The biggest problem I’ve seen in my years of hiking has to do with the culture of hiking. Yes, climbers are a problem! The level of fitness is unmatched. I think people believe they are superior because they are doing something very difficult and physically demanding. The truth is, we choose to live that life. No one owes us rewards, more respect OR help.
I often see climbers all but looking for help from the general public. For example, climbers are sometimes seen bragging about how they can eat “Yogi” from people. It refers to Yogi Bear stealing picnic baskets. If you ask me, running out of food due to poor planning is nothing to brag about. Sometimes, climbers, like Yogi Bear, tend to overestimate their intelligence.
Taking advantage of the angels trail
If you cannot walk without the help and generosity of others, you have no right to exploit those people who need you badly. We have recently heard stories of gay people having sex in the back of the truck of the person who picked them up while they were hiking.
I myself There is an emergency for them to get a ride. This behavior is unacceptable.
Suffering does not equal merit
Mountaineers often struggle along the trail. Walking for weeks and months on end, takes it out of you. Because of this, hikers often feel like they can’t park where they shouldn’t, take free food they don’t need and treat people a certain way. Yes walking is hard but your suffering does not give you the right to do wrong things.
There are so many examples of mountaineers taking advantage of other people’s circumstances, often bragging about it. Instead, let’s focus on what we as climbers can do to prevent this privilege. If you find the magic of the trail, only take your share, we are all hungry and hungry but if you know there are only two cases of soda and 40 hikers behind you within 20 miles, just take one. Basically just take one of everything unless your guardian angels insist you take more!
We can all do our part
I’m not trying to get on my high horse here, I know I’ve made mistakes like these at times. I try my best to be more considerate, and even more to ignore the bad behavior of tourists. Even with this in mind, I still see ways I can improve and not expect things from anyone, but just be more grateful when things are given.
I didn’t know the law: a hiker has the right of way when I started hiking, I thought it was the other way around. Please stay out of the way of hikers. I know that some pedestrians do not believe that pedestrians should surrender to them no matter what, and that is wrong. Paths are for all people, and it may be, the day you walk that path is local and you are not and remember, you are a guest in every space we encounter.
I also used to enjoy giving little critters and birds my granola and snacks, but the more I learned about wildlife safety, the more I realized it was actually worse for them. Stop feeding any wildlife, hiking can sometimes feel like a party with friends but remember, we are in the great wilderness first and foremost.
Let me help you
On the PCT, I had a catastrophic shoe failure. I tried driving across town to find a place to send new hiking shoes. When I called the small bed and breakfast, just as I said I was riding the PCT, the woman on the other line hung up. He got very angry with me and told me that they don’t allow hikers to stay in their hotel and when I tried to reason with him, he hung up on me. I was already very depressed about my shoe situation and I was in tears when I got off the phone. I felt discriminated against for a crazy reason: being a hiker. Although I still feel that the woman is wrong, I can only imagine what a crazy and inconsiderate thing many climbers have done to make that business feel empowered by that.
Here are some of the bad things that climbers do in hotel rooms: leaving piles and piles of their own rubbish in their rooms. You should find a place to dump the garbage or a better place to dump it, if there is none, at least, break all your boxes and leave the garbage in clean bags near the door. One traveler I knew came out of the shower with very dirty feet, there were brown foot prints on their white hotel floor mats. Some hikers use a continental breakfast as a way to recover and take too many muffins and such in excess. Some climbers wash them in the bathtub which is sometimes necessary, but leaving all your smelly climbing clothes to dry, including dirty brown socks and underwear on the front porch, in the eyes and path of other hotel guests is not good.
If all climbers treated people and businesses as if they were friends and family, we would all be better off. If so, I don’t think a nice little B&B will turn away hikers, so let me help you out so we can all have a good time.
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