forestnome said:
...I've never seen this overflow area. Is it visible from the trail? If there's a tent city situation along the trail, then I'd say it should be eliminated. Most legal camping areas are purposely not visible from the trail.
The overflow isn't really visible unless it's in use or you're looking for it. It's just a few beaten down areas off the trail. I've assumed that the AMC just took over the best of a bad lot of illegal campsites and began monitoring them and using them as overflow. What else would could they do with all the people they turn away when the area is full? Those people are gonna go somewhere. Might as well put them somewhere that's already been impacted that's close enough to monitor.
Which brings me to what's come to mind reading thru all the posts.
Picture a pristine Capital-W Wilderness Whites -- no tent platforms, no shelters, no huts. And no attendant caretakers. The same landscape exists, with key water sources at the springs and lakes, i.e., Lonesome, Eagle, Lakes of the Clouds, Liberty Spring, Guyot's spring, etc., etc. Where would backpackers camp? At the water sources. And what would these places look like without the constant attention they currently receive? Festering sores. That's what.
We can all profess to LNT 'til we're blue in the face, but I think the majority of people (oh, let's say, just for grins, all all of those sneaker-footed newbies that otherwise would be snug in the previously existing hut?
) would toss their tents right beside the water source --
"Oh look, Joey, what a pretty view. Just like the cover of the L.L. Bean catalog! Let's put our tent right here." Then add the usual de-forestation, fire ring, food scraps, trash, and toilet issues.
All of the currently used sites would be completely overused and abused. That's what unregulated areas look like. The most recent one I encountered was that exact kind of decimated horror show. A virtual scab. I'd hate to seen this happen all over the Whites if the AMC, RMC, USFS, etc. weren't regulating use and more so, stopping abuse.
For as much as we might all have our own personal pet peeves (and trust, me, as much as I'm playing devils advocate here, I've got my own) huts and campsites serve a valuable purpose in ensuring that constant attention is given to areas that would otherwise be trashed in short order.