High Sierra Topix

toejam wrote:The NPS people just love rules. Seems to me all the crazy rules are causing a backlash of bad behavior when people who don't know what they are doing in the first place find themselves in violation and decide to do something really stupid.

Or, from their side of the process, they hate disorder, dealing with hundreds of screaming people on the phone, marauding bears taking advantage of the crazies and the idiots, and fighting forest fires.

I've been in line behind the screaming people in the wilderness office, and I for one am grateful the rangers are there to keep these idiots in check. I wish sometimes that there was a test these jerks could fail to keep them out of the wilderness before they light it on fire or create more habituated animals.

Did the latest news get updated on this thread? I've been away. The 45 person exit quota starts today.

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/jmtfaq.htm

I see lots of good discussion about this. There is a high sierra camp already at Sunrise, but its a bit off the JMT. Making 2 new big wilderness campgrounds? Hummmm, that's going to get some serious pushback from the purists. But it should be on the table for the YNP Wilderness Plan Update, that's for sure. I see a lot of concurrence with staffing more backcountry Rangers. Trained volunteers with radio contact to Rangers might also help improve coverage, accountability, and compliance. Just have to make sure they don't put a bunch of Barney Fife wannabes out there.

balzaccom wrote: For years our solution has been to take the trail less traveled: looking for less popular trailheads, cross-country routes, and destinations that haven't been featured in a major magazine or a film. It works pretty well, frankly. And we've never found the wilderness rangers anything but helpful, supportive and nice.

Amen to that. Take the trail less traveled. I have about 70 miles of the JMT in the Yosemite area that I have not done, and I have not bothered for 10 years to even try considering the hassle to complete it. Perhaps some day, if do it from the south or north, or do the PCT, otherwise, "on the JMT, I will not stay and choose other vacant areas where there is plenty of room to play!"