A couple things Ive noticed about the majority of tourists here who set off into the woods: a) They largely have no idea what theyre doing or in for. I mean it: no water, no idea of the hike, nothing. Met a couple who were so surprised that the hike wasnt a loop but an in and out. Showed them on the map how, if they kept going, they could MAKE a loop, but with no water and in tennis shoes...somehow, I think the 2,000+ change in elevation over ICE was a bad idea. b) People think that four miles on the treadmill are the same as four miles in the woods. Uh...that would be no. Most people--who are in reasonable shape--can hike about two miles an hour (depending on the terrain and if you desperately need to use the pit toilet). But your five mile jaunt in the woods just became, oh, about three hours, not one (and especially not if youre holding onto the treadmills rails as youre humping along; then, its probably longer). c) Most people are REALLY out of shape. REALLY. d) The trail is there for a reason. Bushwhacking that steep hill between switchbacks, thinking that it will save you time? It doesnt (and youll fall, you morons), and you only end up eroding that part of the hill. Use switchbacks; theyre there for a reason. e) Letting your little kids scamper over the very slick rocks near a waterfall is a fast and dirty way of winnowing the gene pool. I mean, if youre into that. f) No, your calf-high designer boots do not count as hiking boots. Neither do those expensive Nikes, for that matter. On the other hand...more work for the orthopedist. Im not CRABBING-crabbing; Im really not. Im more...huh? I really have to wonder at the disconnect between what people expect and whats real. Maybe Ive just never been so aware of this before, but it does seem to me that people have lost a real appreciation for the REAL world, not the one they read on a tiny little screen. Im serious; this was this woman on the hike yesterday who was just so PISSED that her pedometer/odometer/whatever said shed gone 1.8 miles and it had taken her an HOUR!!! And so HOW could it take her another 45 minutes to hit the falls? (Uhm...because its steep and rocky? And constant up? I mean, what do you say to something like that?) It comes down to safety, too. Certain hikes can be hazardous enough. A wrong step because youre tired and just not paying attention to that slick of wet leaves hiding that rock...you can turn an ankle pretty fast, or break a foot or leg, twist a knee. But when rangers have to air-lift your sorry ass out because you have no idea what youre doing--as happened here two days ago with an unprepared guy who got himself into some serious trouble or the woman who figured, *Water? Who needs stinking water?*--youre risking not only yourself but the rangers and other searchers who come to rescue you. Kind of head-shaking. Or maybe its that there are many more people here than Im used to. Normally, I hike pretty secluded areas. The whole point is to reconnect with the natural world, not hang out with people, and the folks I meet there arent tourists up for the day and so are prepared for the backcountry. Here, its very different. Not BAD--but really different.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 13:05:59 +0000
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