Limey wrote: I guess I just don't see a viable solution to the problem.
Because there isn't. Population density is a thing. Our most popular trails are likely to become a similar experience to the ones I've had in the Bay Area. It's sad, but most sad to those of us who remember them before they were crowded like that. Unless people start moving away rather than moving here, and unless the internet just ceases to exist, it is the price we all have to pay for living here and going outdoors. And I know it sucks, but it's here to stay. The biggest change, in my view, is seeing how popular hiking has become overall. It's not just us crazies out there anymore - a lot of people, young people in particular, are now very much into hiking and that's a lot of who you are seeing on the trail. I remember being at the glacial lake on Broken Top this past summer and seeing wave after wave of youngish people coming up, snapping selfies, and then turning around. It was surreal. But that's just the way it is. So that has a lot to do with it. Add to that tourists; this didn't used to be much of a tourist destination, and it is now. That's clearly changed in the 20 or so years I've lived in Oregon.
That being said, I don't regret writing
Off the Beaten Trail. I've since hiked most of those trails again, and only a few have become more popular. The ones that did are ones that were covered on social media and in newspaper articles, like Salmonberry River and Bald Butte. I've gone back to some and found them even more lonesome than I did the first time. I'm surprised over and over again that I don't see people at, say, Bear Point. The point is this: the closer to Portland or other major cities, and the easier both the hike and road access is, the more likely it is to get overcrowded. The glacial lake on Broken Top wouldn't be that crowded were it not for all the people willing to drive that awful road to get near it. And it's close to Bend. Mirror Lake is iconic because it's close and easy to find, not just for its view. All the overcrowded Gorge trails are west of Cascade Locks (save for a few random ones like Coyote Wall) because they are close, and not too difficult. There are other trails I've hiked in the Gorge, maintained trails with great views and such, where I see very few people even on sunny days in the spring - because they require a longer drive. And because not every trail can be overcrowded and full of tourists.
I think this pledge is a noble idea, but it's self-selecting. Most of the people who adhere to it already believe in it; you aren't likely to change the minds of too many people. I hope you do.