Yep--it's that time of year again. And we have to believe that Santa takes this stuff pretty seriously. After all, he lives at the North Pole, so he knows how important preserving our wilderness really is. But just in case he needs little help, we have our own list for him to consult:



NAUGHTY

The idiot who set off the fire that burned 250,000 acres of Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park—and built an illegal campfire because he was sure the rules didn’t apply to him.

The other idiots who believe that the rules don’t really apply to them because….well, you get it. This year we met people who were camping in restricted areas, building fires where they were prohibited, hiking with dogs in Yosemite’s backcountry, and endless evidence of people who did not pack out their TP, tampons, etc. Leave No Trace. It isn’t that hard.

Boy Scout leaders who destroy natural wonders (and national treasures)—all the while supposedly serving as an example to the young men in their charge.

The knuckleheads who deface Native America heritage sites…or anyone who vandalizes public property. If you want to make something ugly, stick with your own property.

Those who choose to step into roaring spring creeks or wade above waterfalls, despite all the warnings…then again, these people get their rewards pretty quickly.

Editors who think that the single biggest issue with backpacking is dealing with bears. See above. Enough with the bear stories.

The bozos in Washington who continue to collect a paycheck while doing less and less for the people of this country. If you want to reduce the size of government, we can think of an easy place to start.

NICE

Anybody who takes friends, kids, or anyone else out into the forest to show them how wonderful it is. Just make sure they follow the rules. Please.

Those who share their expertise, knowledge, and experience on backpacking message boards where everyone from fellow experts to rank amateurs can learn…and enjoy.

A particular note to those who blog about their wilderness adventures. You not only help the rest of us who are looking for other places to explore, and newbies to find a first hike.

The National Park Rangers and USFS employees and the volunteers who support them. We have found them almost uniformly really helpful and really pleasant—despite the fact that they have to deal with all these NAUGHTY people…which must get pretty darn tiring.

And SAR teams who regularly go out into the wilderness and bring the lost back to the trailhead.

The fire crews that fought to limit damage from fires across the Sierra.

The wonderful community of backpackers who continue to visit and treasure our wilderness areas. And our website!

well done!

I hope "Santa" has lots of love and comfort in his bag of goodies for the families of the Hotshots who lost their lives fighting the Arizona wild fires this year and all those who gave it all in service to the greater communities of this wonderful country.

jimmyb

+1 on the Firefighters! We had two wildfires near us this summer and they did such an awesome job. The coordinators of information for both of these fires also did a wonderful job of getting information about about evacuations too!

Also on the Nice list - both the people who get paid to maintain trails and volunteer to maintain trails! We had some ... weird weather this early winter which just trashed the trails (down trees, wet snow, ice etc.) and they have done a great job opening things back up.

Echoing all the above!

Also many, many thanks to all the wonderful volunteer Search And Rescue groups who put their lives on the line every time someone is lost or injured! (Lori, take a bow!) While we try hard to avoid needing your services, we never know when our time has come.

Great lists balzaccom. Geez, seems like the year really zoomed by when I consider reading last years lists.

I'll add to the naughty list those that left their name scratched or painted or charcoaled in our beautiful Ozark Mountain limestone bluffs this year. I saw far too much of that in both Arkansas and Missouri this past year.

And I have to echo the nice list nominations for both our Park Rangers and Service Employees, and our SAR volunteers wherever they work, and especially Lori, because we all know her and how dedicated she is, and we learn from her constantly.

I'd also like to add the Moderators here. I really don't do a thing so I can't include myself with you all but aimless, Dryer, OM, TomD, you all did a great job keeping things civil and spam free here again this year. OM, I feel you've really become the forum "Mom". You deserve a special spot on the list. We're all lucky you put up with us

And of course packlite. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. Your work this year has made the site faster and better than ever. You're the wizard behind the curtain twisting all those dials and pulling and pushing all the levers that make this site run and you got it well tuned and humming along now. Thank You!

Naughty
Those who toss trash on the roadways and trails, or anywhere other than a trash receptacle for that matter.

Nice
Those who pick up the occasional piece of trash. I believe some of the trash (usually smaller pieces) inadvertently fall out of peoples pockets or bags.

Nice! LOL

I think enough naughty has been covered, so I will just focus on the nice. This Forum and it's community are in the nice list. Can't think of a nicer group online presence. OM in particular is one of the biggest sweethearts of the bunch. You may disagree with her on something, but you know her heart is always in the right place.

If I don't make it back before the new year, Merry Christmas to you all.

Chris

Naughty:

The government shutdown forcing me to cancel my backpacking trip.

Nice:

We always seem to enjoy our hobby in nature and its beauty. However, having a good friend to share it with can make it so much better. It always appreciative having good friends to hike with and post-hike meal at the local restaurants. It's always good memories no matter what.

I like this ETSU Pride. Both were well worth adding...

Aw, shucks, guys, just trying to do my job!


Actually, we couldn't keep the forum spam free without all you wonderful folks in more easterly time zones who come onto the forum in the morning and click the "Notify" button when they spot spam (most spam comes in overnight). Sometimes we go for weeks without any and other times we get hit hard! Most of the spam we delete we hear about through that "notify" button which triggers automatic emails to us mods. Thanks to you all, and to the few mods farther east, most of it is gone before I even get up in the morning out here on the west coast!

I'll comment about this one.
This summer, I took 9 scouts for week long backpacking trip. The first night we found a campsite near a lake. We made so much noise setting up that we got a visit from a ranger. He told us that our site was the proper distance for camping but not for fire. Since we weren't planning a fire that night, no problem. I told him the next night we would like a fire. So, he showed me on the map were some good fire spots were next to the lake we planned to camp the next day. He also showed us a great spring to fill up water. And, he spent a good amount of time teaching the boys about bear safety and proper food storage. Sure, I taught them that stuff, but sometimes it means more coming from "authority". He even came over the next morning to check up on us and wish us well for the next day. I thought that was the end of him. But, when we were close to the end of our hike the 2 day, I see him at a trail junction. He told me that a VERY large group was camped where we were heading, and asked if I still wanted to go there, or go to a "secret" place he knew of. Then he escorted us to the best campsite we had the whole week.
Now, that is service.

I'm sure that part of the "service" you got was simply because of the ranger's inherent attitude toward the outdoors, his job, and the users he meets. But I'm sure that part of his willingness to go beyond the bare minimum had something to do with the way you and your scouts reacted to him; the right attitude (that the outdoors isn't there for your pleasure only, that you're there to enjoy and care for the environment), and lack of a know-it-all bearing, go a long way toward eliciting a positive response from those charged with the stewardship of the area. Keep up the good work.

That's a great story. It's really nice to hear he made those extra efforts for you, and especially about how he took you to his secret spot. That's the kind of thing that really sticks with kids.