Vent: Everyone says the JMT is overcrowded but nobody talks about why

I was at REI last week and overheard some guy telling his friend to skip the JMT because it's too busy now. He said it's all permits and crowds and not worth it anymore. But here's what I don't get - people act like the trail is ruined because other people exist on it. I did 80 miles of the Sierra section in August and yeah I saw maybe 30 people a day. But that's still way less than my morning commute or the grocery store line. The trail is fine. The real issue is people wanting wilderness to themselves without putting in the work to go deeper. Has anyone else noticed this attitude shift or am I just missing something?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena_kim12d ago

Oh please, the grocery store comparison is not even close to the same thing. You go to the store for 20 minutes, not for a WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE that's supposed to feel remote and peaceful. I hiked Kings Canyon last year and saw more people than I saw at Disneyland, it really does RUIN the whole point of being out there.

hall.nora12d ago

Right there with you. Did the Rae Lakes Loop a couple years ago and felt like I was in a conga line for 4 days straight, not exactly the solitude I was after. Honestly made me wonder why I bothered carrying a bear canister when the real noise was coming from people's bluetooth speakers.