Trail Etiquette - How to Politely Deter unwanted "third whee

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rlown
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Re: Trail Etiquette - How to Politely Deter unwanted "third whee

Post by rlown »

should spin the last two posts off to their own thread. You want a 2nd or third wheel.
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Re: Trail Etiquette - How to Politely Deter unwanted "third whee

Post by jmtorbust »

Thanks for the advice, Maverick. I am reassured to hear it. I think I will go one way or the other and figure it out on trail. I may also put up a post on this forum or the JMT yahoo group to see if anyone wants to join. If either of my current partners bail, I still have two spots on my permit reservation. At this point, I think it's a good place to be :)

Rlown: I am not actively seeking a hiking partner at this time. My question was directed at tapping into this conversation regarding whether people are social on the trail. If I decide to seek a partner for my quest, I will start a fresh thread. Also, if I need to start a separate thread to inquire as to the social aspect of hiking, please let me know and I will do so. I thought this might be considered on-topic since it was directed at the issue of meeting strangers on the trail.

-Rob
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rlown
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Re: Trail Etiquette - How to Politely Deter unwanted "third whee

Post by rlown »

start a new thread.

russ
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Re: Trail Etiquette - How to Politely Deter unwanted "third whee

Post by DAVELA »

austex wrote:R.C.going into someone's camp is like following someone into the bathroom to continue a conversation while you s#*+.
i had a guy at a volunteer thing who wanted to shake my hand ....at the urinal....gross.

i solo hike mostly ...I like to yack at the th or after a long hike or during a break when someone shows up....as for hiking in groups,its ok and ive only done it a few times but i totally forget the scenery and its more of a social experience...i like hiking with my dad cuz he doesnt like to talk much either while taking in the scene....what i would like is to go with another person to the sierra so we can share gas,chat during driving and then once at th split and each go solo and then meet back at parking lot for drive home.
http://www.suwa.org/protect-greater-canyonlands" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Clubb
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Re: Trail Etiquette - How to Politely Deter unwanted "third whee

Post by Clubb »

Interesting thread..............Being a fly fishing fanatic who loves the backcountry, I may have a different take than some on here. My backcountry excursions always involve fishing opportunities.

First of all, I've never experienced the 3rd wheel thing. Although I prolly dont spend as much time in the backcountry as a lot of you. I spend more time chasin trout at lower elevations.

As far as seeing others in the backcountry, I dont wanna see tons of people, but if they're not fishing (which I've found most in the Sierras arent) then no worries.

I've had some of the best trout fishing of my life while basically casting from the PCT while dozens of people passed and basically paid me no mind. It blows my mind that such killer fishing can be had along such a heavily used trail. Killer camping spots, that see little traffic, can be found a few hundred yards from the same area.

Funny, when I moved down here from Oregon 9 years ago, the proximity to big areas of human population in California concerned me. I'm from eastern OR where you pretty much just "go up in the woods" when you wanna go up in the woods.........Then I looked into the quota system, usage, etc, which didnt seem ideal.......but I've found the reality is its very easy to gain solitude even in high use areas of the Sierra...........Its all about perspective I guess.
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Re: Trail Etiquette - How to Politely Deter unwanted "third whee

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Davela- you just have to find a non-talker! And when walking on the trail with someone, I like to be spread out but still within eye sight. Get out of ear shot and you do not have to worry about the talking. I do not know why anyone would want to spend a trip looking at someone's behind. Yet this is how I see many backpackers going down the trail - all lined up not more than 5-10 feet apart. Beats me why they do that.
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Re: Trail Etiquette - How to Politely Deter unwanted "third whee

Post by dave54 »

Similar topic over on rv.net


http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fusea ... ging/1.cfm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is all public land and anyone can camp wherever they want. However, some backcountry ethics and courtesy should apply when another party arrives at the same place you have already set up camp. And vice versa.
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Re: Trail Etiquette - How to Politely Deter unwanted "third whee

Post by baddog »

Funny how we all feel that we should be able to enjoy the great outdoors alone and unaccosted. Like in most social situations, most people can read the "signs" and act appropriately. Sometimes it pays not to overthink encounters on the trail, it is what it is and I'm the first one that needs to take his own advise.

