Do "cool" route names cause crowding?

[bigpiney]

I have always wanted to hike Hell For Sure pass just because of the name. So I guess I fall into that category of people who like the cool names.

[rlown]

Trip #1: (starting location) (ending location) 1 picture, trout comment: maybe; scenic: one picture. probably more boring that what WD is putting together.

Guide books were all we had pre-internet. that hasn't gone away. It's tactile, even if it only had B&W pics.

[Wandering Daisy]

Markskor- I am not sure I agree- I keep thinking of "Circle of Solitude" - it is a really cool name! I do think this adds to people's desire to do it. High Sierra Trail - I have done it and I think there actually are better variations, but this is the trail that everyone wants to do.

The Wind Rivers are a bit different than the Sierra. For one, there are few nearby population centers. Salt Lake City is the only one. What surprised me is that most backpackers who buy my book are from the mid-west or east coast. I go into the Wind every other year, and I have not seen a lot of increased use. But I did run into several groups this summer who were doing one of the "high routes" that are on the internet. So I think these are going to be used more in the future. As for fishing, the WInd Rivers are very actively stocked by G&F and Federal Fish and Wildlife. In spite of the range being a thrid of the size of the Sierra, there are more lakes. I suspect that there are more fishermen in the Wind Rivers than backpackers who do not fish. There is no permit or quota system, except for commercial use. Grizzlies and wolves aslo keep out the faint of heart. Weather too is more gnarly than the Sierra.

The problem with the Sierra is that it is so accessible, such fine weather, so amazing, actually too easy. A lot of pay-back for the amount of effort. I purposely did not do a guide for the Sierra although I am about as familiar with the Sierra as the Wind Rivers. The last thing the Sierra needs is another guidebook.

I had many requests for a "thru-route" in the update. I did three rather than one, simply to spread out the use. There are currently two "high routes" out on the internet, with GPS tracks, so I doubt my three will garner much interest. By the way, I think the two existing "high routes" are far from well researched routes - actually, in my opinion, far from the best route possible. But the GPS track really sells the routes regardless of quality.

Google Earth has also been a big factor in "advertising" wilderness areas. I love Google Earth -what a great way to dream away a winter's afternoon. Maintaining Wilderness in the information age is a challenge.

[longri]

I can't help but wonder how much a catchy name really matters. Alta Via #1 -- is that a cool name? It's numbered, but it's extremely popular because it's really good. It's not as if "Roper High Route" is such a great name either. But it's a good route. People figure that out and start spreading the word, starting with Mr. Roper himself.

An argument could be made that not publishing a route description is the place to head off crowding of off-trail routes. I know of a website that has that as an enforced policy. Steve Roper wrote about agonizing over this issue in his book. But now that we're firmly in the internet age -- where everybody is a publisher -- it's too late. If a route is good and reasonably accessible somebody is going to write a TR with 50 photos, map and profile and put it on their blog.

[Wandering Daisy]

Having done many parts of Roper's route in pieces over a long time period, what I really noticed when I actually did the route as a thru-hike in 2010 was that so many cairns had been put up. In retrospect I wish I had kicked them all down. In a way, a GPS track is the ultimate cairn. Written descriptions for off-trail routes are pretty general. You simply cannot describe in detail every 100 yards.

Here is a GPS track story. In 2014, a friend and I were doing a route that first was mentioned in the very old Bonney's Guide to the Wind Rivers - a pre-1970's version now out-of-print . Not much said about it since. Well, some hiker evidently turned in a GPS track and it ended up on Google Maps as a trail. I saw this and thought, what a bunch of bull -I was 99.9% sure there was no trail down that drainage. One reason I did the route was to see if this was the case.

We were sitting in camp, at 5pm, after a hard day's travel down this canyon (from the upper large lake) that is similar to Enchanted Gorge. The canyon itself is a hanging valley. We were camped at the lip, saving the gnarly 2000-foot bushwhack to the CDT for the next morning. Two young fellows come walking up, fishing rods in hand, asking us "where is the trail?". They were sure there was a trail because it was on Google Maps. It had taken them all day to get to us. Honestly, the last thing in the world we expected to see were other backpackers. They saw the "Trail" on Google Maps, and saw the very large lake at the headwaters, and were sure they could walk up a trail and catch a lunker. Well, the lake is glacial fed, rocky, a wind tunnel, and as far as I know, barren. They went on their way, still convinced we just "missed the trail" and that they were going to catch a lunker. And that they could make it up the rest of the canyon by dark. They only had 2 days food. To this day, I still have no idea what happened to them. In this case, their being in that draiange was totaly a result of the GPS track. I stilll get a big chuckle out of it.

