About Backcountry (Bacon) Bitts
Who is Bacon Bitts?
Hey, Bacon Bitts here. Who am I, and where did that silly name come from? My name is Steve, and I am a hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering enthusiast. I’ll do anything to get into the backcountry! My passion is not just the outdoors, but sharing that love with others in hopes that they’ll get excited to try a new outdoor activity, or make the outdoors a lifetime adventure as I have. I’ve been hiking, camping, and backpacking since I was a kid in the Boy Scouts. The friendships and the adventures during those ten years are an integral part of who I am.
Outdoor Experiences
I’ve worked as an adult leader for several BSA troops, worked at Philmont Scout Ranch, NM for a summer, and have done many long-term backpacking trips on the Appalachian Trail, the Grand Canyon, and the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier Washington. My interest and love of mountaineering was born when I attended the U.S. Army’s Mountain Warfare School over 20 years ago. I’ve climbed Long’s Peak, and Mt. Bierstadt in Colorado and Mt. Baker, Washington. I’ve got my sights on Mt. Rainier, WA, but that will take some training before I’m ready.
Bacon Bitts?
In 2009 my friend, John and I were hiking a portion of the North Carolina section of the Appalachian Trail. When I first met John in 2008 he was a little tubby. I immediately started calling him Bacon Boy, from the 1995 movie, Major Payne.
When asked our trail names, John, without missing a beat said, “I’m Bacon Boy, and this is Bacon Bitts.” I thought it was hysterical and the name stuck. Lest we forget, the names come out again during our annual backpacking trips. We haven’t been able to do our trips in a couple of years because of me being out of the country, but when I move to Washington state shortly, we’ll be reviving our annual plans, hopefully becoming semi-annual plans.
Backpacking buddies
I’d met John on my first deployment to Afghanistan while I was in the Illinois Army National Guard. John and I became fast friends through training and our nine months at Camp Stone. We’d discovered that we were both passionate about backpacking and decided to do a trip together, which soon became an annual event. Aligning vacation schedules is always tough with career and family responsibilities. Having to travel to our adventure location isn’t easy, either. So, we do our best even though we haven’t quite met that goal of an annual trip.
| Year | Location | Duration | Distance |
| 2009 | Appalachian Trail, NC section (Bacon Bitts earns his trail name) | 5 days | 25 miles |
| 2010 | Jones Peak/Longs Peak, CO (Bacon Boy experiences altitude sickness for the first time) | 5 days | 30 miles |
| 2011 | Grand Canyon, AZ; South Rim to North Rim and back | 5 days | 49 miles |
| 2012 | Mt. Rainier, WA; Wonderland Trail (Bacon Boy gets hurt, Bacon Bitts meets his wife) | 5 days | 30 miles |
| 2015 | Appalachian Trail, TN section | 5 days | 20-25 miles |
Speaking of bacon…
We still laugh hysterically about our 2010 trip to Jones Peak, CO. We had the bright idea of bringing about four packs of bacon for a week long trip. Of course, we had to bring a frying pan, and something to hold the bacon grease for packing it out. When backpacking, weight is everything. I’m not the type of guy who drills holes in his tooth brush, but brining all this extra weight was ridiculous! The weather was below zero, so spoilage wasn’t a concern. All I remember is complaining about how heavy all of that was, while standing next to a large boulder where we’d placed our stove to cook our highly anticipated greasy goodness. We were freezing our butts off waiting for the bacon to cook, and then I burnt myself trying to pour the hot grease into a glass container. Wow, that was a bad idea, but it has provided Bacon Boy and me hours of uncontrollable laughter.
Solo adventures and training
Sometimes, I just can’t wait on the availability of partners. Although more fun with friends, solo adventures get me outside for some fun in solitude. Of course, there is an extra element of risk when out alone. Therefore, extra precautions must be taken, but I don’t let that stop me. Training is also important, and I jump on the opportunity whenever I can.
| Year | Location | Duration | Distance |
| 1998 1999 | Training: U.S. Army Mountain Warfare School (summer & winter phases), Jericho, VT | 4 weeks | N/A |
| 2004 | Longs Peak climb (with a life-long Boy Scout friend, experiencing altitude sickness for the first time, no summit) | 3 days | 7 miles |
| 2004 | Longs Peak (solo climb, no summit) | 3 days | 7 miles |
| 2005 | Training: Ice Climbing course taught by alpinist Jim Donini in Ouray Ice Park, CO | 3 days | N/A |
| 2007 | Appalachian Trail (Amicalola Falls State Park to Neels Gap) | 5 days | 50 miles |
| 2010 | Training: Mountain Madness Glacier Mountaineering Course, Mt. Baker, WA | 7 days | 15 miles |
| 2012 | Colorado, Mt. Bierstadt (first summit of a Colorado 14’er, 2,782 elevation gain) | 4 hours | 7.5 miles |
| 2014 | Apsan Mountain, Daegu, South Korea – Day hikes every Saturday while stationed in Korea | 1 day | 10-15 miles/ hike |
| 2018-2021 | Naturpark Schönbuch, Aichtal Germany – weekly Day hikes while stationed in Germany | 1 day | 5-10 miles/hike |
Wow, you’ve really slacked off in recent years with the backpacking and mountaineering. What happened?
Yes, you’re right, not much backpacking and mountaineering activity in recent years. This is for several reasons: First, I’ve been in Germany for the last three years. Backcountry camping and backpacking are illegal here in Germany. Well, not technically. It’s the overnight camping part that will get you a ticket, or even arrested. You can only do that in official campgrounds, which are typically for RVs and travel trailers, and not typically near areas where I’d want to backpack. Second, COVID has crushed my dream of mountaineering in Europe. I’d found a partner, and we’d planned several climbs, but stinkin’ COVID shut it all down! Third, I’ve never lived near areas that are good for hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering. I’ve always had to buy a plane ticket to get to the adventure. That becomes costly and cumbersome when you have to pack for air travel and then reconfigure for the trail. It’s not without its humor though. I relish the panic of airline agents when they see the size of my luggage, and I’ll never forget the look of horror when a TSA agent found my ice-axe when inspecting my bags! Luckily, the Army in its infinite wisdom has ordered me to Fort Lewis, WA this summer. I’m very excited. I’ll finally be in an area of the country with an unlimited amount of outdoor activities, trails, and mountains to explore!