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Post by absarokanaut on Dec 2, 2016 13:39:49 GMT -8
"My" Park is Grand Teton, I see the Grand from my place. I did several hikes there as I do every year. This year I did go to Yellowstone and my bro-in-law and his son did Mt. Washburn with me. Missed Avalanche Peak again this year.
The question of crowds has always amazed me. Yeah, the iconic roadside spectacles can indeed be crowded, but there is deep backcountry in our National Parks, and even deeper backcountry in our National Forests. I usually leave crowds behind pretty darn close to trailheads. In GTNP Cascade Canyon could have an hour or more wait for a shuttle boat back across Jenny Lake. One canyon over you might see a few folks and sometimes NONE. There is some truly awesome terrain in GTNP that might see a handful of people in a given YEAR.
I also of course love Devil's Tower [please support it being renamed.] Also Fossil Butte. My favorite parks and parklands beyond Wyoming are: All the ones in Utah, Capitol Reef being my favorite. In New Mexico Bandelier NM, Chaco Canyon, El Morro NM. Chiricahua in AZ. Acadia in Maine. I have had some awwesome times on the Freedom Trail in Boston and Great Island National Sea Shore on the Cape is an absolute gem wading and sometimes swimming between islands.
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Post by hikerchick395 on Dec 2, 2016 16:16:09 GMT -8
Westy we hadn't been to the Grand Canyon for over 25 or more years. Haven't hiked in the canyon yet either. (Went last December...it was 5* for the low.) But good news from the previous visit. I had bought a $20 turquoise and silver necklace roadside in or near the canyon. I now have been making jewelry for over 20 years myself and I got out this necklace and thought that this necklace looked suspicious (there is a lot of fake turquoise out there.) I had my Navajo friend look at it and she said it was a rare (now) turquoise and it was real silver...the necklace is worth about $175. markskor ...as a pin (NPS, state park, wilderness, etc...) collector, I missed out on that one! davesenesac Pinnacles, Mesa Verde, North Cascades, Glacier Bay and Denali are on my short list to visit
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mk
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North Texas
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Post by mk on Dec 2, 2016 17:44:36 GMT -8
Have the next permit in hand. That is wonderful. I know I saw your itinerary somewhere, but I don't remember it. Wouldn't it be great to hike there every year? We are hoping to go to Havasu Falls in May, so fingers crossed for reservations. starwalker -- Double win on the road trip: you just can't beat family and the Grand Canyon. It's a drive for us, too (about 1,000 miles), and we like to have a meal at the Turquoise Room in Winslow at some point in the trip. It is on our list to spend a Christmas at Phantom Ranch. Or in the canyon somehow, although we are probably a few years away from that.
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Westy
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Diagnosed w/Post-Trail Transition Syndrome
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Post by Westy on Dec 3, 2016 7:32:25 GMT -8
Turquoise Room in Winslow at some point in the trip. We always enjoy the antics of the resident ring-tail cat in the El Tovar dining room.
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Post by Campfires&Concierges on Dec 3, 2016 13:40:58 GMT -8
Wow...now that I think about it, I did not enter a single National Park this year (in the US at least) - that might be a first for me! From 2010 - 2015, I spent a good chunk of my vacation time road tripping out West, but have been doing more international travel lately. This year's "big trip" was 2 weeks in Asia.
I did make 2 trips up to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore as I tried to hit the best of the Midwest before I move away next year...
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driftwoody
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Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on Dec 3, 2016 15:38:36 GMT -8
I did make 2 trips up to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore as I tried to hit the best of the Midwest before I move away next year... I was there the 2nd weekend of September this year. The cliff trail between Chapel Rock and Mosquito Beach is among the most scenic stretches in the upper Midwest. Where are you moving?
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y2
New Member
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Post by y2 on Dec 3, 2016 18:35:54 GMT -8
What did we do this year.... redwoods, olympics, ranier, north cascades. Last year is was Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, sequoia, Yosemite, painted rocks...........where to in '17
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Post by hikerchick395 on Dec 3, 2016 18:43:51 GMT -8
Welcome y2
I'm sure there will soon be some questions for you to answer
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Post by trinity on Dec 4, 2016 13:18:34 GMT -8
There are too many places equally as "beautiful" or better just 45min to 2 hrs away without the crowds and permits. A 4 hr drive gets me to the Wind's, a place that has no equals in the NP realm. This is pretty much my take. I can't remember the last time I visited a National Park. In part this is because I almost always backpack with my dog, in part because I see no reason to deal with crowds and permits if I can help it. Yes, as some have pointed out, you can always get away from the crowds at a National Park if you go to some effort; what I haven't figured out is why I should bother in the first place, if I don't have to. I'll take the Winds, the Gila, the Pecos, etc, over any National Park I've visited any day of the week.
