Biggest "nature" let down?

[Brambor]

funny stuff

The Desert of Maine...

Haha very funny

 

[Raven]

I remember first hiking in Vermont and being a little disappointed in the number of ski resorts on the "big" summits. That said, overall I think the state is beautiful.

To add some positive, I was very pleasantly suprised at the beauty of the AT through Massachusetts. I did not expect it to be so nice. The disappointment comes when you pass by what was advertised as the only remaining lake in the state that has not been developed. The lake is beautiful; the disappointment is from knowing "we" did not preserve more. Development doesn't tend to go away. Progress is not always positive. It's never nature that disappoints me, it's the encroachment (and sometimes the assault) of man on nature that does.

To clarify my earlier comments more on Mount Washington, IMO it's one of the most beatiful, awe-inspiring, moving, peaceful places I've experienced. That said, I can sit with my back to the summit buildings and get lost in the view and have done so many times in all seasons and during the day and night, but personally, I can still smell asphalt and hear motors and fans humming. It is what it is, and I'll continue to love the experience for as long as I'm able. I see room for improvement in something that is 99.9% positive.

To me, it's something like this - Being on Mount Washington is like savoring a glass of France's finest Bordeaux; it almost doesn't get any better...but as you're just about to take that last sip, you notice the hair.

Maybe someone will start a thread on biggest pleasant suprises in nature?

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I will toss in that I always enjoy the view of Washington from the lower peaks more than I enjoy the view from Washington of the lower peaks.

Tim

 

[TEO]

I have the exact opposite opinion about Yellowstone. To me, Yellowstone is nature on crack. [snip]
Go to Old Faithful before 7am, or after 7pm, and you'll be amazed how few people are there. The pretty light at those hours goes without saying.
[snip]
The place is 2.2 million acres......with a little (very little) effort, it's easy to lose the crowds and find nature.

When my wife and I visited Yosemite a couple of summers ago, I was dreading the crowds, but like you, discovered that all it takes is the willingness to walk a half mile or more down a trail or rise a little earlier to be able to enjoy a reasonable amount of solitude and quiet.

 

[Little Rickie]

So after reading these posts it isn't nature that's disappointing you it's the expectations based on the experience of others that's disappointing. As usual it is the human element that messes up nature.

 

[TCD]

Suffering arises not from the conditions that appear to be surrounding you, but from attachment to an expectation of different conditions.

 

[Little Rickie]

Suffering arises not from the conditions that appear to be surrounding you, but from attachment to an expectation of different conditions.

Did you make that up. It's so Zen or Buddist.

 

[Raven]

Did you make that up. It's so Zen or Buddist.

If I'm not mistaken, it's a wording of one of the four Noble Truths of Buddhism...second one maybe?

 

[Maddy]

Suffering arises not from the conditions that appear to be surrounding you, but from attachment to an expectation of different conditions.

Isn't that the truth...a "noble truth"!

 

[sierra]

Baxter state park. I will say this its a beautifull mountain and the route over the knife edge was nice, as where the summits. Its the red tape, waiting in line to get in strike one, not being allowed to climb on a bad weather day strike two, not being allowed to solo the peak in the winter strike three. I dont like restrictions, when I first went out west I was in heaven, camp anywhere free, drive your truck anywhere you want for miles and miles.There is no one to hassle you, at baxter I felt like I was in russia. They have so many rules its chokes the wilderness experience right out of you.

 

[gooly]

Baxter state park. I will say this its a beautifull mountain and the route over the knife edge was nice, as where the summits. Its the red tape, waiting in line to get in strike one, not being allowed to climb on a bad weather day strike two, not being allowed to solo the peak in the winter strike three. I dont like restrictions, when I first went out west I was in heaven, camp anywhere free, drive your truck anywhere you want for miles and miles.There is no one to hassle you, at baxter I felt like I was in russia. They have so many rules its chokes the wilderness experience right out of you.

Yikes...headed to Baxter in June...hopefully with an open mind. I have never been and am really looking foward to getting there.

 

[Chip]

Did you make that up. It's so Zen or Buddist.

Yoda.

Baxter state park. I will say this its a beautifull mountain and the route over the knife edge was nice, as where the summits. Its the red tape, waiting in line to get in strike one, not being allowed to climb on a bad weather day strike two, not being allowed to solo the peak in the winter strike three. I dont like restrictions, when I first went out west I was in heaven, camp anywhere free, drive your truck anywhere you want for miles and miles.There is no one to hassle you, at baxter I felt like I was in russia. They have so many rules its chokes the wilderness experience right out of you.

That's a people prob, not a nature one, similar to the crowds complaint re Yellowstone.

