High Sierra Topix

AlmostThere wrote:
The one that gets me -- "where do you camp at {backcountry area}?" I suppose some are from areas of the country where it's not dispersal wilderness camping, therefore have different expectations, but, still?

Gets me too. And yet, quoting a post from the OP in another thread dated July 7:

Fellow Members,

A new category "Camp Spots" has been added to the list of helpful categories at the top of the HST Map.

We would ask members to please help in building up this new feature, by indicate the exact locations of where you have camped in the Sierra, add GPS co-ordinates when possible, add a description of your route to the site if it is difficult to find, and indicate whether a tent (include make), tarp, hammock, or cowboy style camping methods were used.

Many times we have members requesting information about ideal spots to set-up camp, especially in remote locations, this new feature would be helpful to many in the planning phases of their trips.

Just because people want information doesn't mean it is wise or desirable to provide it. There is such a thing as too much information and I think it is directly tied to the loss of a sense of adventure in the Sierra.

I always camp over there, under the tree, next to the big rock, near the lake, where the big fish are. That's exactly the right amount of info I give out or need.

It'll be interesting to watch if this thread changes our advice pattern for those joining us here.

Sounds like you gals & guys are providing excellent reasons to hike solo. Meet-ups @ chosen remote locations can still provide social aspects, but everyone is free to do their own thing along the way. Sort of like a cat ... if you get my drift. You can't get much more of a perfect example than the recent HST meet-up. We must have set some kind of record from the sheer number of different THs, and planned and unplanned detours and alternate routes, used both coming and going,

Personally, I can't remember the last time I followed a plan. I go to some length to understand the nature of a given trip and keep careful track of my capabilities. The reason is because I don't know if I'll feel like really pushing it, laying back, hiking in the dark (morning or evening), etc, all in order to get some place or do some thing if the whimsy strikes me. Being limited due to some prior commitments, and then feeling aggravated about it seems like a recipe for disappointment & resentment.

Because I had to cut my first day short on the way to the HST meet-up, I needed to make up miles the next day if I was to have any chance of meeting with Jim. Of course, I could have always blown it off, but it was my choice to try and find him. No one made me do it, and there weren't any prizes if I succeeded or failed. If I didn't know the distance, my rate of hiking and the requirements needed the next day to turn around get up to the meet-up location, I would have been simply flying blind.

As it was, I knew every mile I was hiking downstream would have to be repeated to get back to the Colby trail. I knew I was hiking 3+mph, so I hiked for 1.5 hrs. I then waited, left a note and turned around and hiked for another 1.5 hrs back to Junction meadow. No one would know if I hadn't said anything, so I'm only relating this story to support the point that preparation and understanding of the environment allowed me to make this decision on the fly. It's all ying & yang - go in prepared & ready, but be open to changes to accommodate events as they happen.

It's not just about solo, unless you want to go that way. A trusted like-minded friend works out just as well.

Totally agree with your go in prepared and be open to changes comment.

To play a bit of devil's advocate, we do have many less experienced backpackers on this site. The intel given can help them become more confident as they grow their skills to a point where they don't have to ask the best way to get here or there or the best place to camp. We often advise that people hone their skills and not rely on technology, and insist on gaining an understanding of a person's experience before giving advice.

When you've done it for many seasons, you learn the way of the land. You know that proper planning prevents piss poor performance, but are not tied to every step you've planned. I plan a lot because it is part of the excitement, but when I'm out there, I go with the flow. It is because I've done it for many years, most of it without the benefit of the internet or advice from those who have been there, that I'm comfortable figuring out how I will get from one place to another based on the lay of the land.

I think the best that we can do is to educate those who ask what we see as silly and unadventurous questions so they may learn the "spirit of adventure" in a place they are currently unfamiliar with and lacking in the confidence of their skill set. In time, those who ask will hopefully understand through future experience that not getting to a planned destination is not the end of the world and that places to pitch your tent abound and that mosquitoes don't drink THAT much blood, however annoying.

balzaccom wrote:

Amen, brother!

That's, Amen, sister!

Jim wrote:

To play a bit of devil's advocate

Warren wrote:

Just because people want information doesn't mean it is wise or desirable to provide it. There is such a thing as too much information and I think it is directly tied to the loss of a sense of adventure in the Sierra.

Many times we have people inquiring about where they should, or can camp along a particular route, in some cases, like Ionian Basin, being aware of the locations of some of these campsites can be helpful, since finding spots in Ionian is hard enough, and if it is your first time in the Basin, and you need to set-up quickly because of a thunderstorm, or injury, this knowledge can be helpful in those cases.
I definitely was not advocating that we put markers all along Bubb's Creek, the JMT, or any other trailed section.

And yes, I agree about this contributing to the loss of the adventure spirit, but at this moment, things are the way they are, and I do not see them changing anytime in the near future.

I guess the real question here is, how do we regain the spirit of adventure, or more importantly, those of use who do have it, pass it on to fellow backpackers, and the next generation.

Usually folks with less experience looking for reassurance will want the very specific information. Possibly also those with a legalistic bent - it was an eye opener to hike in Nevada, where they make California sound like a police state.

Newbies need grooming. Better us than the lousy "friends" who took two first timers on a thru in the Rubies and left them to exit at a remote trailhead to hopefully hitch back to their car.

Adventure with others is totally possible with the right people. Finding them is often as much torment as finding the right spouse, but it is worth it.

(Yes, I am a sister. [emoji108])

Finding them is often as much torment as finding the right spouse

Torment or thrill.