Hiking ettiquette - is it dead?? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hiking ettiquette - is it dead??

Dave and Denise · RV-Dreams Family Member

I can't even begin to tell you what we experienced hiking in the Catskills last summer near Monticello, NY. It is a summer home area for a certain group of folks that live in NYC. Some of you will know what I am talking about. Trash everywhere and hiking groups of 20 - 30. All we could do is smile and be amused, otherwise we would have gone insane.

Neil and Connie · RV-Dreams Family Member

We see a lot more trash than we used to see…and a lot more unruly children who aren't being supervised (this one is a millennial parenting idea thing rather than a hiking thing)…but popular NPs have always had too many people on the trails. Folks who hike a lot generally are courteous but too many of them are amateurs who don't know about the rules, don't care to know about the rules, wouldn't follow them anyway, and think that rules are for everybody else.

I can't tell you the number of stupid people I've seen out past the "don't walk past here, you can fall off the cliff or waterfall or into the hot pool" signs…but we saw them back in the 70s too…although if memory serves correctly the percentage of self centered idiots has gone up along with the overall numbers.

On a broader basis…common courtesy these days isn't too common. Millennials (mostly) have no manners because they were brought up that way. Millennials parents…well, some of them taught courtesy and some didn't.

LarryW21 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Nothing new about bad walking/hiking manners. I once almost knocked a famous actress down when she and her group wanted the whole sidewalk. I moved to the curb, stopped and let her bang into me. Apparently she and her four wide group expected me to step into the gutter. One of her male escorts/friends decided he didn't want to tangle with my hard sided briefcase...or my bad attitude.

JanKen · RV-Dreams Family Member

Folks like that have karma coming to them..... Karma, spelled K-A-R-M-A and it's pronounced "ha ha dumb @ss! - Bet you can't do it again"

Hdrider · RV-Dreams Family Member

We had our worst experiences at Bryce and Zion and as bad as I hate to say it most of the offenders we non American's, not all but most (go ahead and bash me I don't care it's true). If you look at our blog and search Bryce & Zion you will see that Diane and I wanted to design a new tee-shirt showing how to share a trail in different languages LOL! I bet it would sell.

-- Edited by Hdrider on Tuesday 11th of April 2017 05:42:11 PM

Taildragger · RV-Dreams Community Member

Presently, we live less than a mile,from the AT in Georgia about 6 miles north of Springer so we have been on the trail a lot. This area is the most used part of the Southern end of the trail. We find most people courteous and considerate. However, being remote and away from large tourist areas most of our hikers are local college students or Atlanta area AT enthusiasts. The trail is well-maintained here and the people who use it are mostly experienced hikers.

I have been on more than one search and rescue, as a local volunteer firefighter. People are very grateful when we find them, treat their medical condition and take them off the mountain. Many have sent donations to our department in gratitude.

I am especially encouraged by the courtesy and respect shown by the trail users. While there are always idiots out there, most avid hikers are intelligent and appreciative of all the effort and expense through the years to make the Appalachian Trail what it is: America's Trail.

I guess it is all about location. Here in the rural South people are generally courteous and respectful; even those who migrated here from other places.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

There's an amazing difference hiking trails in the lesser visited national parks and monuments, or even the state parks, vs. the really popular parks. I think it just got to us this week when we were trying to hike Zion National Park, so we abandoned the hiking trails and rode our bike on the road that only the shuttle is allowed to drive on. Wow, what a difference! Much more peaceful way to see the park and yes, I could stop where and when I wanted for picture taking opportunities, vs. the shuttle stops!

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

Same people who:
Roll through stop signs
Stop in doorways to visit with friends
Don't pick up after their pets
Change lanes without signalling
Let their kids run around in a restaurant
Clip their toe nails on the plane
Use the 10 items or less checkout register with 15 items
Stop at the first pump instead of pulling forward to the last pump at the gas station
And many more....

It's their world and we live in it.

lonesomerider · RV-Dreams Community Member

I was in Yosemite at the beginning of September and it was absolutely a zoo, more than I ever remember the Valley being. Maybe it was cause it was post-holiday weekend, or maybe because there are simply more people in California (especially rich tourists - now that Silicon Valley has taken over the world) than when I was there as a kid. It was pretty terrible though. I will stay out of the Valley next time I'm there, at least during high season.

PrairieRV · RV-Dreams Family Member

As I get older, either people are just more rude . . . Or I've become one of those "get off my lawn" people!

PIEERE · RV-Dreams Family Member

PrairieRV wrote:
As I get older, either people are just more rude . . . Or I've become one of those "get off my lawn" people!

Agree Totally! I seen it the same way in Campgrounds! In the services industry we are told to be courteous to our customers no matter what they say or do. I think it is this way in most sectors in the last 25-30 years! I had personally been told: Rules are made to be broken.; I don't have to listen to your rules.; Etc.

The days of etiquette have vanished! I don't even think a 2X4 up aside their head would help! JMHO!

vannchan · RV-Dreams Family Member

PIEERE wrote:
PrairieRV wrote:
As I get older, either people are just more rude . . . Or I've become one of those "get off my lawn" people!

Agree Totally! I seen it the same way in Campgrounds! In the services industry we are told to be courteous to our customers no matter what they say or do. I think it is this way in most sectors in the last 25-30 years! I had personally been told: Rules are made to be broken.; I don't have to listen to your rules.; Etc.
The days of etiquette have vanished! I don't even think a 2X4 up aside their head would help! JMHO!

It might help relieve stress.

Team Murc · RV-Dreams Family Member

The one I hate the most is dog owners who pick up their dog wast in a plastic bag then drop it on the side of the trail with the intent to pick it up on their way out. Of coarse they NEVER do. And they wonder why more and more trails are being closed to dogs. Sheesh.
Rant over thank you!
Mike

TawannaPatee · RV-Dreams Community Member

I didn't visit Bryce and Zion national park for the last 6 years but before 6 years when I was there, the experience was outstanding. Especially I loved to spend sunset time there. I didn't follow any news about this national park after the visit.

Sushidog · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hdrider wrote:
We had our worst experiences at Bryce and Zion and as bad as I hate to say it most of the offenders we non American's, not all but most (go ahead and bash me I don't care it's true). If you look at our blog and search Bryce & Zion you will see that Diane and I wanted to design a new tee-shirt showing how to share a trail in different languages LOL! I bet it would sell.

-- Edited by Hdrider on Tuesday 11th of April 2017 05:42:11 PM

I just experienced the exact same thing at Bryce and Zion - and at the Grand Canyon too! I'm at Capitol Reef now and it's the same here. I think these foreign visitors don't know to walk on the right side of the trail, as I see them walking against traffic more than not, bumping people out of their way when those with the right of way are slow to yield - very rude! They will sneak up on a slower moving senior and pass on both sides at once, startling the senior (myself included) and they never yield to uphill traffic on a narrow trail, as one should, but instead try to physically intimidate the smaller, slower or older hiker.

I'd definitely buy one of those shirts! I don't know if it would do any good, as I suspect it's not entirely a knowledge issue, but a matter of manners as well.

Chip