Anyone notice a recent uptick in 4K list interest?

[peakbagger]

Not sure what has changed this year but I seem to be seeing a lot more references to 4K finishers on the various local news outlets. These finishers were probably mostly done last year with all the Emily Sotello press so all the finishers PR could just be hangover from last year. IN the last week I have spent far more time with the local medical estblishments than a I care to (long story TBD) I had lots of nurses, techs and PAs asking about if I was working on the 4Ks but ti could just be they have been seeing it in the news.. Not sure what is driving it this year. I have not seen a major increase in hiker parking but then again its early in the season.

 

[DayTrip]

Not sure what has changed this year but I seem to be seeing a lot more references to 4K finishers on the various local news outlets. These finishers were probably mostly done last year with all the Emily Sotello press so all the finishers PR could just be hangover from last year. IN the last week I have spent far more time with the local medical estblishments than a I care to (long story TBD) I had lots of nurses, techs and PAs asking about if I was working on the 4Ks but ti could just be they have been seeing it in the news.. Not sure what is driving it this year. I have not seen a major increase in hiker parking but then again its early in the season.

I've been up to NH a lot less this past year than the previous 11 but it seems like the parking lots are off their peak. Still busy but not COVID levels any more. I went up this past SAT and most of the trailheads on Rte 2 and Rte 16 (approximately 9:30AM to 10:00 AM on a gorgeous SAT) were busy but not crazy. 19 Mile Brook trailhead was the only one that seemed insane.

And as a tie in to your 4k comment, you may be on to something. I went up Glen Boulder Trail via the Diretissima assuming I'd have the trail to myself with the Glen Boulder lot being closed. That notion was quickly dispelled. I passed a lot of people coming down (and a few on the way up) almost all of which were doing Isolation. I usually go up this way at least once a season for my flower hike and I don't recall so many people all doing Isolation. Fair amount of trail runners amongst these hikers too (although someone I stopped to talk with said a lot of the Mt Washington road race runners were coming over and going down this way so not sure if they were tagging 4k peaks or just stretching out the day).

 

[sierra]

Social media and the news are driving the popularity of the 4ks now. Even kids are on the bandwagon now. There is a young girl out there around 6 when she finished and she was just outdone by a 4 year old who recently completed them. I don't miss the crowds or the 4ks at all. I look back and realize how lucky I was to find them 40 years ago, sitting at Guyot shelter with just 4 us and the caretaker, smoking weed and drinking whiskey like we owned the place. I know everybody says it, but "those really were the days".

 

[Ear Drum]

There are so many other trails that don't have the crowds. On the last five peaks I've done from the 52WAV list over the past year, I saw these numbers of fellow hikers: Crawford 2; Tremont 3; Hedgehog 1; Blueberry 0; and Eastman 0. And that's from a well-known list, with a patch and a Facebook page.

It also helps to go mid-week and/or in bad weather.

 

[rocket21]

I haven't noticed an uptick relative to the past few years. Seems like usage is generally lower than the during the COVID panic, but still considerably higher than before the social media boom.