Dude, the Superior Hiking Trail is straight fire-those ridge views over the lake had me stopping every 10 minutes just to gawk. Haven’t snagged the Hyperlight Flex Poles yet (adding to cart NOW after your rave), but I did a section of the Long Trail last fall with some similar ultralight carbon z-poles from Black Diamond (the Distance Carbon Z’s, if you’re shopping comps). They collapse to about 13 inches and tip the scales at 9oz/pair, but man, on VT’s rooty, muddy beast of a trail, the auto-adjust was a dream for those endless ups and downs. No more pole-slipping fails on wet granite!
For the Colorado Trail, a buddy crushed CT Segments 10-15 this summer with the Hyperlights specifically-says the tension system saved his quads on the 14ers scrambles around Mt. Massive. His hack? Pair ’em with the Durston X-Mid 1 tent; they slot right in as perfect ridgeline poles without extra weight. Game-changer for cowboy camping in those windy high-alps spots.
My latest obsession for scenic crushers: micro LED headlamps like the Black Diamond Spot 400-R with red night mode for stargazing at overlooks without blinding campmates, plus Leukotape for blister-proof hot spots (stick it on pre-hike). What’s your go-to for knee armor on descents? Spill the deets-Superior’s calling my name next! 🏔️🔥