It is that time of year again. The American Long Distance Hiking Association’s Cascade Ruck hits the Columbia Gorge this month. If you haven’t been to one of these and hope to do a long distance hike in the future (or just want to lighten your pack, score great gear deals or hang out with backpackers holding a ton of miles under their hip belt), then the Cascade Ruck the place for you.
This year’s Cascade Ruck has moved from Cascade Locks to Stevenson, Washington just across the Bridge of The Gods at the Skamania Fairgrounds. It will be on February 23rd, 2019 and offer a full day of all things long distance backpacking:
8:00 — 8:45 am Arrival, Check In, Coffee & Bagels
8:45 — 9:00 am President’s Welcome
Whitney “Allgood” LaRuffa, President of ALDHA-West
9:00 — 9:45 am How Not to Die
Whitney “Allgood” LaRuffa
9:45 — 10:00 am Break
10:00 — 10:40 am Breakout Sessions (Pick 3!)
10:40 — 11:20 am
11:20 — 12:00 pm
- Pack shakedowns
- Navigation/maps/apps
- Lightweight gear & hiking styles
- Food, nutrition, resupply
- Women’s specific
- Self-care on trail
12:00 — 1:00 pm Pizza Lunch & Used gear sale
1:00 — 1:30 pm Leave No Trace
Kate “Drop N Roll” Hoch, Secretary of ALDHA-West
1:30 — 2:00 pm Food, Nutrition, and Resupply
Miguel “VirGo” Aguilar, Board Member of ALDHA-West
2:00 — 2:40 pm Breakout Sessions (Pick 3!)
2:40 — 3:20 pm
3:20 — 4:00 pm
- Finances – budgeting and funding your hike
- Reentry after your hike
- Pacific Northwest Trail
- Pacific Crest Trail
- Oregon Desert Trail
- Continental Divide Trail
- John Muir Trail
- Wonderland Trail
4:00 — onward Final Closure & Raffle
Social hour offsite
I went to the John Muir Trail talk and found it useful talking to hikers in person who had hiked it. This year I would probably attend the talk on the Oregon Desert Trail. I follow She-ra who championed this trail and she makes even the desert seem like an amazing place to venture into, especially as a section hike.
If you haven’t been to the small town of Stevenson before, make sure and stop by Walking Man Brewery for a bite. A&Js Select Market in town has organic food options and kombucha on tap.
A lot of folks stay the weekend but there isn’t camping this year on-site. You can camp at several places nearby like the marina in Cascade Locks or Beacon Rock State Park down the road.
If you are feeling luxurious, I would highly recommend Carson Hot Springs Resort a short distance east. Hot tub, anyone?
You can read more about my experience at the Cascade Ruck on my Have You Been To An ALDHA West Ruck Yet? post and learn about the gear I found and things I learned to up my backpacking game. I hope to go again this year if just for how excited it made me for the upcoming backpacking season. Did I mention I came home with some great gear?
Check out the video they made for this year’s series of rucks…
If you don’t live in close to the Cascade Ruck, they do have three other rucks in Bellingham, WA, Colorado and Idaho. You can find out more and register at their website.
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