10 Days and $2,000...What to do?

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axelbear

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Feb 18, 2006
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10 Days and $2,000...What to do?

In a last minute schedule change I've just found out that I've got 10 days off from July 27th to August 5th and a budget of $2,000 to play with. Originally I was thinking of a backpacking trip in Alaska to the base of Mt. Denali:
http://www.greatoutdoors.com/publis...orld/page6.html but found out that it is too late to get the required permits. I had also thought of a 4wheeling trip to Baja Mexico and circumnavigating the peninsula.

But I just had the thought of a Survival based trip or some type of Survival training. Please no recommendations on gun schools because that is already worked into my schedule.

If you have any thoughts of what you'd do, please sound off.
 
If you are still up for Alaska consider Wrangel - St. Elias NP.

http://www.nps.gov/wrst/

Fly to anchorage, rent a car. Drive to McCarthy (little town in the park - do not tell the rental company where you are taking their baby.) The south entrance to the park is just outside of Chitina. You'll have to park the car just out of town and take a footbridge over the river.

From McCarthy you can find out which backcountry cabins are available (they are first come, first served) - then arrange a bushflight (only way out to them) right there in town. Alternately you can stay in town, there's a little hotel, a hostel, a restaraunt, and a pizza joint (at least there was in 2003) and just do some hikes and sightseeing right out of town.

http://www.mccarthylodge.com/

There is very little in the way of an established trail system in the park, but you can get around a fair bit by glacier or above treeline.

Should be less than $2k, but it could be close - backcountry flights are not cheap.
 
Man, I envy you!

I would do a 10 day hike somewhere along the Pacific coast trail, probably along the Cascade mountain range, in Washington state. I don't think there are any permits required. On parts of the trail, you can pack a gun because it is national wilderness. It is one of the most beautfiul places I have been to.

Another possibility is going on a survival tour in the Amazon or at least a hike along the Incan trail in Peru-Equador. That would be amazing.

Good Luck
 
Hmmm, 10 days and 20 Benjamins, eh? Here is what I would do. I have a lot of states I haven't explored in the northwest so I'd go there.

#1 Go flyfishing on the salmon river in Idaho.

#2 Climb the Grand Teton in Wyoming

#3 Do a little backpacking in Glacier NP in Montana

#4 Do more backpacking in Olympic NP in Washington.

#5 Go to Sequoia and camp out atop a huge tree.

Oops, that only gives me 2 days for each trip. OK, I'd go to Idaho and do an overnight fishing trip. Then hit the Grand and end up in Glacier for the rest of the trip. Since backpacking is cheap I'd spend some of my 2k on the following.

A new custom flyrod from RDP, great rods, great price. There goes $200

I'd get a big bladeforums flag made to fly from atop the Grand Teton, maybe $50?

Glacier has grizzly bears, according to some I would need a Busse Battle Mistress in order to dispatch them. There goes $500.

With the rest of the money I'd end up at some lodge after backpacking in Glacier and spend it on a massage, a huge steak, a nice hotel room with a hot tub and several pitchers of beer. :D
 
Yeah I think I would hit say the Cascades like someone else suggested and you should still have about $1000 to blow on a new knife and other cool hiking gear to take with you !!!
 
I'd bank half, split the other half with my wife, and use my $500 to purchase and trick out a Ruger 10/22 (I don't have one and have wanted one since I was in 7th grade). I'd spend the time off around home, and go hiking, shooting, kayaking, maybe camping, all the time just relaxing.

That's just me. If there was a longer run up to the time off, a significant trip could be planned.
 
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