Just returned from my first-ever solo ...
Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 5:06 pm
and don't want anyone to think that I'm complaining, because the trip was superlative in almost every way. But I encountered something that surprised me, and I'm wondering why it is allowed.
My trip started at the Ten Lakes trailhead: First night at Grant Lakes, second at the easternmost of the Ten Lakes, third on the eastern shoulder of Tuolumne Peak, the last at Polly Dome Lakes, and then out Murphy Creek trail.
Weather was perfect ... actually warmer than it is at home where we live in the mountains. No bugs at all. No bears. Lots of other wildlife. Meeting wonderful people on the trail. And it turns out I really, really enjoy going solo.
But, here's the thing. During the trip I, and most everyone else up there that I talked to during those five days, encountered three large groups of teenage girls all from a San Francisco private high school. These weren't just your typical 2 to 5 people going backpacking together. These were 15-20 girls in each group headed by one adult male and female.
The first group I met was on the trail to Grant Lakes, my first destination. They were coming out. The same thing happened at Polly Dome Lakes. Another group was just leaving as I was arriving there ... literally. I came upon their campsite as they were shouldering packs to leave.
Unfortunately, I didn't get so lucky on my third night up on the shoulder of Tuolumne Peak. I don't know if you know the spot, but there's a little clearing on a nose of the shoulder (bad anatomy, I know ) that overlooks the whole world just before the trail begins to switchback east down into the forest to head south and connect up with the May Lake, Glen Aulin or Murphy Creek trails.
This was one gorgeous camp site. It was waterless, but I planned for it and loaded up before I got there. I swear that I could see virtually every important peak in Yosemite from there. And, besides, I was all alone. It was dead silent, private, beautiful.
Then, later than evening a gaggle of girls came stomping down the trail heading in my direction. They were whooping and hollering, all shouting at the top of their lungs. They stopped about 50 yards above me, around a bend and began to set up camp ... which was one noisy undertaking.
I was thinking that things would quiet down as night came on, but the noise ramped up. I was treated to a chorus of badly sung rap songs (which they had all memorized the words perfectly ... makes me wonder about today's youth), shouting back and forth, screams. Everything that you would think of whenever 15-20 teenage girls get together, mostly apparently unsupervised. In other words, noisy.
This went on until maybe 9 pm. I'm not sure, at that point my brain was cauterized by bad rap. And they finally settled down for sleep.
I was on the trail at 7:15 the next morning, so they never knew I was there. I had talked to other hikers during my five days, and the common theme was that wherever they encountered these three groups in camp they were treated to the same raucous behavior.
All of this is to introduce a topic concerning the appropriateness of groups like that visiting the high country. When things are so strict these days with so many other rules, why do the authorities allow an invasion like this to happen? I understand that Sierra Group trips can get a little crowded. But, I'd have to assume that they observe proper decorum the whole time in order to preserve the wilderness experience for everybody ... in their group, and with people who they encounter.
But, this was something different.
Does anybody have any thoughts on this? Ever had it happen to you? What can, or should be, done about it?
Dave
My trip started at the Ten Lakes trailhead: First night at Grant Lakes, second at the easternmost of the Ten Lakes, third on the eastern shoulder of Tuolumne Peak, the last at Polly Dome Lakes, and then out Murphy Creek trail.
Weather was perfect ... actually warmer than it is at home where we live in the mountains. No bugs at all. No bears. Lots of other wildlife. Meeting wonderful people on the trail. And it turns out I really, really enjoy going solo.
But, here's the thing. During the trip I, and most everyone else up there that I talked to during those five days, encountered three large groups of teenage girls all from a San Francisco private high school. These weren't just your typical 2 to 5 people going backpacking together. These were 15-20 girls in each group headed by one adult male and female.
The first group I met was on the trail to Grant Lakes, my first destination. They were coming out. The same thing happened at Polly Dome Lakes. Another group was just leaving as I was arriving there ... literally. I came upon their campsite as they were shouldering packs to leave.
Unfortunately, I didn't get so lucky on my third night up on the shoulder of Tuolumne Peak. I don't know if you know the spot, but there's a little clearing on a nose of the shoulder (bad anatomy, I know ) that overlooks the whole world just before the trail begins to switchback east down into the forest to head south and connect up with the May Lake, Glen Aulin or Murphy Creek trails.
This was one gorgeous camp site. It was waterless, but I planned for it and loaded up before I got there. I swear that I could see virtually every important peak in Yosemite from there. And, besides, I was all alone. It was dead silent, private, beautiful.
Then, later than evening a gaggle of girls came stomping down the trail heading in my direction. They were whooping and hollering, all shouting at the top of their lungs. They stopped about 50 yards above me, around a bend and began to set up camp ... which was one noisy undertaking.
I was thinking that things would quiet down as night came on, but the noise ramped up. I was treated to a chorus of badly sung rap songs (which they had all memorized the words perfectly ... makes me wonder about today's youth), shouting back and forth, screams. Everything that you would think of whenever 15-20 teenage girls get together, mostly apparently unsupervised. In other words, noisy.
This went on until maybe 9 pm. I'm not sure, at that point my brain was cauterized by bad rap. And they finally settled down for sleep.
I was on the trail at 7:15 the next morning, so they never knew I was there. I had talked to other hikers during my five days, and the common theme was that wherever they encountered these three groups in camp they were treated to the same raucous behavior.
All of this is to introduce a topic concerning the appropriateness of groups like that visiting the high country. When things are so strict these days with so many other rules, why do the authorities allow an invasion like this to happen? I understand that Sierra Group trips can get a little crowded. But, I'd have to assume that they observe proper decorum the whole time in order to preserve the wilderness experience for everybody ... in their group, and with people who they encounter.
But, this was something different.
Does anybody have any thoughts on this? Ever had it happen to you? What can, or should be, done about it?
Dave