Seattle Branch Gold Backpack

About The Award

A badge awarded for visiting a broad variety of classic backpacking destinations throughout Washington. A holder of this badge can truly be said to be familiar with most of the premier backpacking regions in or near Washington.

Earn the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Backpack badges by experiencing Washington's nine major backpacking regions.  To complete a region, go on two successful backpack trips along routes that are in the list of iconic backpacking routes for that region (see below).  There are three badge levels.

• Bronze: Complete any three regions for the first badge, the Bronze Backpack award badge.
• Silver: Complete any six regions for the second badge, the Silver Backpack award badge.
• Gold: Complete all nine regions for the third badge, the Gold Backpack award badge (this one).

Regions and Routes

The Seattle Branch Backpack badges divide the state into nine backpacking regions.

For each region 4 to 8 routes have been chosen that are iconic of the region and for which documentation and other resources are readily available. Most routes are popular classics that appear in one or more well known guidebooks, or are Club favorites and likely future classics. All appear in our Routes & Places. For most regions the list includes a mix of short to long and moderate to difficult routes, though a few more distant regions have only multi-night routes.

Because the objective of the badge is to experience the full variety of backpacking regions available in Washington, it’s not necessary to do each route exactly as described in our Routes & Places or the references. A trip that follows approximately the same route with extensions or minor variations can be substituted, however some routes have an essential “Key Experience." For another route to qualify as a substitute for one on the list it must also include that Key Experience. Routes that have a Key Experience are marked with an * in the list below. For details about all routes including their Key Experiences download the PDF or spreadsheet.

Unless otherwise noted, routes that are one-way trips or loops can be done in either direction.

How To Obtain

Backpack two routes from each of the regions you want to use for the badge.  All trips must be done as overnight backpacking trips while a current member of The Mountaineers.  The trips can be private with non-Mountaineers team members.  The trips must be done in accordance with Leave No Trace principles and following the rules and policies of the relevant land management agencies, including the use of valid permits, proper food storage, acceptable food-caching/resupply practices, etc.

Contact

Contact the Seattle Backpacking Committee chair.   For each trip include the starting and ending dates, starting and ending trailheads, and the names of the other people in your party.  If any sections were done as a Club trip, also include the leader’s name and branch.  Please group your trips by region, as defined in the region list above.