Hello Hikers,

Welcome to Elisha Hikes where I’ll be reviewing gear and sharing trail guides.

I’m hoping to get some input from YOU before I get started on writing my trail guides.

There are lots of things I’ve scoured the internet for when it comes to researching backpacking trails, and I hope to be able to provide all of those things in one place.

To keep things simple for myself while I’m on trail, I’ve made several tracking spreadsheets that I can fill out as I go.

Here are the things I plan on tracking:

• Trail Conditions
  • Distances in kilometres
  • Distances in hours
  • Water-crossings
  • Muddy Areas
  • Scary Parts (!)
  • Easy Stretches
  • Difficult Hills
  • Nice Views
  • Difficulty Finding Trail Markers
  • Animal Sightings
• Campsite Conditions
  • Description of Location
  • Privacy: Proximity to Trail or Other Sites
  • Number of Tent Pads
  • Signal Strength (Phone/Data)
  • Road Noise
  • Animal Sightings
• Lake Conditions
  • Quality for Drinking
  • Hazards (Leeches, etc)
  • Water Access/Swim Rating
• My Consumables
  • Meal Plans
  • Amount of Water Processed and Consumed
  • Amount of Fuel Consumed

My question for you is: What am I missing that you’d like to know about?

Please answer in the comments, or email me at elisha.hikes@gmail.com

My first full trail guide will be about Loop #1 of Algonquin Park’s Western Uplands Backpacking Trail, and it should appear on the blog at the end of August, or beginning of September 2021.

In the meantime, I might post a couple of less detailed guides to Algonquin’s Eastern Pines Backpacking Trail, and the Provoking Lake section of the Highland Backpacking Trail, just based on old journal entries from past trips.

Happy trails,

Elisha