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mudhead
09-08-2008, 05:28
I have noticed of late that groups of people seem to be loud. Cheerful, happy, but loud.

The latest was a group of twentyish (age) people on Avery, having a sing and clap along. When talking people seem to get extra points for being the loudest. Another group of four was nattering away along a stream in the woods.

I am used to loud tourists, but this was odd. How do they ever see any wildlife? Or hear the wind in the leaves?

Am I just getting older and crustier?

woodsy
09-08-2008, 05:41
I have noticed of late that groups of people seem to be loud. Cheerful, happy, but loud.

The latest was a group of twentyish (age) people on Avery, having a sing and clap along. When talking people seem to get extra points for being the loudest. Another group of four was nattering away along a stream in the woods.

I am used to loud tourists, but this was odd. How do they ever see any wildlife? Or hear the wind in the leaves?

Am I just getting older and crustier?

Try some less popular trails, Snow Mtn, up the road a piece comes to mind.
Guarantee you'll see wildlife, hear the wind in the leaves and see no tourist, or anyone else for that matter:D

fiddlehead
09-08-2008, 05:42
Some folks are much louder than others.
It bothers me sometimes but it's life, aye?

I was at a party recently and having a nice conversation with 2 people i had not seen in a while.
This loudmouth comes over and just starts talking so loud he of course dominated the conversation.
Very rude.

But you know the AT is not the wilderness experience. It is a social event.
There's plenty of other trails for remoteness and peace and quiet.

woodsy
09-08-2008, 06:18
Try some less popular trails, Snow Mtn, up the road a piece comes to mind.
Guarantee you'll see wildlife, hear the wind in the leaves and see no tourist, or anyone else for that matter:D
well you might see some indians up there, it is Penobscot Nation territory.

Hammock Hanger
09-08-2008, 06:55
It seems people in general are getting louder and louder. Have you been in a restaurant lately? I know I taught my kids restaurant voice as I was taught. Guess it is bound to flow over to other areas...

modiyooch
09-08-2008, 07:29
I ran into some thru hikers this summer and I could hear the one hiker including his topic from a far distance. I stayed far enough ahead of them, but I was wondering how the other three hikers in the group were tolerating it. They caught up with me at the shelter. I may have offended the guy when I renamed him Bear Bell.

Jason of the Woods
09-08-2008, 08:13
Call me crazy but why couldn't you have just taken a break and let them get ahead of you or why didn't you go ahead of them. A little distance would have cushoned that noise.?:-?

Alligator
09-08-2008, 08:45
Groups are different but sometimes when you meet someone and they talk a bit loud it is because they have hearing loss. OTOH, some people are naturally loud or have their loudness amplified by adult beverages:).

Jason of the Woods
09-08-2008, 08:47
Groups are different but sometimes when you meet someone and they talk a bit loud it is because they have hearing loss. OTOH, some people are naturally loud or have their loudness amplified by adult beverages:).
You mean that people drink while hiking? No, say it ain't so.:D

Blissful
09-08-2008, 10:38
This is the time of year the college aged hiking groups were out. We ran into one group at three different shelter areas in NH and ME. Thankfully they did quiet down afer 9 PM, which was good.

jhick
09-08-2008, 11:56
I camped on Rattlesnake Mt. in NJ a couple weekends ago... it was 3 of us and a couple showed up. At first we were not happy, but they turned out to be really cool. But, about an hour later another couple shows up (they didn't know each other). They set up there tent literally 5' from mine, when they easily could have set it up 20' away..... and they woke me up the next day chatting in their tent @ 7am... ***?!??!

Jason of the Woods
09-08-2008, 11:56
This is the time of year the college aged hiking groups were out. We ran into one group at three different shelter areas in NH and ME. Thankfully they did quiet down afer 9 PM, which was good.
Another easy solution......don't camp at shelters.?

BobTheBuilder
09-08-2008, 12:26
Peace and quiet is one of the best reasons for hiking solo. Even with my usually labored breathing, I see a ton of wildlife when I am alone. Regarding the groups, I think it might be that the older hikers need to talk a little louder just to hear each other.

paradoxb3
09-08-2008, 14:20
Another easy solution......don't camp at shelters.?

excellent point. if shelter noise bothers you, you've got 2 options -- camp elsewhere, or deal with it. Theres no law that says if you're in the woods, you must sit and be quiet and absorb nature, and goto bed with the chickens. Some are out there to get away from strict rules of society and let loose a little.