[Wandering Daisy]

And, yes, that route is in my updated guide! It has enough photos and description that most will decide not to do it.

[Tom_H]

I agree with keeping the name generic; simple accuracy is better. An author can describe the qualities in the text and give ratings of the route as desired.

Let me take the opportunity to promote WD's book. I have a copy and it is simply the most accurate and professionally produced backcountry guidebook that I have ever seen.

[Wandering Daisy]

Thank you Tom.

By the way, the one "cool" "catchy" route name in my guide is "Five Nights in Five Cirques". Not so much that I wanted a cool name, but by the time I got all five geographical locations written into the title, it did not fit on one line!

The Sierra suffers from abundance of "cool" and recognizable land feature names too. Enchanted Gorge! It certainly fooled me! Palisades. Another cool name that does live up to its name. Devils Postpile. How interesting! Desolation Wilderness. And Yosemite anything - instant recognition. So many well recognised historical people now have names on the peaks and creeks. In addition, three National Parks within the range really amp up the use.

The Sierra itself suffers from too much publicity, starting with the writings of John Muir. And we in this form unwittingly add to the popularity, including my trip reports. I am not saying that is bad. It does verify the need and wisdom of a permit system. I do feel that some of the new users lack a wilderness ethic or an understanding of what wilderness is. Many newcomers simply use the Sierrra as the venue for their athletic or social activities. That concerns me.

The Wind Rivers have some of the most uncreative, mundane geographical names I have seen. Rather than actually naming features, geographical defaults were used - West Fork, East Fork, New Fork, blah, blah. Green River, Willow Lake, Sand Creek. And the historical names are not as well known outside of local circles. The two biggies- Cirque of the Towers and Titcomb Basin do have cool names. These are where everyone goes! But the biggest factor that keeps the Wind Rivers less used, is its northern neighbors - the Grand Teton and Yellowstone NP. Now there is a "cool" name! And instant recognition. Although the Continental Divide Trail, one of the big 3 Triple Crown trails goes through, it actually only skirts the edge of the range so has less impact than the PCT. CDT hikers fly through this section in 5-6 days! There are plenty of guidebooks for the Wind Rivers, yet, use is still pretty low. I suspect that the more information that gets on the internet, the more use will result.

[dave54]

...
The Wind Rivers have some of the most uncreative, mundane geographical names I have seen. Rather than actually naming features, geographical defaults were used - West Fork, East Fork, New Fork, blah, blah...

There is one spot in Lassen NF you can stand, and by simply twisting your head see three Black Buttes. Two different Blue Lakes only a few miles apart. Same for Clear Creek and Pine Creek, Snow Mountain, Sugarloaf, et al.

OTOH -- Cement Panther Creek has a nice backstory, as does JimJam Ridge.

[AlmostThere]

I have always wanted to hike Hell For Sure pass just because of the name. So I guess I fall into that category of people who like the cool names.

It's a pretty pass, but not a really high or difficult one. It's hard to find the trail junction on the Goddard Canyon side. From the west it's easier to find the trail but it is a long uphill pull to get there from Post Corral. I'm sure that climb is why the name -- someone who decided to do it in one day without stopping at one of the gorgeous spots along the way probably hated that climb. It's not a cool name, tho.

How many things named after the devil are there? I've lost count. Devil's Bathtub is anything but. Gorgeous lake. None of those things is particularly hellish or devil-like. How peculiar that we'll call it God's Country but then stick hell or devil on features in it.

Accurate names -- that's a different story. The John Manure Trail, reflecting the long pack trains that travel it, and all the piles they leave, for example. Or the John Muir Freeway -- one hiker after the next, hiking day and night. Funnily enough, Theodore Solomons should get the credit for the JMT - instead his route is the lower elevation, less scenic one, wandering along with sections of the trail falling into hideous states of disrepair thanks to absolutely no budget for maintenance and a dearth of volunteers for the hard working trail crews that attempt to hold back the ravages of time.