rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,709
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Post by rebeccad on Nov 30, 2016 8:38:44 GMT -8
No freaking way. I am getting so old.
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Post by hikerjer on Nov 30, 2016 9:58:21 GMT -8
From personal experience, there seems to be two age groups - those 50 and older and those under 30. I suspect it's because family and career obligations limit those in the middle as to how often they can backpack. I seem to see a lot of younger folks day hiking but not necessarily backpacking. Again, time constraints are probably a major factor in that. I remember on a backpack trip in Canyonlands a year or so ago, my 24 year old son was one of the very few young people on the trail although we encountered many in the more mature range. One 60+ (I'd guess) guy even commented that he'd been hiking all summer and fall and my son was one of the very few young persons he saw in that time. I, of course, have mixed feeling on this. On one hand, fewer people in the backcountry means more for me. But with fewer folks out there, there is less of an advocacy group for hiking and the wilderness. A double edged sword, if you will . JMO.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2016 10:12:34 GMT -8
Thanks for the replies to my thread! I've enjoyed reading all the board member's impressions. I found some interesting stats from the NPS Statistics web site at NPS Annual Summary Report Year Reporting Units Backcountry Campers 1979 271 2,397,098 #4 1980 275 2,395,236 1981 280 2,329,845 1982 290 2,424,227 #2 1983 294 2,579,716 #1 1984 296 1,978,867 1985 303 1,680,414 1986 304 1,644,691 1987 305 1,574,706 1988 309 1,617,706 1989 314 1,620,641 1990 316 1,650,475 1991 319 2,032,379 1992 324 2,162,130 1993 327 2,406,697 #3 1994 327 2,363,827 1995 328 2,189,727 1996 329 2,124,793 1997 336 2,169,296 1998 342 2,056,747 1999 341 1,968,930 2000 344 1,935,276 2001 345 2,032,886 2002 349 1,906,473 2003 353 1,816,270 2004 356 1,725,309 2005 356 1,668,558 2006 359 1,659,484 2007 360 1,704,059 2008 360 1,797,912 2009 360 1,860,162 2010 363 1,763,541 2011 367 1,715,611 2012 367 1,816,904 2013 370 1,722,663 2014 370 1,888,095 2015 372 2,020,068It appears from this that we're down somewhat from the era when backpacking may have been more in vogue; the late 1970's through the early 1980s (at least, for backpackers obtaining permits for trips at National Parks). I know, though, that not all of these are backpacking; in Big Bend NP, backcountry road campers are also considered 'Backcountry Campers', and river rafting trips may fall into the same category.
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swmtnbackpacker
Trail Wise!
Back but probably posting soon under my real name ... Rico Sauve
Posts: 4,886
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on Nov 30, 2016 14:42:05 GMT -8
Thanks for the replies to my thread! I've enjoyed reading all the board member's impressions. I found some interesting stats from the NPS Statistics web site... .. we're down somewhat from the era when backpacking may have been more in vogue; the late 1970's through the early 1980s (at least, for backpackers obtaining permits for trips at National Parks). I know, though, that not all of these are backpacking; in Big Bend NP, backcountry road campers are also considered 'Backcountry Campers', and river rafting trips may fall into the same category. Permitted backcountry visits are one part but the popular Gila (where, in season, I've seen oodles of college to high school-chaperoned backpackers) doesn't require any sort of backcountry permit. Same with northern NM and most of Colorado in summer after snow melt - no permit required. Its not an insignificant number.
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Hungry Jack
Trail Wise!
Living and dying in 3/4 time...
Posts: 3,809
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Post by Hungry Jack on Nov 30, 2016 18:33:47 GMT -8
Thanks for the replies to my thread! I've enjoyed reading all the board member's impressions. I found some interesting stats from the NPS Statistics web site at NPS Annual Summary Report Year Reporting Units Backcountry Campers 1979 271 2,397,098 #4 1980 275 2,395,236 1981 280 2,329,845 1982 290 2,424,227 #2 1983 294 2,579,716 #1 1984 296 1,978,867 1985 303 1,680,414 1986 304 1,644,691 1987 305 1,574,706 1988 309 1,617,706 1989 314 1,620,641 1990 316 1,650,475 1991 319 2,032,379 1992 324 2,162,130 1993 327 2,406,697 #3 1994 327 2,363,827 1995 328 2,189,727 1996 329 2,124,793 1997 336 2,169,296 1998 342 2,056,747 1999 341 1,968,930 2000 344 1,935,276 2001 345 2,032,886 2002 349 1,906,473 2003 353 1,816,270 2004 356 1,725,309 2005 356 1,668,558 2006 359 1,659,484 2007 360 1,704,059 2008 360 1,797,912 2009 360 1,860,162 2010 363 1,763,541 2011 367 1,715,611 2012 367 1,816,904 2013 370 1,722,663 2014 370 1,888,095 2015 372 2,020,068It appears from this that we're down somewhat from the era when backpacking may have been more in vogue; the late 1970's through the early 1980s (at least, for backpackers obtaining permits for trips at National Parks). I know, though, that not all of these are backpacking; in Big Bend NP, backcountry road campers are also considered 'Backcountry Campers', and river rafting trips may fall into the same category. I would have to think that this correlates to some kind of demographic curve. It's a good topic for Freakonomics.
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daveg
Trail Wise!
Michigan
Posts: 565
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Post by daveg on Nov 30, 2016 21:19:36 GMT -8
Where I hike -- primarily Michigan trails and the AT -- most of the backpackers I've encountered are in the 20 to 50 year-old range. On the AT, my impression is that most of the thru-hikers are 20 and 30 somethings. But the age distribution of section hikers -- from those out just for an overnight to those out for a month or more -- seems to be pretty even in the 20 to 50 range then tapering off in the 60+ range. On Michigan trails, most of the backpackers I've encountered are in the 20 to 40 year-old range with the occasional older hiker.
But your question piqued my curiosity. I found this 2016 Outdoor Recreation Report by the Outdoor Foundation. If you scroll down to page 10 there is a chart which states that participation in "Backpacking overnight -- more than 1/4 mile from vehicle/home" has increased between 2006 and 2015. I took the numbers provided and compared them to the U.S. population in 2006 and 2015. If my calculations are correct, the participation rate in 2006 was 2.4% and had increased to 3.2% in 2015.
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