It is common for anyone in other fields, besides medicine, to call themselves doctor if they have a Ph.D. College professors do it all the time and rightly so. It indicates a certain level of academic accomplishment and sure, maybe some people flaunt it, but it doesn't bother me at all.

According to Wikipedia, Ryan Jordan has several degrees, including a masters and a PhD in biofiilm engineering. He taught at the college level and headed a research program on groundwater. Pretty arcane stuff, but quite important work in my estimation.

Say what you want about him, but his backpacking credentials are pretty impressive-a number of long distance (300+) miles unsupported hikes, plus a lot of other adventures.

I'm not suggesting anyone has to reveal their favorite hiking trail to anyone, but at the same time, if someone wants to promote their sport, whether for profit or just because they think others might get some enjoyment out of it, that is their right to do so.

Like Yogi Berra once said, "No one goes there anymore, it's too crowded."

If you want wilderness, it's out there; if you want to go where no one has been before at all, even that can be found if you are willing to look for it. There are probably places in California where no one has ever been or if you go certain times of the year, you will be alone.

Heck, last winter, I went camping and went out to Dewey Point, one of the more accessible and popular lookouts in Yosemite and was alone the whole day. In summer, no doubt a different story. In the three days I was camping, once I turned off the road, I saw only a handful of people snowshoeing. Hardly a crowd. When I talked to a couple of them, they had no idea I was even camping there. At night, I was totally by myself. The one group of campers I saw one night was pretty far away from me.

I was camping midweek, but that weekend-the 3 day Presidents' Day weekend, the Valley floor was full of tourists. I went down there with friends who came up for the weekend. A very different experience. Do I find the crowds annoying? Sure, but it's not my park.