Being a lifelong sufferer of OCD, I have more than my fair share of peculiarities and preferences. Needless to say, when I see something that goes against my grain, the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I struggle to contain my inner vigilante. I could list them all for you but that would take quite a while - instead, I'd like to hear from all of you what your particular pet peeves are related to the backcountry...

trash, filthy campsites, clearcutting

(1) Toilet paper and worse things scattered on the ground. It's not that hard to dig a cat hole, and in an emergency the hole can be dug after the fact and the elimination products transferred to it with a stick. (I've done that a time or two). Related to that, why can't the Forest Service provide pit toilets in popular camping spots? I've seen these in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie and Wenatchee-Okanogan National Forests in Washington, and the result is far cleaner campsites and less water pollution. They are, of course, open-air and some have marvelous views!

(2) Trash in fire rings. I hope that someday people will realize that metal--including foil--doesn't burn, and that plastic just melts unless the fire is very hot. Please don't leave this stuff for others to pack out.

(3) People who cut across switchbacks, leaving what becomes first a heavily eroded gully and, at least in the Pacific NW, eventually becomes a landslide.

(4) People who, in times of high fire danger, build large campfires just upwind of where I'm camping.

(5) People who wash their dishes in the water source, leaving food scraps in the water or on the shore.

Interestingly, I've found that it's often the same people who do most or all of these things and that they constitute a relatively small group. Some are willing to change their ways (if confronted in a friendly fashion and tactfully), and, unfortunately, a few just don't care.

When I go solo I don't run into much trash or many people since I'm generally not near any trails or popular spots, though seeing those trashed out is always hard to take.

Mostly it's people who want to come with me who have entirely different expectations. Like, they expect to get blind dumb drunk, or, they run out of beer and expect me to cut my trip short so I can guide them back to their car, or worse, give them a ride home with a quick stop at the nearest beer seller.

People who have no clue how to read a map, and then argue with you when you show them where they are on one and which way they need to go. I can understand people who aren't convinced I know what I'm doing when showing them where we are on a map, but not those who tell me I'm wrong, because I'm not.

People who buy and bring a GPS but never take the time to learn how to use it. I know they can be a pain to learn, but if you're going to buy and bring one, learn how to use it. I'm not an instruction manual for every GPS ever made, but because I can use mine I'm expected to know how to use theirs.

My latest peeve is corporations that are promoting the transfer of National public land to States, and States who's politicians want to sell or lease them to their corporate campaign sponsors. I've seen this ramp up hard this year.

Like, I could go on and on, but those are at the top of my head on this subject today

Yow! OM pretty much nailed from my point of view. Those ARE my pet peeves...with the only possible addition of people who make a lot of noise in the backcountry. Nature has her own song, and I'd like to hear her sing it!

Well, the generalities seem pretty well covered by others, but I will mention a few specific cases that happened just in the last year:
1) the guy I came upon preparing to wash his butt, with soap, in the common source of drinking water
2) the unknown parent who left the disposable diaper partially buried in the campsite I occupied, 20 miles from the nearest trailhead (I carried it out)
3) Maybe worst of all, the unspeakably vile ignorant a-----
who decided to explore the tidepools at extreme low tide by walking on the tidal creatures, and brushed off my complaints to them.
I wasn't too impressed either by the macho jerk who hiked miles ahead of his struggling female "friend", and made fun of her for being too slow when she finally caught up, showed no patience or kindness or helpfulness. I guess he didn't want to be seen by others walking slowly and stopping for rests with her because others might not realize what an utter stud of an Outdoorsman he was!
Good manners, kindness, and consideration are just as important in the wilderness as in the outside world, and it bums me out when they are missing.

and they save chivalry is dead..

How did you know that clod's name was Chivalry?

Reminds me of the time I was out on my bike. I passed an attractive couple on the way out...and probably rode farther than they did. On the way back home. I saw them up ahead of me, and the guy noticed me catching up.

He immediately dropped his girlfriend and took off like a madman to stay ahead of me. I slowed down and chatted with his girlfriend-asked her if that was, indeed, what happened.

We both chuckled about it, and I rode for a mile or two with her...just to make sure he understood that there are more important things than riding fast. hee hee.

Does this story end "and she is now Mrs. Balzaccom," or was that title already taken?

That story reminded me of a day hike a couple years ago on the AT and loop trail at High Point State Park in NJ. I was hiking with my cousin at a normal rate and we kept catching up to a couple in front of us. Several times, they would be stopped on the trail and when they noticed us coming up behind them, they would turn to look at us and then begin hiking again. So the last time we came upon them, we had crested a small hill where the trail turns left 45 degrees and drops down the other side. From the top of the hill, we could see them towards the bottom, maybe 75 yards off. He had his back to us and she looked like she was tying her shoes - or was she? I coughed extra loud to let them know we were behind them. She immediately stood up and they moved off the trail, letting us know that they clearly wanted us to go ahead of them. Forgive me, but I couldn't help but have my doubts as to their activities. My suspicions were more or less confirmed when, as I walked past, she stared straight down to avoid making eye contact.

I guess the point is this - if you want to "enjoy" nature, that's totally your own business. But have the decency to save it for your tent or somewhere WAY out in the middle of nowhere where the chances of passers by are rather slim. Moral #2 - tie your shoelaces better...just sayin'...

Hilarious!

Nah...that titled is reserved for the woman who has backpacked and hiked thousands of mile with me.

Not always at the same pace, but also close. grin

Despite all the fine Stupid Human Stories mine remains mosquitoes.

As to stuff I don't think I should have to live with on the trail, horse-wrecked trails and cattle-wrecked meadows top my list of things that make me go "grrrr."

Cheers,

Postholes. As an avid snowshoer I HATE them. Now I don't mean in any way to say "those of you without snowshoes, stay home in the winter" but if they did it wouldn't bother me LOL. Some of these holes are 18" deep, who the heck goes out hiking when every step of the way will have you sinking up to your knees? One of the trails I snowshoe frequently has a very steep section that is just TORN UP from postholes, to the point where you really have to take another trail up or down to avoid a badly twisted ankle at a minimum.

Balzaccom's story reminded me of a guy I rode with a few times here in my town. I never had any trouble keeping up with him, but once he brought his wife along and just plain left her behind. I felt bad for her, so I stayed with her instead. I was thinking, if you were just going to ride ahead and leave your wife and everyone else behind, why didn't you just ride alone in the first place?