A let down I had was walking up to the rim of the Grand Canyon. Maybe it was the heat, poor (Edit: sorry: Native Americans [The People were called Indians when I was there]) selling cr@p on the drive in or the circling vultures, but my first impression was that the pics I had seen had done the views justice, versus virtually every other National Park where the pics paled in comparison to the real thing. The burro ride down was not a disappointment, however. God bless my mother for taking the ride with us.

 

[pudgy_groundhog]

I agree with the above posters. I don't think I've ever been let down by nature - just the people who mismanage it. Along those lines my let down was Havasu Falls. Maybe my expectations were too high or we picked a bad time go, but I was disappointed in the blatant disregard for the land (by both visitors and the tribe). The "campground" looked like a refugee camp, trash everywhere, etc. It was sad. But the falls were beautiful and we caught some moments of solitude by getting up early to hike and cooking dinner by the falls when everybody else went back to the "campground".

We've visited Yellowstone three times (as day trips during a longer trip - have yet to do a backpack or an extended trip there). The last two times were in August, so was expecting crowds, but it was still a detractor. Which is why we spent most of our time in the neighboring Beartooths. I was constantly amazed at the solitude we found.

 

[TCD]

It's certainly not original! "Suffering arises from attachment" is a Buddhist truth. And I think it's pretty true...

Yoda was clearly intended to be Buddha, but he didn't actually say that. Yoda's three greatest lessons to Luke were all packed into one 5 minute sequence in Star Wars Episode 5 (Empire). 1. "Size matters not." 2. "'Try' not! Do, or do not; there is no 'try.'" 3. (Luke: "I don't believe it!") Yoda: "That...is why you fail."

 

[spider solo]

Suffering arises not from the conditions that appear to be surrounding you, but from attachment to an expectation of different conditions.

Must admit I find that extremely difficult to believe ...but diffferent strokes for different folks I guess...hmm is that a yodaizm..

I did find Dinosaur Valley State Park in Texas a bit of a let down but I think if I had done more "homework" before I went there I would have had a greater appreciation

 

[roadtripper]

Another big time disappointment for me was Chimney Rock in Nebraska. The Oregon Trail video game made it seem so appealing as both a historical & natural destination, but it was mostly ugly and unimpressive when I actually visited it.

I also went to Yosemite Valley over Memorial Day weekend once. Will never, ever, ever, ever, ever visit a "superpark" on a holiday weekend ever again. I clearly learned my lesson

I've also heard that the "Meteor Crater" in Arizona is a huge letdown.

Someone should start a thread that talks about the biggest natural surprises they have ever come across. For me, that would be the incredible arches of Utah. I can't even begin to explain how incredible those things are (to me at least).

 

[Kevin Rooney]

My biggest outdoors disappointment was seeing Mt Rushmore for the first time. The mental image I had was from the movie "North by Northwest" with Gregory Peck. What a letdown it was to have to pay for parking, then walk down what seem like Madison Avenue on steriods. I later learned you could still go to the old parking lot, a bit downhill, and get a much different experience. I rarely stop there anymore when I'm in/near the Black Hills, but the Crazy Horse Memorial is one I never tire of.

As for Yosemite - since I live in the Eastern Sierra, I always go in from the Lee Vining side, after stopping (of course) for a bit of coffee and maybe a sandwich at the Whoa Nellie deli in the Mobil Station. I venture into the "Yosemite Village" area only occasionally. Had to drive once out to Sacramento - it was simply awful. Never again.

As for Yellowstone - it's not so bad - crowd-wise - if you go in early in the morning. But, my dog Brutus has been there 2 or 3 times, and he really likes to watch Old Faithful, which is a mystery to me, but he does. The shot below is of him and my wife (in her red hair phase), waiting patiently for the geyser. We'd walked about 1/4 mile from the top of the ramp, down the hill slightly. You get a much better view in spot, with nearly no one around.

 

[Chip]

If you posted just this pic, many people would have a hard time deciding on what was occuring: Attractive red head and Yeti ? Cousin It in the dark phase avec girl friend ?...Girl with dark, young werewolf ?...Mom with toddler with carpet fetish ?...

 

[marty]

My biggest outdoors disappointment was seeing Mt Rushmore for the first time. The mental image I had was from the movie "North by Northwest" with Gregory Peck.

Kevin,
I think you meant Cary Grant, rather than Gregory Peck. Never been to Rushmore, but that is definitely the image that I would bring with me, too.

Best regards,
Marty

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Kevin,
I think you meant Cary Grant, rather than Gregory Peck. Never been to Rushmore, but that is definitely the image that I would bring with me, too.

Best regards,
Marty

Thanks for catching that, Marty. It was Grant, not Peck.