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Westy
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Post by Westy on Dec 5, 2016 7:35:13 GMT -8
Yes, as some have pointed out, you can always get away from the crowds at a National Park if you go to some effort; what I haven't figured out is why I should bother in the first place, if I don't have to. That would be me. I enjoy the administrative challenge, controlled usage, dispersed designated campsites and zones of the National Park system. That said, we only have a few parks we frequent and avoid many. Understanding the operating protocols and working within the system can provide enjoyable outings. On our last four backpacking permits in Canyonlands we encountered hikers on two occasions and that was within a mile of the parking lot each time. In the end, it's the challenge of navigating the administrative terrain to achieve upside results, that motivates me.
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daveb
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Post by daveb on Dec 5, 2016 8:10:57 GMT -8
We did the Teton Crest Trail this year and there were no crowds until we got close to the trailhead. The few people we did meet on the trail were pleasant encounters.
We visit the Arches National Park for a day and I fully understand what crowd means.
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ogg
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Post by ogg on Dec 5, 2016 8:31:17 GMT -8
I managed trips to Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks and Point Reyes National Seashore this year. Joshua Tree has been getting so crowded lately that I think future trips won't involve planning on staying in one of the first-come-first-served campgrounds inside the park. Yet, in 10 or so solo backpacking trips in JTNP over the years, more than a hundred yards from any trailhead I've only run across one fellow hiker, heading away in a different direction, and a group of geology students.
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davesenesac
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Our precious life is short within eternity, don't waste it!
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Post by davesenesac on Dec 5, 2016 9:31:09 GMT -8
When one eliminates road accessed front country infrastructure and popular hiking trails and destinations in either our national parks or any other parks or public lands, the remaining lands that are empty or relatively so are vast. That said, there are a few places where topography forces high densities of visitors that one cannot escape like Yosemite Valley. And there are many icon features of our parks that if one has interest in experiencing them, one is forced to do so among crowds of visitors. Thus when someone relates I won't visit park ABC because it is too crowded, they are talking about the front country and popular places. In most cases that is probably all they are aware of as being worthy to experience as visitors and do not have the knowledge, experience, or skills to take advantage of those vast other areas within parks.
A high percentage of park and public lands visitors never get any further than short distances from roads and their vehicles. Like those that walk around the Old Faithful Boardwalk at Yellowstone. Another smaller yet significant segment will hike short distances on formal trails to icon features. For instance Lower Yosemite Falls or the Rim Trail at Grand Canyon. And then there is yet another smaller more fit experienced hiker segment that will enthusiastically do all day hikes to famous spots like Angel's Landing or Half Dome or any others they may read about in guide books, get advice for at visitor centers, etc.
But beyond those well-known features and trails are as noted vast numbers of other places, some publicly relatively unknown, some totally unknown, some with trails, some accessed only cross country, where one will see few or no others. And generally one can say the further trail distance from roads and trailheads, the fewer people one will encounter. And one can also say there are vast numbers of worthwhile places one can hike to cross country, right from road sides that are very much empty of others beyond short shouting range distances. In our arid Southwest and Colorado Plateau parks, such places are ridiculously abundant at short distances from roadsides where almost all visitors drive right by dirt road side pull-outs as though there is little or nothing of interest.
David
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2016 9:43:04 GMT -8
I did make 2 trips up to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore as I tried to hit the best of the Midwest before I move away next year... I think any NPS-administered property "counts". Looks like a great area.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2016 9:50:38 GMT -8
There are too many places equally as "beautiful" or better just 45min to 2 hrs away without the crowds and permits. A 4 hr drive gets me to the Wind's, a place that has no equals in the NP realm. This is pretty much my take. I can't remember the last time I visited a National Park. In part this is because I almost always backpack with my dog, in part because I see no reason to deal with crowds and permits if I can help it. Yes, as some have pointed out, you can always get away from the crowds at a National Park if you go to some effort; what I haven't figured out is why I should bother in the first place, if I don't have to. I'll take the Winds, the Gila, the Pecos, etc, over any National Park I've visited any day of the week. I agree with much of what you're saying; I've enjoyed the Winds, Gila, and Pecos also. But Big Bend NP and the Guadalupe Mountains NP are ~500 miles from central Texas and are about the only tractable "mountain" destinations for brief 3-4 day trips.
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