I don't think that the hiking and camping is the problem, but I do think that doing something "dangerous" my lead to some apprehention. It really seems strange that you would mention 'something dangerous' because most of us, any way, go out of our way to avoid doing any thing that may be dangerous in the backcountry.
_________________________
The first step that you take will be one of those that get you there 1!!!!!
I think that is a lot of my problem. I have buddies that hike, but you really could not say that they are hikiers. They go occassionally and have limited gear, therefore, I ususally end up either supplying some sort of gear or at least showing some body along for the ride how to use it. I think that has taken away from my enjoyment a little bit, but I do enjoy helping them. It makes them think that I am smarter than they are LOL.....
_________________________
The first step that you take will be one of those that get you there 1!!!!!
I took my first solo trip last year and have been hiking for twenty years or more. It was in January and was on the AT. It was very very cold and the solitude was something that I have never experienced in it's totallity. It was really earie at times but man did it do me a lot of good to experience that solitude..I don't think that I have been any where that I have experienced total solitude. Not even a sound...Not one..Scary a little but was nice...
_________________________
The first step that you take will be one of those that get you there 1!!!!!
Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Quote:
...the solitude was something that I have never experienced in it's totallity. It was really earie at times...
It is different backpacking alone the first time. I'd hiked and car camped alone a lot, since I was 18, but I was probably in my early 40's when I did my first solo backpack. I had wanted to for a long time, but other things postponed it.
It's hard to describe how I felt when I finally did. I didn't get the heebie jeebies, but I did feel weird when I set up camp, cooked dinner, and sat there eating. It was kind of like having a party by myself.
Registered: 12/26/08
Posts: 382
Loc: Maine/New Jersey
Originally Posted By sabre11004
87% statistics are made up.
I think that is a lot of my problem. I have buddies that hike, but you really could not say that they are hikiers. They go occassionally and have limited gear, therefore, I ususally end up either supplying some sort of gear or at least showing some body along for the ride how to use it. I think that has taken away from my enjoyment a little bit, but I do enjoy helping them. It makes them think that I am smarter than they are LOL.....
HAHAHAH! That is exactly my situation sabre. Well for about 80% of my hiking friends (that is truly made up based on fact ). I have to take applied statistics this semester. What a load of crapola.
_________________________
"To me, hammocking is relaxing, laying, swaying. A steady slow morphine drip without the risk of renal failure." - Dale Gribbel
Age and the feet that come with it are my weak spots. This is part of why my load had gotten so light--it helps to compensate.
I seem to take about half again as long to get anywhere on foot--what used to be 4 hours is now 6. I don't mind all of this but I have to remember not to set myself up for any more than 10 miles in a day and 6 or 7 is more in line with my abilities now.
_________________________
Shikekeh hozhoogo naasha. I walk in beauty.
Registered: 02/26/07
Posts: 1149
Loc: Washington State, King County
Buying gear is apparantly mine; I was pretty sure last year that all the gear I had already would be fine for my next sizeable trip, but now I find myself incrementally replacing tent, down jacket, and now sleeping bag, plus a new GPS ...
No one of these things do I absolutely *have* to have, but they all represent improvements (I think) over what I have been using, and on a per-mile and a per-day-of-hiking basis they amortize pretty well, and each of the new items will give me (yet) more flexibility in future years to tune gear to the specific trip.
Age is my biggest challenge. I used to be able to go 15-20 miles per day at 2 MPH. Now I find that 8-10 miles is good and 1 to 1.5 MPH is good. I still start up in the morning as soon as it is light enough to see but by 3:00 I am looking for a campsite. In some ways it is better than when I was younger. I guess that we mellow with age. In the past I thought that backtracking on the same trail was really bad. Now I just go until half of my trip time is used up and turn around. I remember reading that you should do all of your trips before you are 60 and I am 10 years beyond that and still going out.
Registered: 12/26/08
Posts: 382
Loc: Maine/New Jersey
Right on Grumpy Gord!
_________________________
"To me, hammocking is relaxing, laying, swaying. A steady slow morphine drip without the risk of renal failure." - Dale Gribbel
I didn't do the math, but I think the general principle is right: use tends to get concentrated in the most accessible parts of the area. Both times I visited Isle Royale, the boat was full going over (100 or so people.) The campground at the dock/lodge area was full, with no vacancies. Three Mile, the nearest "backcountry" campground, was full the first night; that "crowd" of 50 or 60 moved on to Daisy Farm the next day - and when we left Daisy Farm around lunch, we didn't see more than 5 people the rest of the trip, until we returned to Three Mile the night before we got back on the boat.
Registered: 02/05/03
Posts: 3293
Loc: Portland, OR
At the beautiful Pacific coast of Oregon there are many, many state-owned waysides and access points to our beaches. Predictably, the beach area within 1/4 mile of the parking lot always has the crowds. The further you walk, the fewer the people. This predictor tends to work well almost everywhere, in my experience.
Another rule of thumb I apply consistently is "if you want solitude, don't camp near a lake". People are drawn to lakes for many reasons: swimming, fishing, the guarantee of a view across the water, and they are just so easy to see on the map.
Registered: 02/23/07
Posts: 1735
Loc: California (southern)
There is a corollary to Jim's statement (which I think is correct, BTW) - 80% of the problems are caused by 2% of the visitors. That 2% spends a lot of tax dollars.
There is a corollary to Jim's statement (which I think is correct, BTW) - 80% of the problems are caused by 2% of the visitors. That 2% spends a lot of tax dollars.
usually made worse in groups:
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
Registered: 02/23/03
Posts: 2124
Loc: Meadow Valley, CA
good point phat, I've seen by normally environmentally conscious people not worry about max # in a group since we know what we are doing. Burning beer cans and garbage in coastal campsites so they don't have to pack it out. Sad, here I'm a little bit redneck and I would not do that stuff, can't do anything about the group size since I was invited and not organizing the trip, I can pack it in and pack it out though which I do and police my site, usually for something to do.
My weak link is the knees and my windage. The knees start aching then I find I'm huffing and puffing so its time to sit a spell. But, at 63 years, I don't care that much. I just keep thinking that eventually I'll get where I'm going and thats good enough. If I had better memory I'd recall just where that fountain of youth was.
Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:
Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!