4 ms·

The problem is that everyone is traveling to the exact same handful of hot spots. The world is massive, yet these people can't get creative enough to do somethi

The problem is that everyone is traveling to the exact same handful of hot spots. The world is massive, yet these people can't get creative enough to do something other than get that "iconic" picture of them holding up the Leaning Tower. You can see the same behavior reflected in the hiking culture here in Washington. There are thousands of unbelievable hikes, but a sunny weekend will see a mile-long section of cars at the parking lot for Stuart Lake / Colchuck Lake / The Enchantments, while other hikes throughout the state have no more than 3 or 4 cars.

notacoward 7y ago
New Hampshire used to have the same problem in the White Mountains. Mt. Washington, Mt. Lafayette, and a few others were being overwhelmed, while almost nobody went anywhere else. One thing that helped was the popularization of the 4,000-footer list. Many people who might otherwise have followed the crowds because they simply didn't know any better were instead spread out on 48 peaks all over the park, from north to south and east to west. My wife has completed the list, I have somewhere around (probably just short of) 40, our 15yo daughter has around 20. A lot of our friends and acquaintances are also consciously planning trips around the list. Obviously there's a lot more to making this work, but it does seem to help spread both the trail impact and the commercial impact on the towns in the area.
harimau777 7y ago
How would your average person go about identifying and arranging a trip to areas that would be meaningful to them but aren't popular?
- notacoward 7y ago
  You could do a lot worse than to contact one of your local hiking clubs/associations - I'm from the Northeast, but at first glance the Washington Trail Association seems similar in scope to the Appalachian Mountain Club with which I'm familiar. You should be able to find everything from simple trail lists/maps to classes to already-planned trips with trained leaders etc. It's a fantastic way to learn about the area, learn new skills, and meet people.

notacoward 7y ago

New Hampshire used to have the same problem in the White Mountains. Mt. Washington, Mt. Lafayette, and a few others were being overwhelmed, while almost nobody went anywhere else. One thing that helped was the popularization of the 4,000-footer list. Many people who might otherwise have followed the crowds because they simply didn't know any better were instead spread out on 48 peaks all over the park, from north to south and east to west. My wife has completed the list, I have somewhere around (probably just short of) 40, our 15yo daughter has around 20. A lot of our friends and acquaintances are also consciously planning trips around the list. Obviously there's a lot more to making this work, but it does seem to help spread both the trail impact and the commercial impact on the towns in the area.

harimau777 7y ago

How would your average person go about identifying and arranging a trip to areas that would be meaningful to them but aren't popular?

notacoward 7y ago
You could do a lot worse than to contact one of your local hiking clubs/associations - I'm from the Northeast, but at first glance the Washington Trail Association seems similar in scope to the Appalachian Mountain Club with which I'm familiar. You should be able to find everything from simple trail lists/maps to classes to already-planned trips with trained leaders etc. It's a fantastic way to learn about the area, learn new skills, and meet people.