Why is it…?

[Grumpy]

My "Why is it?" is ...

... that people seem to spend a lot of time and energy airing or fuming and fussing over silly complaints when they could just endure the little inconveniences and irksome stuff and get on as best they can with the business at hand -- their own lives?

It's like when in response to a simple query somebody spends several minutes telling why they can't deal with that question now, when he/she could have provided the simple "yes" or "no" in one quick, seconds-long breath. What a waste. C'mon, folks. Life is too short to whine it away. Or to go looking for offense. Time to lighten up.

That said, I get irked at a lot of the behaviors people have posted about here.

But I think to complain about them here is like preaching to the choir. You'll get a lot of "amen, Brother (or Sister)" responses, but the folks who need conversion are pretty well out of reach.

I just try be minimally irksome to others, myself, by practicing old fashion decent manners when I'm out hiking. It's the best I can do.

G.

 

[adkpooh]

Not exactly my beef.

I wish that were my problem. Unfortunately, I am not exactly a power hiker especially when climbing the High Peaks. Usually, when I hear hikers coming up behind me...I hop on a rock or log and let the others pass if at all possible. (I can't stand others hiking behind me!! That is entirely my issue/problem.) Sometimes it is a wonder that we ever make it to our destination! On busier trails- Giant or Algonquin..... I am constantly letting others pass who are a heck of alot faster.... apologizing the entire time.

When this happens on the trail....I always think of how Everest jams up and the problems it causes...getting the slower moving object out of the way just boils down to good etiquette.

** Off Topic....Here is a question....and I have never had a solid answer. Who has right of way? The downhill hiker or the uphill hiker? If two opposing hikers approach a narrow bit of trail.... who goes first? My feeling is that the hiker with the toughest terrain just beyond in their path should have right of way....otherwise the downhill hiker should have the opportunity to clear through. Not even sure why I am curious... I let everyone pass!

 

[Grumpy]

... ** Off Topic....Here is a question....and I have never had a solid answer. Who has right of way? The downhill hiker or the uphill hiker? If two opposing hikers approach a narrow bit of trail.... who goes first? My feeling is that the hiker with the toughest terrain just beyond in their path should have right of way....otherwise the downhill hiker should have the opportunity to clear through. Not even sure why I am curious... I let everyone pass!

Traditionally, the ascending party has right-of-way. That keeps it simple.

G.

 

[forestgnome]

I experience what Carole describes all the time. I actually strategize for these encounters, whether, they are resting or just hiking slower. I always hear groups before they see me. I rest a moment in anticipation of a "sprint", then just hike a normal pace until they see me. That's when I kick it in and shoot through. Usually, if the group is hiking I wait until I'm a few feet behind them and say hello. Luckily, I'm able to hike quite fast so there's no problem making them disappear, but this won't always be the case.

My "why is it" is all the tp wads a few feet off the trail. They can hike a mountain but they can't dig a little hole and bury it. It's disgusting and disrespectful to others and to nature. I bury them every time I hike, and it doesn't ruin my day. It gives me a sense of belonging, being the caretaker.

happy trails

 

[Tom Rankin]

Traditionally, the ascending party has right-of-way. That keeps it simple.

G.

Oh no! Here we go again! This was discussed to death a while back, and there really was no consensus, it was pretty much a tie between 'up yields' and 'down yields'. Search for yourself...

 

[dvbl]

...On busier trails- Giant or Algonquin..... I am constantly letting others pass who are a heck of alot faster.... apologizing the entire time...

NEVER EVER EVER EVER apologize for this. Slower hikers have every bit as much right to be on the trail as faster hikers. As long as you're courteous and let the faster hikers pass, you're fine.

 

[giggy]

The complaints about dogs, perfume, hiking speeds, leaf peepers, city folks, loud people, peakbaggers, people not getting out of the way, what people are wearing or not wearing on a summer day.......

give me a break.....

the uptightness here is ridiculous - consider yourselves lucky you have the health to get out there at all.

if hiking "behavior" of others bothers you people so much - just stay home or go to a trail where you will be alone.

 

[SkierSteve]

I usually consider the amount of traffic I'm likely to encounter on a given trail before heading out. I think my best tactic is to get out real early in the AM. Most of the traffic I see is up-hikers when I'm headed down and I'm only to glad to step aside and let them by with a smile.
I made the mistake once of asking two younger guys to not stand on the trailside plants on the Fran. Ridge. Never again, some folks just don't take it well. I also won't ask slower up-hikers to let me by. I just get right behind them until they get the point. There are too many people out there with a chip on their shoulder and even a frosty verbal exchange isn't what I'm looking for. I get my fill of tension driving around Mass and RI.

 

[skiguy]

The complaints about dogs, perfume, hiking speeds, leaf peepers, city folks, loud people, peakbaggers, people not getting out of the way, what people are wearing or not wearing on a summer day.......

give me a break.....

the uptightness here is ridiculous - consider yourselves lucky you have the health to get out there at all.

if hiking "behavior" of others bothers you people so much - just stay home or go to a trail where you will be alone.

