Backpacker

BACKPACKER.COM 01contentsOctoberskills25 Stay Dry in a DownpourDon’t let the weather rain on yourparade. Maintain comfort andsafety with these tips.``````26 Cheat Sheet: Play the SlotsExplore canyon country safely.``````28 Pass/Fail: Hike witha StrangerBackpacking has a way of bringingpeople closer. But does that meansharing a tent with a completestranger is a good idea?``````30 Trail Chef: No Small PotatoesPut this comfort-food staple onthe menu with recipes using bothinstant fl akes and the real thing.``````35 Photo School: Water TricksShoot swirling leaf eddies to makethe most of fall color.``````survival37 Out Alive: Lost and ColdA hiker loses his gear—andhis way—aft er getting sweptdownstream.``````40 Saved By: Aluminum FoilSplint wounds, fl ag downrescuers, and prevent snowblindness.``````41 Den Mother: Smoke SignalsBuild a signal fi re that will actuallycatch someone’s attention.``````gear43 Field Test: Hydration PacksOur team rates the best new thirstquenchers.``````Round Up: Laundry Day``````4 editor’s note6 #trailchat80 uncoveredthe play list the manualCover Portage Pass,Alaska, by Michael DeYoung.PHOTOS BY SETH K. HUGHES (TOP); NICK COTEBeta: page 80###### 488 Bear Pen Gap, NCHit the Mountains-to-SeaTrail for the color show.``````10 Done in a Day:Haunted HikesUpgrade your campfi re taleswith these spooky day trips.``````12 Insider’s Guide:Bankhead NationalForest, ALExplore hardwood forests,airy cliffs, and sandstonecaves in northern Alabama.``````13 Life List:Allagash River, MESavor shoulder-seasonsolitude on this renownedwaterway.``````14 June Lake, CADuck beneath goldenaspens in the Ansel AdamsWilderness.``````15 Kaaterskill Falls, NYDon’t stop at the cascade:This 260-foot beauty is justthe beginning.``````16 WeekendsBag a lonely peak in RockyMountain National Park;savor fall color on a quietovernight in Tennessee; andcheck off one of Ohio’s bestbackpacking trails.``````20 North Woods, MEStage a fall-perfecttrip from 75,000-acreMoosehead Lake.``````21 Geopinion:Current AffairsPaddle in the Adirondacks,but don’t end up in court.``````22 The Experience:Trail RunningToo much to see and toolittle time? Go faster.3062Trail DazeHas thru-hiker party culturegotten out of control on theAppalachian Trail?BY BILL DONAHUE``````71Searching for PopsWhen ROBERT WOODIE’s dadvanishes in the Sierra Nevada,the longtime backpackerembarks on his hardest hike.``````48View with a RoomUltralight meets ultraluxewhen you visit thesebackcountry huts. BYWILLIAM M. ROCHFORT, JR.featuresMint Hut, AK