Maybe I'm the one to be blamed. Over the years, I've written one article after another for Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel that recommends the adventure packages offered by so-called outfitters in the U.S. and abroad. An outfitter is the equivalent of a tour operator, but in the adventure field. He or she is an individual who does all the planning for you, and sometimes even accompanies you on the daredevil adventure—for a price.
I've chosen seven glorious adventures that you can easily do on your own, without using or paying an outfitter, although I do point out that two of them — rock-climbing in California's Joshua Tree National Park and canoeing in New York's Adirondack State Park — are best approached with either some prior experience or else assistance in the very opening moments of the adventure. The others-well, the others aren't exactly cakewalks, nor are they intensely arduous, and they can be enjoyed at the lowest of costs when you adopt a do-it-yourself approach.
What's more, the advent of the mobile phone (carry one with you, but turn it on only for emergency outgoing calls) has diminished the consequences of getting lost in the out-of-doors. If there's a signal (there isn't always one), you'll be able to summon help if you should need it.
As most outfitters will tell you, the most important part of any trip in the wild is going over a checklist of items to make sure you don't leave behind that important stove for a backpacking trip or dry bags when sea kayaking. Most of the following vacations are best suited to warm weather, so you probably won't need that parka or those long johns. Once your packing is complete, there's nothing stopping you from having the adventure of a lifetime on your own. See you out there.
Backpack Zion National Park
One look at the soaring monoliths rising from the dry steppe and you quickly realize why Zion National Park in Utah is one of the most beloved national parks in the United States. The best way to appreciate this resplendent rock is on a four-day backpacking trip that takes in some of its finest views.
Start your trek at one of the two campgrounds in the park, Watchman and South. Both cost $16 per night. South operates on a first-come, first-served basis, although Watchman calls for reservations, which can be made by contacting the National Park Reservations Service at 800/365-2267 or by logging on to http://reservations.nps.gov. (Call Zion National Park at 435/772-3256 for directions.) You'll be hiking the 14.5-mile West Rim Trail from north to south. Leave your car at the Visitors Center and take a shuttle to Lava Point, where the West Rim Trailhead begins (a distance of about 45 miles, or a one-and-a-half-hour drive through winding roads); call Zion Canyon Transportation at 877/635-5993 for shuttle reservations. Group discounts are also available. You can acquire detailed maps and a necessary backcountry permit at the Visitors Center. Since you'll pass very few other hikers, it's important that you go over the maps and the route thoroughly with a park ranger. And bring along a cell phone.
The moderately strenuous West Rim Trail takes you far from the crowds atop cliffs and walls of sandstone. Angels Landing is a fin of rock that juts out of Cathedral Mountain offering panoramic vistas. From here, you can glimpse down at the Narrows, a hike you should definitely go on once you finish the West Rim Trail. The Narrows is a walk in the Virgin River through a 1,000-foot-deep chasm that's a mere 20 feet wide at its narrowest point. You may be wading in water as high as chest-deep or above (water levels vary depending on the time of year), but that's a small price to pay to be inside this tight slot.
Even though you'll be getting wet, wear boots, not sandals. Also, carry a sturdy staff to keep your balance on the slippery rocks. And be sure to check in with the rangers for the chances of there being storms or flash floods. Zion is a three-hour drive from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. For information, contact Zion National Park at 435/772-3256 or visit www.nps.gov/zion.
Mountain Bike Pisgah National Forest
Located in the heart of North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, just outside the historic hamlet of Asheville, Pisgah National Forest offers a vast network of varied trails to the off-road biker. Approximately 200 miles of narrow singletrack and about 200 more miles of dirt roads weave through the mixed hardwood forest and the tallest mountains east of the Mississippi. You could ride every day for a month here and not hit the same trail twice.
All the more reason to purchase a topographical map of the entire region to plan your trip. Obtain one by calling the Cradle of Forestry in America Interpretive Association at 828/884-5713. You'll need two maps for the entire region, at $8 each (price includes postage). Another invaluable source for ride descriptions is Off the Beaten Track Volume II: A Guide to Mountain Biking in Western North Carolina-Pisgah by Jim Parham. An avid local biker, Parham knows this web of rutted pathways better than most and will help you decide which one is best for your abilities. If you get lost, rest assured that you'll find other bikers on the same routes who will show you the way home.
