tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post5818835074175603683..comments2024-02-23T01:30:06.101-08:00Comments on Early Warning: Decline of BackpackingStuart Stanifordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07182839827506265860noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post-51590390847420798992012-08-04T12:49:31.443-07:002012-08-04T12:49:31.443-07:00I'm not sure about using the Park Service data...I'm not sure about using the Park Service data as a proxy for overnight backpacking. The cost, over-regulation and sheer hassle factor (trail quotas, etc.) of backpacking in the National Parks increasingly makes the National Forests and BLM land more attractive for overnight trips as opposed to just day hikes.<br /><br />With some exceptions, the NPS has turned into a kind of Natural Disneyland serving mostly foreigners. You might as well just watch a nature program on TV.Kenneth D. Worthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01273763648198044270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post-61859540497484457842012-07-31T15:18:20.434-07:002012-07-31T15:18:20.434-07:00There's a silver linining here: the wilderness...There's a silver linining here: the wilderness is less stressed by all the humans tromping all over it.<br /><br />If humans could stick to living in densely inhabited areas and recreating in Disneyworld, we might just leave a little wildlife alive at the end of the day...Nick Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12721405349726668110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post-10854330576267721022012-07-31T07:40:40.713-07:002012-07-31T07:40:40.713-07:00Well, the first thing that occurs to me is the agi...Well, the first thing that occurs to me is the aging of the baby boom. I haven't backpacked in many years. While I still hunt, I consider the sort of sedentary stand hunting we do in the Delta as a form of livestock management.HalFiorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18432415155069446325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post-7138068743325166062012-07-31T03:11:40.687-07:002012-07-31T03:11:40.687-07:00In Central NC, the hunting limits are much higher ...In Central NC, the hunting limits are much higher in the urban counties. There is a lot of nice park areas to walk around in, but you rarely see anyone. This in a county with about half a million people. People only go to the "formal", "name" parks, and even there they have volunteer patrols to help with safety issues. All I can think of is that it is to help someone with a heart attack or bee sting, because I have never heard of any real safety issues.russell1200https://www.blogger.com/profile/16258915475311426433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post-44323624306823268192012-07-30T19:16:11.368-07:002012-07-30T19:16:11.368-07:00This trend has been with us for some time. I work...This trend has been with us for some time. I worked part time for the outdoor, hiking, camping store Recreational Equipment Incorporated, (REI.com) about 13 years ago and I learned this drop off in off-road camping and visitations was the subject of some discussion amongst the marketing people at the company. Even then they knew the trend was away from backpacking and towards day trips and perhaps car camping trips and this was bothersome since REI was into more of the traditional mountaineering sports. There was talk of picking up more family camping gear, more snow sports, more jogging and other fitness related gear, while easing up a bit on the hard core backpacking stuff.<br /><br />I found the whole idea rather sad, though I admit that I haven't done an overnight hike in about 10 years myself.<br /><br />At work, with the at-risk boys place I've mentioned, we used to car camp with them every summer, but there too our last trip was in August of 2003 (so says my photo album folder date) owing to the increasing complexities of legally clearing multiple kids in Massachusetts DCF custody to go out of state on such trips. (MA offers little in the way of decent campgrounds that aren't noisy, RV campgrounds.)<br /><br />Now that virtual activities dominate younger folks' lives, the outdoors drop off seems to have accelerated.<br /><br />I got into a conversation with a 16 year old kid from at-risk circumstances that really made me raise an eyebrow 2 or so years ago. This kid liked the gardening and silverculture we were doing at the time at our residential school, and I happened to mention how I had gotten a free round trip ticket on Alaska Airlines a few years previously because I had surrendered my seat on another flight (I don't fly much so frequent flier miles don't add up for me.) Anyhow, when I had told him it was good for travel anywhere Alaska Air flew which was a good part of the continental US, Hawaii, Mexico, Canada, and of course, Alaska, I told him I went to Alaska and he snorted back, "Alaska!?! Why the hell would you want to go to Alaska?" <br /><br />There I was, talking to a teenager and he was telling me I was nuts for taking up the chance for a free trip to Alaska. Right then and there I knew, kids WERE MUCH DIFFERENT from kids when I was growing up. Out of all the crazy things these kids have said to me, that conversation has left me more dumbfounded than just about any of the others.<br /><br />FYI, what did I do in Alaska? I basically car-camped and day hiked as I was alone and solo backpacking in Denali, etc. didn't seem prudent.Stephen B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00746137367376861899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post-87096004265792420262012-07-30T18:28:29.559-07:002012-07-30T18:28:29.559-07:00Now that is an unhappy metric.Now that is an unhappy metric.A Quaker in a Strange Landhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15425198389944137571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235419263414453422.post-69229730592427058432012-07-30T16:44:23.555-07:002012-07-30T16:44:23.555-07:00I love the wilderness (especially the Mojave, Sono...I love the wilderness (especially the Mojave, Sonoran, and Great Basin Deserts and get there, as remotely as I can possibly be, every chance I get.<br /><br />But, not too worry. In the end, the natural world will prevail. We'll either learn to live within its ways or it will move on without us.King of the Roadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06841601144107400103noreply@blogger.com