Background

Last year during the 2009 Bagger Challenge, I found myself outsmarted by friends and foes who were more efficient with the way they invested their bagging time and energy. 

As I drank fine Scotch whiskey from someone else's quaich of victory at the 2009 Baggers Banquet, I vowed to approach this year's challenge with a more strategic perspective.  This is an attempt to identify and share routes that are particularly appealing to running baggers (as opposed to hiking ones.)

Objective

Bag the maximum number of peaks that is safely possible in a single bagging expedition.

Methodology

Identify and share bagging routes here as comments to this post.

Given that there are often many approaches to a particular peak and there are many ways to string together peaks, I propose that routes be given a name by those who are first to share them.  Out of respect for history and tradition, I recommend that credit be given to the person who was first to put a route together.  (e.g. the Grouse Grind is a well known route to the top of Grouse, so you can't name that route after yourself, but if your name is Joe Bob and you are the first to share a route that covers 5 peaks near Grouse Mountain via the Grouse Grind, I figure it's OK to refer to the route as "Bagger Joe Bob's 5 Grinder" or something like that.

Clearly, there is much gray area when it comes to naming.  If you feel a name for a particular route is inappropriate, then leave your comment with the reasons why you feel as you do and propose an alternative.

Format

In order to be useful and understandable to as many baggers as possible, I believe routes should follow a similar format.  Here's the format I recommend:

• name:  name you give to the route
• start: where the route starts
• peaks: bagger peaks that the route covers.  (Please refer to 50 North Shore Peaks)
• finish: where the route finishes
• estimated time:  the time it will take an average bagger to complete (e.g. the time you tell next of kin it will take you)
• access to water:  where water is available en route
• bailout points:  where it is possible to bail if things don't go according to plan
• mobile coverage:  cell phone coverage if things don't go according to plan
• proposed by:  give yourself and your companions credit!
• details:  flush out the other details you feel are relevant to those who follow
• alternatives:  note any alternative variations to your route someone else might appreciate knowing

If you have thoughts on other information that should be included in a route description, please share those thoughts as a comment. 

Note:  There is an initiative already underway as part of the Bagger Challenge to describe routes up individual peaks.  (e.g. Mount Gardner.  More to come as the season progresses.)  If you have thoughts and comments about individual peak routes, please share them under the appropriate peak.

Happy Bagging!