Mob scenes on the trails last weekend

[B the Hiker]

Lots of people up north at the moment!


Brian

 

[marnof]

People, yes – and dogs! My daughter counted twelve on Osceola before we headed to E. Osceola. Not sure if that's some kind of record, but it was impressive.

 

[peakbagger]

Trails typically are near empty anytime before 8 AM. Plan to hit summits before 11 AM. Expect to say a lot of "excuse mes" on the way down. Great time for bushwhacks

 

[Snowflea]

Trails typically are near empty anytime before 8 AM. Plan to hit summits before 11 AM. Expect to say a lot of "excuse mes" on the way down. Great time for bushwhacks

Also a great time to hit obscure, lightly traveled redlining trails. Have been enjoying the solitude lately.

 

[Ken MacGray]

Yup. I was on Adams on Saturday, and was not enjoying the crowd at the summit around 11:45am. I didn't stick around for long. The Appalachia trailhead was also mobbed. I'm with Stinkyfeet. Obscure trails and peaks are sounding more appealing these days.

 

[vinovampire]

The trails were quiet in Vermont on Friday evening. I was surprised; I thought the moon would bring some more people out.

Rather than go early (~5 or 6 AM), as my buddies and I used to do, we've started late this summer. We've been starting out from the trailhead around 5 or 6 PM, depending on the hike, so we just reaching a summit before sunset. We only ran into two Long Trail thru hikers right at about 8:10 PM as the sun finally set. Otherwise, not a soul.

Summit of Mt Abraham, VT on August 8, 2014

This "sunset hike" tactic has been working out really well for me all summer in NH and VT. The benefits are clear: (a) great sunset and mountain and star-filled night views with no crowds; (b) avoids the humid mid-days and afternoon thunder storms; (c) avoids the bugs by being on a breezy summit around dusk; (d) see a little bit more wildlife around dusk; and (e) nobody else on the trails on the way down. A few times in NH I've run into people heading uphill from various traverses around 4 AM, while I'm heading back down.

For years I was a big fan of getting up early to beat the crowds, but now I've become a lazy SOB of a hiker who sleeps-in.

 

[Amicus]

Stinkyfeet said:

Also a great time to hit obscure, lightly traveled redlining trails. Have been enjoying the solitude lately.

Amen to that. I've hiked every weekend this summer, usually both days, and on a majority of those hikes I've encountered no other hikers. These Trails are all in the AMC Guide too, and they're fine, with view ledges, waterfalls and many other points of interest. All they lack are highpoints that are on some popular list.

I did, however, nearly have what would have been a most unfortunate encounter last Friday morning driving west on the Kanc, near the trailhead for the Sawyer River Trail, with a big mama moose who jogged across the highway just in front of me. I was happy not to have been speeding.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Puck counted 769 people on Franconia Ridge on Saturday.

Tim

 

[trailbagger]

One of the great things about redlining is that on *every* hike you see *something* you haven't already seen. It might be just another section of woods, looking more or less like the rest, but you never know what is around the next bend. And yes, there is a lot of solitude on some of these less-loved (un-loved?) trails! Alas, I can't deny that I also like working on a list.

 

[DayTrip]

And yes, there is a lot of solitude on some of these less-loved (un-loved?) trails!

Many of those less-loved trails are less-loved for a reason: they are boring as hell. I too have gotten sick of the enormous crowds of late and have taken to some less traveled trails for some solitude and have begun a new list: trails I'll never do again.

I think hiking has just become too popular right now with the massive fitness craze in the US. Summits with 40, 50 or even more people on it is getting pretty commonplace now. Even difficult trails like Huntington Ravine Trail, the North slide, etc have tons of people on them. The first time I did Huntington Ravine Trail years ago I only saw two people on it. When I did it last year there were at least 50 people on it.

I find it concerning actually. The volume of people hiking contains a growing portion that aren't up to speed with (or don't care about) things like Leave No Trace, etc. Finding garbage, unburied bathroom refuse, etc is becoming a pretty common thing in many places. I hope hiking doesn't get so popular that regulation follows...

 

[Tuck]

Starting our hikes earlier and earlier to be out of sync with the crowds. Maybe have to start using headlamps for the beginning of the hikes soon.

 

[peakbagger]

Many of those less-loved trails are less-loved for a reason: they are boring as hell. I too have gotten sick of the enormous crowds of late and have taken to some less traveled trails for some solitude and have begun a new list: trails I'll never do again.

I think hiking has just become too popular right now with the massive fitness craze in the US. Summits with 40, 50 or even more people on it is getting pretty commonplace now. Even difficult trails like Huntington Ravine Trail, the North slide, etc have tons of people on them. The first time I did Huntington Ravine Trail years ago I only saw two people on it. When I did it last year there were at least 50 people on it.

I find it concerning actually. The volume of people hiking contains a growing portion that aren't up to speed with (or don't care about) things like Leave No Trace, etc. Finding garbage, unburied bathroom refuse, etc is becoming a pretty common thing in many places. I hope hiking doesn't get so popular that regulation follows...

