Strictly speaking, backcountry vacations entail non-motorized treks into remote, wilderness areas. Ideally, these involve backpacking or the use of pack animals with a hiking itinerary that involves at least one overnight camp. But newcomers to backcountry travel may want to ease into the experience starting with day hikes. The Originals Hikers get the picture in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas. Hikers get the picture in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas. John Muir (1838-1914) and Bob Marshall (1901-39), principle founders of the Sierra Club and The Wilderness Society, respectively, are the patriarchs of contemporary backcountry travel devotees. Muir wrote of venturing into Yosemite National Park backcountry, and Marshall could hike 50…