Reflections on hiking 8 18 20

The 3 sisters hike was disappointing – I knew it would be crowded but it was ridiculous. I haven’t really admitted to anyone else but one reason for doing it was to climb Middle Sister – which I did not do. I may go back in September to do just that, or I may not. I could have, first day, but I found myself reluctant to take on the glacier / snow fields. Then I tried again second day, and my eyes burned so badly (from the glare and dry air I think) that I had to give it up. Compared to Wallowas a couple of weeks earlier I found my pack felt much heavier even though it was 5 pounds lighter (that could partly be because the crowds were so demoralizing). Climbing as well as long-distance hiking (more than 3-4 days) may be over for me. It was fun – sort of – but not anywhere near ecstatic, and the constant chatter of other hikers (when I was in camp) was distracting and off-putting. So – the golden age of hiking, especially spontaneous hikes, is probably totally over. I slightly regret giving up the REI Yellowstone hike, but that (like Death Valley and Tetons) will be pretty much a social affair. When / if COVID is over I’ll probably do it, but it isn’t really wilderness. Wilderness is broken, probably beyond repair. It’s not that I need solitude per se – a companion (or max 2 maybe) would still be wilderness. But 100 people around a smallish lake (Camp Lake), even 6 near the tiny, pond-like South Matthew Lake, is not wilderness. And 6-8 people, even wilderness-oriented people, on an REI expedition is not wilderness. Why not just go car camping and save the trouble of a back-pack? National Parks and Forest Service are beginning to impose quotas and advance reservations; they are going to have to, and for some (like Yellowstone and Yosemite) they may need to impose a life-time quota, like they’ve done with Grand Canyon float trips already. An alternative is the Chinese model – scenery with exercise and fresh air, forget wildlife, solitude, adventure in any real sense. For me personally I am realizing the main alternative is memories. Live in my memories of the great trips I’ve had – solo, with Dean and with LaJean in our early days. I don’t know if I’ll do much more climbing. I found my appetite for it was pretty weak. If I really don’t care, why put out the energy? I guess the answer is, because it might supply its own energy, might be re-energizing.