The current popularity of hiking is nothing compared to when I started hiking in the whites in the eighties. I believe one thing has changed is the number of folks doing backpacking trips is far lower but those dayhiking sure make up for it.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I used to think the trails were really clean until I started taking my dog with me. His nose confirms there is plenty of stuff on or near the trails. I picked up a bit of trash on Saturday including a cigarette butt from one of the agonies viewpoints.

Tim

 

[Snowflea]

I think hiking has just become too popular right now with the massive fitness craze in the US. Summits with 40, 50 or even more people on it is getting pretty commonplace now.

Robert Redford is currently working on his adaptation of Bill Bryson's A Walk In the Woods, starring (who else?) Robert Redford and Nick Nolte as Katz. Wonder what effect this will have on the (already too high IMO) Appalachian Trail numbers...

 

[trailbagger]

Robert Redford is currently working on his adaptation of Bill Bryson's A Walk In the Woods, starring (who else?) Robert Redford and Nick Nolte as Katz. Wonder what effect this will have on the (already too high IMO) Appalachian Trail numbers...

LOVED that book and psyched it is being made into a movie. I've heard it said though that Katz was really just Bryson's alter-ego ... I wonder if that interpretation could be handled in a movie?

 

[trailbagger]

Many of those less-loved trails are less-loved for a reason: they are boring as hell.

I absolutely agree! But you don't know that until you've done it, and once you've done it, it need never be repeated.

 

[DayTrip]

The current popularity of hiking is nothing compared to when I started hiking in the whites in the eighties. I believe one thing has changed is the number of folks doing backpacking trips is far lower but those dayhiking sure make up for it.

Isn't that boom in the late 70's/early 80's responsible for a lot of today's regulations? I recall reading about the massive amounts of trash, etc causing the no camping above tree line rules, etc. Before my time hiking wise so I really don't know but it sounded like the mountains really got junked up then.

 

[Amicus]

I absolutely agree! But you don't know that until you've done it, and once you've done it, it need never be repeated.

Different people have different interests and boredom thresholds. I've hiked a substantial majority of the Trails in the AMC White Mountain Guide and more than I'd care to admit from other Guides or no guides at all, and while there are many of them that I have no desire to repeat, there are hardly any that I regretted. Even the least prepossessing of them had some points of interest, if only an attractive grove or secluded pond, and outdoor solitude in an unspoiled setting is itself a pleasure for some of us, even if it comes with bugs and mud.

As to A Walk in the Woods, I laughed myself silly reading it and look forward to the movie version. I hadn't heard about Katz being merely an aspect of the author's personality, but he did strike me as too funny to be true, so that would not surprise me.

 

[hikerbrian]

I couldn't believe the Lafayette trailhead on Saturday. Never seen so many cars parked on the side of 93. I don't think I would have enjoyed that loop on that day.

On the other hand, my kiddos and I had Franconia Brook campsite nearly to ourselves this past rainy/thundery Thursday night. So maybe bad weather is another method of avoiding crowds, to be added to night hiking, mid-week hiking, winter hiking (sort of), true bushwhacking (about the only reliable method), and boring trails.

I could see a quota system coming to the trailheads in the Whites. I actually don't think it's a terrible idea, but that's a debate for another thread.

 

[skiguy]

Isn't that boom in the late 70's/early 80's responsible for a lot of today's regulations? I recall reading about the massive amounts of trash, etc causing the no camping above tree line rules, etc. Before my time hiking wise so I really don't know but it sounded like the mountains really got junked up then.

Over the last 50-60 years use of the White Mountains has seen it's peaks and troughs. Only possible to hypothesise what drives the ups and downs but IMO the economy plays a role. Usually when the economy is down so is hiking and visa versa. As of present I believe it is a lot more about relatively cheap entertainment and demographic targeting. The former is a product of an audience that is within a day or even a partial day's drive of large metropolitan areas. The difference in the price of scheduling a day or a handful of multiple day trips vs. a plane ticket, a car, food and accomadations out west or overseas is somewhat significant. The economy is not doing real well but not real bad either. So therefore people are still having fun but playing it safe. As far as demographic affect; we have the outdoor marketers to thank for that. To their credit they have done a great job of targeting a new part of the population that use to not go out in the woods. I believe this is a multi-faceted approach. In the past hikers were mostly hard core, adventurous, I'm kool and super fit kind of folks. Now we have the media telling us that you "Out of shape Joey Bag of Donuts" can do it too. Not to mention you better because if you don't your gonna die! I also believe that web sites like this and Social Media have played a big part in the increased numbers. Hey whom does not want to brag a bit and beat their chest on top of a mountain and post the video online. Then comes the gear. In a consumer based economy who wouldn't want a basement or garage filled with all those kool toys. Just my two cents. On a side note below is a link about a "Problem shelter" back in 1969.

http://trailsblog.outdoors.org/2012/07/life-at-liberty.html