We are in the middle of a fairly substantial interior renovation where I work. One by-product of the undertaking is that a small space will be sealed up behind a drywall partition, sort of like Fortunato in Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado.”
On a lark, I suggested to my employees that we hide a time capsule in the abandoned space – you know, one of those boxes full of trinkets, newspapers, and the minutiae of the day, which (one hopes) will be of interest to whomever unseals the repository fifty years, or more, from now. I tossed in a copy of my new book, as well as a personal “letter to the future.” While writing that letter I couldn’t help but reflect on how lucky I felt to be living in the early 21st Century.
That gratitude extends to my forays into the woods. I think we may very well, for the past twenty years and for at least another decade or so, be living in the Golden Age of Hiking and Backpacking. Why do I concentrate on those thirty years? Three reasons.
The internet. Nothing – no piece of gear, no change of government policy, no technological advance – has done more to improve my backpacking trips than the internet. Through forums like the John Muir Trail Yahoo Group I am able to learn from hikers far more experienced than I. Cottage industry manufacturers are able to innovate and to stay in business by reaching customers they would have never reached in the past. (Unbiased reviews of the tents, backpacks, quilts, and other kit are also readily available.) Local knowledge about specific trails, specific campgrounds, transportation alternatives, even places to stay and to eat before and after a hike is just a few clicks away. Perhaps best of all is the wide variety of online mapping alternatives available, coupled with high-resolution satellite photos. I’ll bet I spend almost as much time doing map and photo reconnaissances of a route as I do actually walking it. I’ve visited countless delightful spots, usually within a five minute walk of the trail, I would have never known existed if not for finding them while scrutinizing the maps and satellite photos. But, once you find these spots, how do you ensure you don’t walk by them? That brings me to the second great advantage of hiking in the current day.
Small, lightweight, handheld, accurate, rugged GPS. I learned land navigation well before the era of GPS, and I am so very glad I did. But I’d be lying if I said that GPS wasn’t a huge part of how I find my way around the woods. A GPS does two wonderful things for me. First, it tells me where I am. Anyone who has done any serious land (or aerial! or nautical!) navigation knows that 90% of the solution to any route-finding puzzle is knowing where you are. (Nearly 100% of the navigation errors occur, not when you go the wrong way, but when you go the RIGHT way from where you THINK you are, when you are actually somewhere else.) Second, it allows me to name and pre-load specific points on the ground so that I can easily find them later, whether they are trailheads, campsites, water sources, rendezvous spots, or that perfect break area I discovered while pouring over a satellite photo. I can still use a map when necessary, but GPS is a wonderful thing.
Relatively permissive government policy. We all complain about how hard it is to get the permit we want to enter the wilderness, but does anyone think it is going to get better? Right now, once we get that Sierra Nevada permit, we can pretty much walk anywhere we want, camp anywhere we want, and stay as long as we want (exit dates are rarely a problem; only entry dates). I may be wrong, but in a dozen years my guess is that the constraints will be far more restrictive and the permits even more difficult to obtain. (Often – but not always – those constraints are for valid reasons, but that doesn’t make them less restrictive.) I can imagine our descendants, forced to walk only on designated trails and to camp in a few overcrowded campsites, wondering what it must have been like back in those magical times of 2016.
I’ve read that the happiest people are those who are also the most grateful. I’ll plead guilty on both counts, and one thing I’m most grateful for is that I’m alive during this Golden Age of hiking and backpacking.
Good hiking, Ray
I would say both yes and no. Yes, for the reasons you mention, plus increased environmental awareness, better trail maintenance, and safety from bear theft. No, for the reasons you mention, also. 1) the internet makes it into too much of a “thing,” and adds to numbers of people in the wilderness. 2) while the GPS is a great tool, and invaluable in emergencies, it detracts from the sense of adventure, from mystery, from developing one’s own directional sense. Just my opinion. 3) While government regulation is necessary to some extent, and actually still is fairly permissive, it is – perhaps necessarily – MUCH more restrictive than it once was. I believe almost all the regulations are pretty sensible, and worth honoring, but there was a freedom in the woods 50 years ago (I started more than 60 years ago) that is pretty out the window. That said, backpacking in the Sierras is one of the most wonderful things anyone can do – also just my opinion – and I am no more or less happy up there than I have been at any age, which is not always happy, but always filled with the love of nature and the thrill of being so close to it. Backpacking creates its own golden age, and that time is now.
Well put, Turk. Can’t say I disagree with a single word. Thanks for the comment!
Having backpacked in Rainier NP, I agree 100%. That felt more like a cross between Disneyland and a reality TV show. Cross country is allowed there offering those who have the skills much more freedom. So, the GPS may aid those who desire wilderness experiences to continue to enjoy them in the Sierra. Thank you for all your thoughtful and informative articles.
Appreciate the kind words and thanks for the comment, Judy!
I agree. Also the gear we have is fantastic. light weight and warm.
When I started it was prickly wool and heavy rain coats.
Very true, Ham. Thanks for the comment.
All true, Ray, especially #3. I have applied for a solo permit for the JMT for the past 26 days in a row, and been denied every day. Have to finally give up the dream for this year. I can’t see how any new changes to the permit issuing system will make it any easier next year, but I have to try.
That is so discouraging, Tom. Good luck, this year and next.
Tom, have you considered going south to north? Many people are easily getting permits out of Cottonwood Pass to Yosemite Valley. I got one 2 days ago, and there were several available. It adds another 30 miles to the hike, but they are much more available. I can walk you through the process if you like, (you will want the one that states visiting Whitney, not exiting Whitney) but it is far easier to get one going south to north, and the views are just the same!
I had the same experience last year but made it work by skipping Yosemite and entering at June Lakes. I got my permit way later, way less stressful, same mountain range, same amazing experience. I had to ask myself, am I here to hike the trail tip to tip? or am I here to see amazing geology, weather, wildlife, people, and see what I’m made of?
Because I exited at Bishop Pass to resupply and still hiked 220mi.
There are no bad hikes in the Sierra Nevada!
Very enlightening. We’ve come a long way since my father organized a JMT hike including my mom and brother (13) in 1959. I was too young to go. My mom wrote a book, take a look: http://amzn.to/1WgaczQ
Thanks for the comment, Christy. I fixed the link, by the way.
Thanks. I didn’t even know it was broken!
[…] few months ago I made the case that we are living in the golden age for hikers and backpackers. One reason: the many ways we can visit the trail and campsites from the comfort of our […]