Backpacking: National Parks vs Wildernesses

[MrNarwhal]

Scenery, solitude, and capital W Wilderness are three different things with some overlap.

The greatest solitude I have recently experienced in the lower 48 states was tramping through a wildlife management area in eastern North Dakota. Not dramatic scenery and not Wilderness, just completely empty of people the day I was there.

[Carefreeap]

I'm on the sidelines now, probably until next fall after recover from the second total knee replacement surgery.

I don't think it has to be an either/or situation. In 2019 I backpacked from Echo Lake (near Lake Tahoe) to Tuolumne Meadows. Other than the first and last days I ran into very few people.

Even on the JMT and in 2021 when I hiked the section of the PCT from the Mexican border to just outside of Idyllwild, CA I spent a few nights camping alone. As a solo older female backbacker I don't mind some people...just not hoards!

[halfnine]

I'm on the sidelines now, probably until next fall after recover from the second total knee replacement surgery.

I don't think it has to be an either/or situation. In 2019 I backpacked from Echo Lake (near Lake Tahoe) to Tuolumne Meadows. Other than the first and last days I ran into very few people.

Even on the JMT and in 2021 when I hiked the section of the PCT from the Mexican border to just outside of Idyllwild, CA I spent a few nights camping alone. As a solo older female backbacker I don't mind some people...just not hoards!

Looks like you are piece by piece ticking off sections of the the PCT in California. Well done.

[Carefreeap]

I'm on the sidelines now, probably until next fall after recover from the second total knee replacement surgery.

I don't think it has to be an either/or situation. In 2019 I backpacked from Echo Lake (near Lake Tahoe) to Tuolumne Meadows. Other than the first and last days I ran into very few people.

Even on the JMT and in 2021 when I hiked the section of the PCT from the Mexican border to just outside of Idyllwild, CA I spent a few nights camping alone. As a solo older female backbacker I don't mind some people...just not hoards!

Looks like you are piece by piece ticking off sections of the the PCT in California. Well done.

Aww thanks. I was getting ready to do the section from Donner Pass to Lassen when I ripped my meniscus (and then ripped it out by root) thus necessa taing the knee replacement. The arthritis is actually worse in the right knee which is why I'm getting that one done the end of the month. I've got a couple of heros; 1. I ran into a hiker on the JMT whose trail name is the Tin Man. Yeah, replacement knees and hips and in his 70s. 2.The other is Mary Davison author of "Old Lady on the Trail" and "Aren't You Afraid?". Started her backpacking at age 60 and by 76 had hiked the Triple Crown plus the Camino and was hiking the American Discovery Trail at age 76.

There are some amazing people out there!

[Nver2Late]

We tend to avoid the crowded locations and instead seek trails where we are unlikely to encounter very many folks due to distance, remoteness, or challenge of the terrain. We have not hiked much at all in the National Park system.

However, we just got back from completing TMB, and although it was very crowded (UTMB occurred just after our hike, and many mountain runners competing in OCC and CCC races), the scenery and the challenge was incredible. Met many good people along the way.

For certain, special hikes, we may need to re-think the avoiding-the-crowds thing.