Across the Alpine Lakes, Again: Snoqualmie Pass to Icicle Creek

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drm
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Re: Across the Alpine Lakes, Again: Snoqualmie Pass to Icicle Creek

Post by drm » February 8th, 2023, 7:27 am

Regarding solitude, I am always amused to see TV news weather reports show a wide angle shot of an Oregon beach with 5 or ten people and call it crowded. Maybe folks have seen pictures of the Jersey Shore or Santa Monica beach with many thousands of people, many from baking inland locations.

Crowds in the national forests are much like crowded beaches. Those people are seeking escape from the city more than from people, to be in a natural setting. Crowds at Snow Lake or Lower Falls on the Lewis River or at Packwood Lake are like that. Those of us who want genuine wilderness solitude have to be flexible in finding it.

Also reminds me when a friend I knew asked an immigrant from a much more crowded country where entire families typically lived in one or two rooms what they did when they wanted to be alone. The response was, why would I ever want to be alone?

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Charley
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Re: Across the Alpine Lakes, Again: Snoqualmie Pass to Icicle Creek

Post by Charley » February 10th, 2023, 12:30 am

drm wrote:
February 8th, 2023, 7:27 am
Crowds in the national forests are much like crowded beaches. Those people are seeking escape from the city more than from people, to be in a natural setting. Crowds at Snow Lake or Lower Falls on the Lewis River or at Packwood Lake are like that. Those of us who want genuine wilderness solitude have to be flexible in finding it.
Well put. I guess the only disclaimer is that I do think it's a valid emotion to be disappointed if your previously uncrowded "special place" became an instagram target. I'd understand if my favorite wild desert locations turned into tourist attractions... but it'd probably be sad that I couldn't experience them like I had previously.
drm wrote:
February 8th, 2023, 7:27 am
Also reminds me when a friend I knew asked an immigrant from a much more crowded country where entire families typically lived in one or two rooms what they did when they wanted to be alone. The response was, why would I ever want to be alone?
Amazing! I don't think I'd be happy living like that. But maybe that's more normal for our species?
Believe it or not, I barely ever ride a mountain bike.

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RobinB
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Re: Across the Alpine Lakes, Again: Snoqualmie Pass to Icicle Creek

Post by RobinB » February 10th, 2023, 11:19 pm

Charley wrote:
February 7th, 2023, 10:50 pm
I guess I'm of kind of internally inconsistent on this subject:
1. I actually have hiked Angel's Rest a lot over the last 4 years or so because I have sometimes been lonely, and having other people around enlivens the hike.
2. I never fail to brag about knowing out-of-the-way places (to my friends or even on here) after a long backpack, during which we saw no one else, or only very few parties.
I'm not sure that's inconsistent: sometimes I hike Angel's Rest and love chatting with folks on the trail; sometimes I bushwhack in the Olympics and love the solitude. There are a bunch of different values we pursue when hiking, depending on the situation. Solitude is one of them, sociality another, scenery another still. I take it that most complex practices work like that: they offer us a variety of goods, not all of which can be realized at the same time.

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