains? With peaks greater than 10,000’, this mountain range is – I would …
Understanding The Difference Between Single-Wall And Double-Wall Tents
There are two major designs that distinguish tent types in the outdoor world: double-wall and single-wall tents. In …
How To Use The Bathroom
Ok this might sound crazy because obviously you know how to use the bathroom, but pooping while hiking in the wilderness …
History of S’mores
S’mores are a great American snack and the making of them should be mandatory around any campfire gathering.
The first known published recipe for …
Does Bear Spray Work?
In this article, I will put forward a well-researched opinion on the question by pulling from real-world experience (see video above). I …
Top 10 Camping Hacks
Brush up on your outdoor knowledge before going on your next camping trip. We have compiled our top 10 camping hacks inspired …
Skiing Mt. Borah In Idaho
Standing at 12,668′, Borah Peak is Idaho’s tallest mountain. The highest point in the Lost River Range, The Borah rises above …
Why Wearing Long Pants Offers Hiking Protection
The debate within the hiking community over the proper gear to wear is neverending. Conducting physical exercise for …
How To Gut A Fish In 8 Easy Steps
Next time you are on a fishing trip, don’t practice catch and release, cook what you catch! …
The Man In The Arena
One of the greatest Americans of all time, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt served as the 26th President of the United States. A …
Pacific Northwest Trail
The Pacific Northwest Trail is the newest National Scenic Trail in the country. Originally designed in the 1970’s, it was only in 2009 …
This article is a reading companion to Episode 4 in our Wild West Trail 2018 series.
Sawtooth Mountains Backpacking
The Sawtooth Mountains in Central Idaho, May 2018.
At …
How To Make Instant Ramen Better
What Is Ramen?
Quick cooking noodles made from wheat, they are a cheap and essential item for hikers the world over. …
Jarbidge Mountains – Owyhee Desert
Day 2.
We take the lower elevation alternate route, on a century old pack trail, through the Jarbidge Wilderness into the Owyhee …
Desert Horned Lizard
Day 10.
The 100 mile mark for the ICT is roughly the 130 mile mark for the WWT, as we started ~30 miles south …
How to Make Psoriasis Go Away Fast
What is Psoriasis?
A chronic autoimmune condition, Psoriasis will manifest itself as thick scaly patches on your skin. It’s genetic, …
Henry David Thoreau was an American in the truest sense. A critic of development which encroached on wilderness, he was a philosophizing naturalist; a surveyor …
Stoveless Backpacking Meals
Eating is obviously an essential part of hiking, although it should not be the main focus. The main focus of hiking should be …
Is There Water in The Owyhee Desert?
The first 927 miles of Wild West Trail (WWT) follows the route of the Idaho Centennial Trail (ICT), which …
Have you decided to take on a long distance backpacking trail? Training for a thru-hike has unique demands, different from other outdoor ventures. Understanding what …
Saving Money for Your Next Adventure
“Finding the money” is the eternal struggle all adventurers, wanderers, and travel-minded people. In order to live a lifestyle free …
How To Use CalTopo To Plan Your Next Hike
Where do you get your hiking maps? If you haven’t heard of CalTopo, it’s time you did. …
Wild West Trail Roadmap of Development
January 2018 –
wildwesttrail.co goes live and is officially launched
Blog posts begin to be published
Proof of concept hiking description, …
As a business owner, the idea of cryptocurrency might be a foreign concept but it’s not one you should be afraid of. Rapidly advancing into …
To be truly free, an individual must be able to spend their time in a manner that they choose. To live a free lifestyle, like …
Is There Such a Thing as Wilderness?
When I first became obsessed with “wilderness” images of untamed wild spaces formed in my mind. At first, the …
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Wild Flower Magnets$12.00 -
Wild West Trail Map | Complete GPX File$50.99
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When will maps of the Butte Super Cutoff/Big Sky Alternate route will available? Thanks.
Hi Gary! You can download the Wild West Trail’s Big Sky Variant GPX file here: https://wildwesttrail.co/http:/wildwesttrail.co/shop/big-sky-variant-gpx-file/