Backcountry Hikes: Why I Prefer it Over the Frontcountry
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One of the reasons I started Best Hikes BC is because over the years I have realized the sheer volume of hikes in BC that are underrepresented and underexplored. The vast majority of hikers in Southwest British Columbia (and probably anywhere that hiking is popular) focus primarily on just a handful of extremely popular destinations. Think places like Garibaldi Provincial Park, Golden Ears Provincial Park, Cypress Provincial Park, Seymour Provincial Park and the odd random hike here and there, like the Chief, Lindeman Lake or Joffre Lakes, that are incredibly popular.
Outside of these popular spots there are innumerable hikes that rarely get explored. Don’t get me wrong, those locations above are all fantastic places to hike, but there’s a lot more hikes out there that are equally good if not better.
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Social Media: The Bane of Hiking
These well traveled frontcountry and slackcountry hikes are predominantly all you ever see shared on the popular Facebook groups, Instagram accounts, news articles, and in most hiking books. Heck, while many (but not all) of the backcountry trails do feature on AllTrails, they’re so lowly reviewed nobody ever sees them, as AllTrails always resorts to highlighting the most popular hikes, of which backcountry hikes never are by definition.
This vicious cycle of promoting what’s popular only results in more and more and more people all going to the same places, since they all follow the same groups, share the same photos, read the same books/articles and browse the same hikes on AllTrails. Don’t get me wrong, I love AllTrails and use it constantly, but it does a poor job at representing lesser traveled (but equally fantastic) hikes. It basically just shoves the most popular hikes down everyone’s throats, making them even busier.
Over the past few years hiking has become increasingly popular, mostly thanks to social media, and most parks simply cannot keep up with demand. The popular trails are getting busier and busier, to the extent that many of these trails simply aren’t enjoyable for anybody who hikes for tranquility or solitude.
Something has to give, and if you’re like me it might be….
...Time to Move on
Like many hikers, after a few years of exploring I’ve generally done the rounds of these favored hikes, and I’m looking for something more challenging and more adventurous. I’m past going on the hikes that are inundated with, let’s face it, many people who are only “in it for the ‘gram”, as one person I know puts it. If I do go on these hikes (there are still plenty I’ve not done), you can bet I’ll be on the trail very early and likely at the summit before anyone else, just to ensure I miss the crowds.
As I gained experience and wanted to venture out away from the crowds, it became pretty obvious that this would be a challenge. There are not a lot of resources around for the backcountry, it’s far more difficult than simply looking on AllTrails for what’s popular. You have to become deeply immersed in the community to learn about the backcountry, sharing trips with other backcountry enthusiasts and actively researching possible hikes that would be feasible. This community in British Columbia is very small but extremely valuable, with a handful of people like Steven Song documenting their trips for others to learn about.
Not only is discovering backcountry hikes a challenge, actually completing them comes with significant complexities as well. Accessing the trailhead can sometimes be an adventure in itself, potentially with some challenging, sometimes long-distance off-roading required to reach a trailhead. Trails are typically loosely defined, if not completely self-directed. There are often no markers, the terrain can be extremely challenging in a number of ways. You’re probably not going to meet many people, if anybody, and in all likelihood you won’t have any cell service. While all of this is a challenge, it’s one that’s worth overcoming as the rewards of a backcountry hike can pay dividends.
Why I Prefer Backcountry Hikes
If it isn’t obvious by now the biggest factor for moving on from frontcountry hikes is to get away from crowds. Here in SWBC the provincial parks are pretty much all inundated with hikers all summer (and sometimes winter!), especially on a sunny day. If you are like me and dislike sharing the hike, and especially the summit, with other people, moving away from frontcountry hikes into the backcountry is an obvious step.
While solitude is a great reason to move on, it isn’t the only reason, here are some other reasons I enjoy backcountry hiking:
- The views are insane – Frontcountry hikes can have great views, no doubt, but the views on backcountry hikes are usually staggering. There is something incredibly raw and unfiltered about what you see in the backcountry that photos can’t really do justice. Being stood on top of a mountain with nothing but mountaintops in every direction for as far as the eye can see is incredible. It’s rare to get this in the frontcountry.
- It’s way more adventurous / exciting – Honestly hiking on a loosely defined trail or even self-navigating through unblemished terrain to faraway places is far more exciting than being guided through an environment by signs and groomed trails.