There are trails for every level of biking expertise. Fletcher Creek takes you on an old gravel road to the headwaters of this rushing stream, while Old Cantrell Creek Lodge heads up a few hills and over a river to the site of this lodge, which was built in 1890. More-experienced fat-wheelers can climb up 2,000 feet and then sweep downhill over water, extended roots, and through a tunnel of overhanging trees. A favorite among advanced mountain bikers is Laurel Mountain, a 7.4-mile, one-way trail on singletrack.
To reach Pisgah National Forest, fly into Asheville, 18 miles down the road. Call the Pisgah National Forest at 828/877-3265 for more information. Davidson River campground (www.reserveusa.com/nrrs/nc/davi/) is conveniently located near many of the better rides. The site fee is $16 per night per individual.
Sea Kayak the Exumas
Mesmerized by the pale-jade waters of Great Bahama Bank and the schools of multicolored fish that call this home, you look up only to see a tropical bird, with its three-foot-long tail feather floating in the breeze. Then you resume your paddling with your sole purpose-to find another lovely crescent of sand to pitch your tent that evening.
Welcome to your daily existence on a sea-kayaking tour of Bahama's Exuma Islands. While daily sightings of exotic birds and neon fish are common, Homo sapiens are rarely seen or heard outside your own flock. Days are spent kayaking, picnicking on long stretches of beach where only birds have left footprints, and taking breaks snorkeling in the soothing ocean near reefs coated with green coral, lavender sea fans, parrot fish, and angelfish. At night, you find another vacant sandbar and lull yourself into a deep sleep listening to the waves rushing ashore.
No wonder the Exumas, a mostly uninhabited, 130-mile-long archipelago that stretches southeast of Nassau in the Bahamas to the Tropic of Cancer, is starting to attract attention among the paddling set. Fly from Miami on American Eagle's daily flight to George Town on Great Exuma Island. Once there, the people at Starfish (877/398-6222, www.kayakbahamas.com) will escort you to the beach at Coco Plum to start your journey. They rent kayaks (starting at $160/week) and can provide camping equipment and suggested itinerary. Most of the islands you'll be sleeping on are within view of Great Exuma Island, so it's virtually impossible to lose your way. Purchase food in George Town and be prepared to bring at least a gallon of water per person per day aboard your kayak. Too much sun without hydration and you might go loco on Coco. Starfish also rents sailboats ($85/day) out of George Town.
Canoe the Adirondacks
Although it took 26 hours or more on railroads, stagecoaches, and steamboats to get to the Adirondack Mountains from New York City in the 1870s, the remoteness of this region proved to be more of an attraction than a deterrent. To make traveling more pleasurable, some of the wealthy elite, such as J.P. Morgan, William Whitney, and Alfred Vanderbilt, built their own private railway cars, complete with brass railings, card room, and bed. Eventually they would have to climb aboard a boat to get to their final destination. Guideboats, a little larger than rowboats, were used to escort visitors on the network of waterways that form a vast web of blue throughout the Adirondacks.
Remarkably, even today, the best way to savor this wilderness is to jump in a boat and canoe up to 120 continuous miles of waterways. Starting from the southwest corner of the park, in Old Forge, paddlers can follow a sinuous blue line all the way north to Saranac Lake. However, the word portage (or carry, as New Yorkers say) had better be in your vocabulary. The countless rivers, lakes, and ponds are connected by short trails, resulting in a seemingly endless combination of canoeing options. So pack light, get ready to throw your canoe on your shoulders, and venture to these pristine waters for an improvisational or pre-planned journey lasting anywhere from one day to three weeks.
St. Regis Canoe Outfitters (518/891-1838 or 888/775-2925, www.canoeoutfitters.com) in Saranac Lake will provide all the necessary amenities for a canoe trip including canoe, paddles, food, maps, tents, backpacks, and sleeping bags. Owner Dave Cilley will also go over suggested routes (ask about the four-day loop that includes eight ponds and the Upper and Middle Saranac Lakes) and provide a shuttle service to drop you off at outlying waterways. They have detailed maps that highlight the route for you. Yet if you do lose your way in the summer months, it's rare not to pass another paddler or boater. Their put-in at Floodwood Pond is located approximately three to four hours northwest of Albany, off Route I-87.