Now i'll agree that some people or groups of people can get out of hand at times. I'm more of a social hiker myself, but have been annoyed at these types of people at shelters... but to me complaining about that kind of behavior at trail shelters is like the annoying complaints you hear lazy people make about the crowds and long lines at the checkout at walmart on a weekend -- if its that bad, dont shop there.

Blissful
09-08-2008, 14:26
Another easy solution......don't camp at shelters.?


Tell that to my then sixteen-year-old who liked following the college group around - :)

It also depends on who you are hiking with...

If it were me, I wouldn't stay in any shelters, unless severe weather bids me to do so. My post was also to warn others that college groups frequent that area in late August, early Sept.

Tin Man
09-08-2008, 15:03
My post was also to warn others that college groups frequent that area in late August, early Sept.

Yeah, sure, now you tell me. :) I was in college kid hell the last week of August. The Liberty Spring caretaker told me I had the last tent platform and would likely have to share it because it was college week. When I stopped for water at the next site, the caretaker there said it was more like college month!

Liberty Spring to Zealand Falls seemed to be the worst of it. Much fewer college groups north of there.

Jason of the Woods
09-08-2008, 15:32
Tell that to my then sixteen-year-old who liked following the college group around - :)

It also depends on who you are hiking with...

If it were me, I wouldn't stay in any shelters, unless severe weather bids me to do so. My post was also to warn others that college groups frequent that area in late August, early Sept.
If it were, and some day will be, my sixteen year old and we were on a family trip. It would be just that, a family trip. It starts from a very young age but I have put a love of the outdoors into my daughter that I like to think will extend well into her adult life. Not every sixteen year old cares what college kids are doing, and shouldn't! They are still kids at that age and should be treated as such. My daughter recently started kindergarten. Of course I call her everyday when she is with my exwife and on that particular day I made it a point to call her right after school. So when I asked her about her day she told me that they were talking about nature and that she told her teacher, "My Daddy takes me hiking almost every day during the summer, and I'm a TreeHugger!" You can't imagine how proud I felt at that moment, to know that she spends nine months of the year with my ex yet one of her first day highlites was that!

Blissful
09-08-2008, 20:13
If it were, and some day will be, my sixteen year old and we were on a family trip. It would be just that, a family trip. It starts from a very young age but I have put a love of the outdoors into my daughter that I like to think will extend well into her adult life. Not every sixteen year old cares what college kids are doing, and shouldn't! They are still kids at that age and should be treated as such. My daughter recently started kindergarten. Of course I call her everyday when she is with my exwife and on that particular day I made it a point to call her right after school. So when I asked her about her day she told me that they were talking about nature and that she told her teacher, "My Daddy takes me hiking almost every day during the summer, and I'm a TreeHugger!" You can't imagine how proud I felt at that moment, to know that she spends nine months of the year with my ex yet one of her first day highlites was that!

Not sure what this has to do with my son wanting a little fellowship in the woods up north with some like-minded young people after following his mom around five months on the AT...I deferred my rest for a few nights so he could relate to someone else besides yours truly -
These were actually nice college kids, BTW, who like hiking - and he had fun swimming with them at Speck Pond and even slept with them in the shelter one night. But I was only saying for others that if you want quiet and are early to bed, watch the college crowd up north at certain times of the year. That was my main point.

(BTW- Really glad though you are having fun taking your daughter hiking. Maybe one day you can do the AT together - there's nothing like it.)

HikerRanky
09-08-2008, 20:54
Hey folks,

I've split off the wildlife discussion into a new thread, since it really was off topic from the subject of this thread.... You can find the new thread here. (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=40929)

Randy

fiddlehead
09-08-2008, 21:30
Don't know if it's still possible, but in '98, when i hiked the CDT, I did Montana by myself.
I saw 2 other hikers in that 600 mile section.
Except for hitches to town, 2 rangers & a pack train in the "Bob", one logger and a few pickup trucks, that's the only human contact i had. (excluding tourists in "Glacier")
Got chased by a moose, had a herd of elk pass by me within 10' when i hid in a tree, saw eagles fishing, and 3 griz.

Jason of the Woods
09-09-2008, 07:57
No disrespect but it has a lot to do with it. What I am saying is your child is only sixteen. They are still a child while college age hikers are not kids and are probably drinking or smoking and I know as a parent I would want my child to be with me at that age and not them.That is a ver imprsessionable age! If it is social interaction they want then I would take them home to see their friends. Five months? What about school?:-?

