Readers respond: Trail etiquette is sorely lacking
Posted May 11, 2021
A number of longtime hikers and naturalists I know have commented on how many new visitors they have seen on hiking trails around the Pacific Northwest. It’s understandable that people are rushing to the outdoors during this long pandemic, but sadly, some new visitors are not up speed on etiquette on trails and in parks and wild places. Friends hiking at Mount Hood had some unpleasant experiences with crowds and misbehaving hikers on the trails. Last summer, I encountered a man urinating on a trail at Mount Rainier. On a recent Saturday , I passed a large school or church group, at least 60 or 70 people, on the Hummocks Trail at Mount St. Helens. None wore a mask even though they were packed closely together. At least 15 wandered far off the trail right at a sign asking hikers to stay on the trail. I asked them several times to please return to the trail, but they refused. Please, chaperones, teachers, youth