- It makes you feel like a pioneer – Deep down I think most people want to feel like a trailblazer, discovering new lands or being one of the lucky few to visit a place. You are never going to get this feeling on a busy frontcountry hike, there are thousands of people before you. While in the backcountry, in all likelihood you won’t be the first either, but it will certainly feel that way at the time.
- It’s more fulfilling – A lot of effort goes into a backcountry hike, not just on the hike itself but planning the trip, accessing the trail and traveling through potentially difficult terrain. Successfully completing a hike in the backcountry is far more challenging, and thus more rewarding, than following a smooth, predetermined trail.
- There are fewer regulations – Due to the popularity of frontcountry hikes there are often regulations to follow, like no dogs, no overnights, gate hours to abide by or heaven forbid, reservation requirements! There are usually far fewer regulations in the backcountry, especially if you are outside of a provincial/national park.
- It’s more challenging, both physically and mentally – Frontcountry hiking has its challenges, no doubt, but in the backcountry you are challenged significantly more. It takes a lot of mental strength and perseverance to research and plan your own trip, plot a route, problem solve along the way and navigate yourself to the destination, all without aid of any kind. Physically it can often be far more challenging as the terrain is significantly more complicated. Overcoming all of these obstacles will no doubt make you grow as a person.
I’m sure there are other positives to picking the backcountry over the frontcountry, but those are just a few of mine!
Advancing from Frontcountry to Backcountry Hiking
So how does one move on from frontcountry hiking to backcountry? Well first of all prepare to put a lot more effort into hike planning than you did before. Discovering and preparing for backcountry hikes is a lot more time consuming than the popular frontcountry hikes. Knowing what is safe, when it’s safe to go and being well equipped is imperative. No longer can you just download a map, throw a few staples in your pack, drive down a paved road to a parking lot & follow the obvious, well signposted trail to the summit.
I would begin by expanding your level of preparedness. While backcountry hiking doesn’t have to be significantly riskier than frontcountry (depending on where you go!), you do need to be far more self-reliant as any accident can quickly become life-threatening. You obviously need to carry the 10 essentials, but I’d also go as far as saying a satellite communication device is now mandatory rather than recommended. We are fortunate in BC that, no matter where you are, there is a search and rescue organization available to you, free of charge, anytime you need rescuing, all you need is a way to communicate an SOS to them. Yes these devices are expensive to buy, and yes they require a monthly subscription, but it’s just worth it, both for yourself and your loved ones.
You also need to research & plan your trips in a lot more detail, all while knowing your own capabilities. You can no longer rely on following a well defined trail, or following markers that safely lead you all the way to the summit. You need to research exactly where you are going, review your route on some sort of app like FatMaps or Google Earth and obviously take an offline map with you. Even if you have been told by someone who has been on the hike that it’s fine, and even if you have a GPX of the route, you need to read about it as for all you know it might involve some incredibly technical terrain that is beyond your level of expertise. The last thing you want is to end up on a hike that is way out of your comfort zone.
Next I would recommend finding a group of people who are experienced in backcountry hiking and asking if you can join them for a hike or two (or more!) to get a good sense of what backcountry hiking is like. I definitely would not go into the backcountry alone until you are very comfortable hiking alone in the frontcountry and hiking in the backcountry in a group. Many people will never hike alone in the backcountry, and that’s fine.
Once you’ve started hiking in the backcountry, gradually become more and more adventurous with your hikes. Don’t immediately go for the most remote hike you can find. There are plenty of hikes that start in the frontcountry and end in the backcountry, and there are plenty of backcountry hikes that are more frequently traveled than others, with easy to follow trails. Some great areas for this are the Chilliwack River Valley, the Coquihalla and perhaps Manning Park. There are lots of hikes in all of these places that are considered backcountry but are popular enough that you shouldn’t feel too isolated. Some hikes in these areas have become so popular, while they are officially backcountry they may as well be frontcountry, such as Cheam Peak or Needle Peak.
This should keep you pretty tied up for quite some time, but soon enough you might want to hike deeper and deeper into the backcountry, potentially self navigating to places that are very remote. By now you’ll probably be completely comfortable hiking in total isolation as you’ve likely been doing it already, and nothing really changes other than the importance of preparation and planning.
Backcountry hiking will always be riskier than frontcountry, simply because you are self-reliant and emergency services will take much longer to reach you should something go seriously wrong. That being said there is risk on any hike, and with the right preparation and experience I have no doubt many people will absolutely love backcountry hiking.