OldStormcrow
09-09-2008, 09:17
Noise pollution is just as real as air pollution, water pollution, light pollution (can't see the stars), etc. The next time you get out of your car at the trail head and use your electronic remote to lock your door that makes a "beep-beep", whoop, honk, etc., just imagine how many times a day that happens all over the world. That's a whole lotta un-needed noise pollution. As for noisy groups, the worst I have ever had the misfortune of camping next to were the Boy Scouts.

emerald
09-09-2008, 16:12
As for noisy groups, the worst I have ever had the misfortune of camping next to were the Boy Scouts.

There is no such thing as the Boy Scouts, and I'm not suggesting a title for a new thread.:rolleyes: Some troops or patrols want for proper leadership or for other reasons fail to demonstrate proper respect for others.

I see this sort of comment all too often.

Tin Man
09-09-2008, 16:16
There is no such thing as the Boy Scouts, and I'm not suggesting a title for a new thread.:rolleyes: Some troops or patrols want for proper leadership are for other reasons fail to demonstrate proper respect for others.

I see this sort of comment all too often.

I agree, but any large group, no matter how well behaved, is going to make more noise than a small group. Fact.

emerald
09-09-2008, 16:22
The last comment strikes me as another fallacy involving a generalization.

Tin Man
09-09-2008, 16:29
Disagree.

That's fine. I was just saying that 5 polite conversations (large group) makes more noise than 1 polite conversation (small group). YMMV

sheepdog
09-09-2008, 16:35
I ran into a group in the SNP of about 15 people (Adults of varying ages). Not one of them said a word. It was certainly a different experience. As I met them I said "Hi". Some smiled and nodded, not one of them said a word.

emerald
09-09-2008, 17:00
I do most of my walking and/or running at a retreat where what the last contributor experienced is the norm.

OldStormcrow
09-10-2008, 09:41
I ran into a group in the SNP of about 15 people (Adults of varying ages). Not one of them said a word. It was certainly a different experience. As I met them I said "Hi". Some smiled and nodded, not one of them said a word.
Trappist monk hikers, I presume?

mudhead
09-10-2008, 19:25
Maybe I should have said it seems people are more uncomfortable with quiet. They fill up that space with noise. The woods never really are quiet. Always something moving. Too quiet, and something is watching you.

I just find charm in a mountaintop.

Tin Man
09-10-2008, 22:55
Maybe I should have said it seems people are more uncomfortable with quiet. They fill up that space with noise. The woods never really are quiet. Always something moving. Too quiet, and something is watching you.

I just find charm in a mountaintop.

Yep, the groups and the headset crowd are definitely missing a large part of the experience. Mountaintops and woods without the sound system.

Boudin
09-11-2008, 10:54
Groups in the woods can be a lot of fun. My daughter (17 the end of this month) is a great little backpacker. She has grown up around thru-hikers. Hiding a child from the world is not the key. Education is. She knows what goes on when "adults" get together in the woods. And she knows about college kids. If you think you are hiding them from life then you have not walked down the hall of a high school lately nor have you watched any teen programs on TV. Just because a child knows what a "safety meeting" is, doesn't mean that they have to participate. An educated child can and will make better decisions. Sorry if I'm a little off topic....just venting.

Enjoy the people around you, or find someplace without people.

Boudin
09-11-2008, 10:55
If ya'll get mad and post a reply, I will have to respond tonight. My library time is up 8 minutes.

wakapak
09-11-2008, 11:13
Boudin!!! your kids are great, and i think it's wonderful they've grown up around thru-hikers and have experienced more of the "real world" than alot of kids these days!! you're right, just cause a kid knows what a "safety meeting" is doesnt mean they have to join in!!

minnesotasmith
09-11-2008, 11:19
I ran into a group in the SNP of about 15 people (Adults of varying ages). Not one of them said a word. It was certainly a different experience. As I met them I said "Hi". Some smiled and nodded, not one of them said a word.

I saw a group of 4 or 5 of them on my thru in '06. They communicated amongst themselves with sign language, and ignored normals that tried to talk to them.

mudhead
09-11-2008, 12:27
I figure you don't mean anything, but that reads harsh. Maybe your missus can explain it.

A smile or wave covers it for me, here in a busy NP, a number of people only do just that.