Day Hike at Glacier National Park
If your goal is to see wildlife undisturbed in a natural setting, then Montana's Glacier National Park fits the bill in America. Moose at sunrise lapping the water of a remote pond and bighorn sheep scampering through thickets of pine trees are common sightings in this spectacular land of snowcapped peaks and stirring valleys.
Many of the 1.7 million annual visitors to the park enter from West Glacier and St. Mary. Bypass these two towns and make the far more laid-back East Glacier your base. Inside the park grounds, nearby Two Medicine is a first-come, first-served campground with 99 sites. The cost is $15 a night, and you must register at the information bulletin board at the entrance.
A large network of hiking options begins at the Two Medicine ranger station. One of the best is simply a trail that circles the fjord-like Two Medicine Lake. Another option is to take a 45-minute boat ride to the far end of the lake and climb one of the trails that lead up Mount Sinopah. An excellent 12-mile round-trip trek heads to Cobalt Lake in a basin some 6,500 feet high. The trail passes through a dense forest of spruce before snaking through meadows, skirting beaver ponds, and crossing two mountain streams. Note that all of these day hikes are clearly marked, and it's hard to get lost; nevertheless, bring along a mobile phone.
Glacier National Park has one of the densest population of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states. That said, only 2,000 people report seeing a bear each year. The best precaution is to make noise on the trail and to travel in groups. For more information, contact Glacier National Park at 406/888-7800 or visit www.nps.gov/glac.
Rock Climb Joshua Tree National Park
Three hours east of Los Angeles, huge boulder outcroppings tan in the Mojave Desert sun at Joshua Tree National Park, California. More than 100 million years ago, these jumbled piles of bedrock cooled and hardened into fantastic shapes. Today, there are over 4,000 rock climbs to choose from, appropriate for any level of expertise.
Reserve a site at one of two favorite climbing campsites, Hidden Valley or Ryan ($5 fee; first-come, first-served), get your gear together, and hit that rock face. There are usually many climbers hanging out at the campsites if you want to pair up and climb with someone else. This is also a good spot to exchange information on what climb is appropriate for you and how to get there. If you need a refresher course, contact the Joshua Tree Rock Climbing School (760/366-4745, www.rockclimbingschool.com).
Climbing in Joshua Tree requires more balance than strength, so trust your feet. That low-angle slab, Echo Rock, boasts a high concentration of quality routes at every level. Most of these routes are bolted or can be top-roped. New bolting is prohibited in the park. At the Wonderland of Rocks, you'll find the largest collection of domes and walls within the park. Wander through the formations eyeing the cracks and then make your line up. You will most likely catch sight of bighorn sheep below. For additional information on Joshua Tree National Park, phone 760/367-5500 or visit www.nps.gov/jotr.
Surf Santa Catalina
Venturing to Santa Catalina Beach on Panama's Azuero Peninsula is no easy feat. You must first fly into Panama City and then drive about six hours. But once there, you'll find it hard to tear yourself away from this budget surfing outpost that dishes up some of the best waves on the Pacific. Die-hard surfers from the States, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand agree that the break here is one of the biggest and most consistent.
Plant your belongings at the Casa Blanca Surf Resort or Kenny's Surf Camp, set conveniently right on the beach in front of the point. Rooms start as low as $10 a night; no reservations needed. Then drag your board over to the water and try your luck. The Surf Report describes Santa Catalina as "a perfect point break with long, hollow, powerful waves over a volcanic rock bottom. The waves are rarely under four feet, and often as big as 15 to 20 feet." However, don't expect to bag this beauty on your own. The word is already out on this surfing mecca, so you'll have company, which always helps if you wipe out and need someone to pull you back on the beach. But even on a crowded day, expect no more than 30 surfers.
There are three different restaurants near the beach offering fish, chicken, plantains, and rice and beans for a reasonable $1.50 to $3 per meal. For more information, visit www.panamainfo.com.