"HEY DUDE, LOOKING GOOD, LOOKING GOOD!!!" Then I give them a big "thumb's up" and I'm down the trail before they can even point out that I haven't answered their question.

In fact, there were so many day hikers going into Colchuck Lake in the Enchantments near Leavenworth, WA last Saturday when we were heading back towards the trailhead that our time was substantially longer because we had to keep stepping off to the side of the trail and allow the uphill hikers by. And, yes, many were not carrying the "ten essentials" or even water.