I picked up a tag-a-long just once. She was blond, beautiful and very talkative. I decided I could deal with it:)
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Re: Trail Etiquette - How to Politely Deter unwanted "third whee

Post by oleander »

There is yet another angle to this:

I have a lot of different hiking partners. (Rarely go solo.) But each hiking partner is unique in his/her desire to interact with other parties that we meet. I try to play my part to be "good hiking partner" by being sensitive to what it is my partner wants to experience.

On one extreme of the spectrum, I have a friend who prefers that absolutely no information about us gets imparted to anyone we happen to talk to. She just feels safer if no one knows our names, our hometowns, and particularly, where we intend to camp that night. So when hiking with her, I respect her wish and do not share that info (except, sometimes, my name) with people we meet. I also respect her wish to camp as far away as possible from other campers at any given lake. (To the point of entertaining long searches for remote benches - that always end up with long and awkward water-carries.) Her extreme caution is not a sign of "new backpackerhood." She's been packing for more than 20 years - solo or with others - and still feels this way.

When it's up to me alone (or copacetic with a given hiking partner), I actually feel safer if I meet people who find out my name, my destination, my various plans. If something goes awry, the rangers are more likely to find someone who has a more recent and colorful "last seen at..." for me. I also find that the more I interact with people, the more we can exchange very useful recon information on hiking conditions, passes, weather forecasts, bears, most excellent secret campsites, etc.

However, I don't force that experience on my hiking partners, such as my ultra-cautious friend. And following people on their hike, being Chatty Cathy, and camping in the same location - that is a whole new level of intrusion.

- Elizabeth
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Re: Trail Etiquette - How to Politely Deter unwanted "third whee

Post by EpicSteve »

Tagging along with other hikers on the trail when they haven't specifically invited you to do so? Following them to their campsite even? What are these people thinking?!

I haven't really had this problem, but I generally avoid busy trails and do a lot of XC hiking. Roughly 70% of my hikes are solo and since I value my solitude, I try not to spoil it for others. On rare occasions the topography forces me to camp near other people, but otherwise, I go well out of my way to avoid them. If I'm hiking off trail and I see another party, I try to get out of sight before they see me, if possible. Not so much because I don't want to talk to them (after all, my illusion of isolation was already shattered as soon as I realized they were there) but to at least preserve THEIR illusion - why ruin it for both of us? But if they've already seen me, I just try to take my cues from them.

Expecting solitude on the JMT / PCT is a bit unrealistic, IMHO. I figure you may as well just be friendly because the chances of not seeing other hikers are practically nil. The trail may pass through the wilderness, but the trail itself is a social network, in a sense. Either way, I try to be sensitive to other hikers’ desires and apparently most of us in this thread agree on that last part.

Sometimes I don’t want to talk to other hikers simply because I’m breathing hard and trying to make time. I often time myself between various landmarks and use athletic competition against myself as motivation. If I’m in that mode and I sense that a hiker up ahead wants to talk, I look at my watch very pointedly, breathe extra loudly and make very deliberate, authoritative plants with my trekking poles. Then I nod, make brief eye contact and then immediately avert my eyes to the trail. This nearly always works.

However, when I do hike with a partner, it's because I actually LIKE that person and want to spend time with him or her. So, to address Wandering Daisy’s puzzlement over why hikers follow each other ten feet apart…

If I’m hiking with my best friend, we both want to be able to stop at any given moment and say something like: “Wow! Look through that little opening in the trees. Do you see that sharp spire in the distance with the waterfall on the left side? Yeah, isn’t that awesome?!” Sharing those moments deepens our friendship and the fact that my parents and I shared so many of those moments over the years is a huge part of why I love hiking now. I never would’ve developed the confidence to enjoy solo hiking off trail if it hadn’t been for that more social and supportive style of hiking. Plus, if I’m going to have to worry about why my partner still hasn’t shown up in camp 30 minutes after I got there, I’d rather just go solo. I don’t understand the point of hiking “with somebody” and then hiking a mile apart. But again, to each their own.
“I don’t deny that there can be an element of escapism in mountaineering, but this should never overshadow its real essence, which is not escape but victory over your own human frailty.”

- Walter Bonatti
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