Agreed but everyone has a bad day once in awhile and sometimes we carry our frustrations into the mountains where we hopefully vent or blow off the steam of those frustrations. Also hopefully those frustrations are not directed at others along the way that we encounter but once in awhile I'm sure we have all had it come squirting out the cracks of our social armour.

 

[DougPaul]

The complaints about dogs, perfume, hiking speeds, leaf peepers, city folks, loud people, peakbaggers, people not getting out of the way, what people are wearing or not wearing on a summer day.......

give me a break.....

the uptightness here is ridiculous - consider yourselves lucky you have the health to get out there at all.

if hiking "behavior" of others bothers you people so much - just stay home or go to a trail where you will be alone.

This is a general-purpose whining thread...

Doug

 

[cbcbd]

If I see someone hot on my tail that just motivates me to move faster - it's my "oh no you don't" reaction - and sometimes they don't... sometimes they do. All part of the fun

 

[SherpaKroto]

Why is it... that once you break trail in XC skis BESIDE the snowshoe trail that invariably snowshoers will walk on your tracks before you return?

Why is it... that football starts at 10 AM on Sunday in the West, but they can't return the favor by having it end at 11:00 on Monday night?

Why is it... that it rarely rains when you plan a hike to a viewless summit?

Why is it... that your vehicle of choice decides it is tired when you have something good planned?

Why is it... that Great outdoor days happen on the exact days that you have to work?

 

[sapblatt]

Why is it... that once you break trail in XC skis BESIDE the snowshoe trail that invariably snowshoers will walk on your tracks before you return?

Why is it... that football starts at 10 AM on Sunday in the West, but they can't return the favor by having it end at 11:00 on Monday night?

Why is it... that it rarely rains when you plan a hike to a viewless summit?

Why is it... that your vehicle of choice decides it is tired when you have something good planned?

Why is it... that Great outdoor days happen on the exact days that you have to work?

The subliminal messages are controlling me!

 

[John H Swanson]

Or Bushwhack

Reminds me of when someone asked me: "Aren't there going to be hoards of people in the woods on July 4th weekend?"

Not where I'm going.

 

[griffin]

I also won't ask slower up-hikers to let me by. I just get right behind them until they get the point. There are too many people out there with a chip on their shoulder ...

Funny you should say this, because my "why is it" is:

Why is it so hard for some people to simply ASK their fellow human beings if they can pass? Or if they would let you by before they start saddling up? Or shift their pack to the side so you can get by safely?

I've been on both sides of this conversation, and yeah, every now and then someone will get snarky. But I usually find that far LESS tension results when people take a second and a half to communicate with each other.

 

[Pig Pen]

This thread has inspired me to finally get an avatar!

 

[nyestreet]

Reminds me of when someone asked me: "Aren't there going to be hoards of people in the woods on July 4th weekend?"

Not where I'm going.

I'll bet where you were going had hoards of black flies.....

 

[forestgnome]

The complaints about dogs, perfume, hiking speeds, leaf peepers, city folks, loud people, peakbaggers, people not getting out of the way, what people are wearing or not wearing on a summer day.......

give me a break.....

the uptightness here is ridiculous - consider yourselves lucky you have the health to get out there at all.

if hiking "behavior" of others bothers you people so much - just stay home or go to a trail where you will be alone.

So, your complaint is the complaining. Thanks for sharing

I think people express things in hopes that some change may result. Complaining is a part of the solution; it's the beginning. I'll bet that over the years, these threads have changed some behaviors for the better.

I'll admit that the tp wad problem is the result of a lack of civility far too deep to be changed, unfortunatly.

 

[--M.]

Also hopefully those frustrations are not directed at others along the way that we encounter but once in awhile I'm sure we have all had it come squirting out the cracks of our social armour.

I hate it when it squirts out the cracks like that! That happened to me once when I was passing a slow group hogging up the trail and it got all over everybody! It was okay, though, because there was an off-leash dog around and he licked it all up.

I try not to let that stuff bother me too much on the trail, inasmuch as I'm supposedly in a different place where I'm better oriented to begin with. Otherwise, you gotta be yourself and respond away (remember, it's 'respond,' not 'react'!).

 

[adkpooh]

Oh no! Here we go again! This was discussed to death a while back, and there really was no consensus, it was pretty much a tie between 'up yields' and 'down yields'. Search for yourself...

Yeah..... I think that is where my confusion comes from.

Traditionally, the ascending party has right-of-way. That keeps it simple.

Works for me!

NEVER EVER EVER EVER apologize for this. Slower hikers have every bit as much right to be on the trail as faster hikers.

Actually, trying to stop this bad habit I have managed to form. Can't help but feel a little bit like an obstacle sometimes. Not only do the faster hikers pass me on their way up..... usually.... they pass me (still heading up) on their way down too! On the bright side, us slower hikers make a handy dandy place to ditch those pesky blackflies.