4 ms·

Looks like it is was a fairly popular term, with strong growth by the late 90s. https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?year_start=1800&year_end=2008&corpus=15&s

Looks like it is was a fairly popular term, with strong growth by the late 90s. https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?year_start=1800&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=7&case_insensitive=on&content=backcountry&direct_url=t4%3B%2Cbackcountry%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bbackcountry%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBackcountry%3B%2Cc0 https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?year_start=1800&year_e...

ghaff 7y ago
I suspect the causal direction is that there was an increase in the outdoor recreation "industry" around that time which, among other things, drove an increase in the "backcountry" term. Making that word an obvious (if not SEO optimized because people weren't thinking in those terms in 1996) choice for a new-fangled e-commerce site thingie catering to that market.
- ISL 7y ago
  Angostura's suggestion is a good one, that will allow us to test ghaff's conjecture: https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=ski+touring%2Cbackcountry%2C+hiking&case_insensitive=on&year_start=1800&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=7&share=&direct_url=t4%3B%2Cski%20touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bski%20touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSki%20Touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSki%20touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSKI%20TOURING%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cbackcountry%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bbackcountry%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBackcountry%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Chiking%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bhiking%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BHiking%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BHIKING%3B%2Cc0#t4%3B%2Cski%20touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bski%20touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSki%20Touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSki%20touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSKI%20TOURING%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cbackcountry%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bbackcountry%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBackcountry%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Chiking%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bhiking%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BHiking%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BHIKING%3B%2Cc0 https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=ski+touring%2C... The establishment of Backcountry Access in 1994 would also seem to a compelling countervailing argument against my recollection.

ghaff 7y ago

I suspect the causal direction is that there was an increase in the outdoor recreation "industry" around that time which, among other things, drove an increase in the "backcountry" term. Making that word an obvious (if not SEO optimized because people weren't thinking in those terms in 1996) choice for a new-fangled e-commerce site thingie catering to that market.

ISL 7y ago
Angostura's suggestion is a good one, that will allow us to test ghaff's conjecture: https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=ski+touring%2Cbackcountry%2C+hiking&case_insensitive=on&year_start=1800&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=7&share=&direct_url=t4%3B%2Cski%20touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bski%20touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSki%20Touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSki%20touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSKI%20TOURING%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cbackcountry%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bbackcountry%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBackcountry%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Chiking%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bhiking%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BHiking%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BHIKING%3B%2Cc0#t4%3B%2Cski%20touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bski%20touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSki%20Touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSki%20touring%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BSKI%20TOURING%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cbackcountry%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bbackcountry%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BBackcountry%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Chiking%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bhiking%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BHiking%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BHIKING%3B%2Cc0 https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=ski+touring%2C... The establishment of Backcountry Access in 1994 would also seem to a compelling countervailing argument against my recollection.