Rainier Climbers

People change on the trail

A comment I got on my last post, by Mike Horn, got me thinking about something I always notice on the trail and you probably have also.  People look you in the eye and say hi on the trail.  You can go from any city, where everyone goes out of their way not to look you in the eye, to a trail anywhere, where people will look up, smile, and ask “how ya doin?” all in a stretch of 15 minutes.  What is it?  Why are we so paranoid when we are in our home towns and so free when we are on a trail?  I think it is because you know you have something in common with the other person when you are on the trail.  You don’t know anything about another person when you are both stepping up to the ATM or the gas pump, but you know you share something with anyone out in nature.  You share the love of the outdoors!  Sitting and taking a break, you can talk about where each is going, the weather, past trail experiences, etc.  You know that if you or the other gets hurt or in some sort of trouble, that person will help you.

Maybe I’ve been too long living in California cities.  I just got back from Austin, TX where I was very surprised as I walked down the street in the morning to be greeted, trail-like, with a look in the eye and a good morning, how ya doin? more than once.  It reminded me of Arkansas, where I swear that nice lady selling quilts would remember me if I came in the door tomorrow.  I would just be fulfilling her wishes that we ” all come on back now” and would ask how things were in California.

Sometimes I tire of looking up and speaking to everyone who passes.  Usually when I am near the end of a tough trip and tired.  I just don’t have the energy.  I just hope everyone can see from my haggard look that I’m tired.  Sometimes people walk past me without even a look and I mutter to myself “human here!”  like they didn’t even notice that another human was just in their presence.

One thing that I always hope continues to be a tradition in hiking and backpacking is the caring for those that are in trouble.  People like Mike Horn who are willing to put aside their comfort and even abandon a trip to help another person who is hurt or in need of help, even if it is caused by negligence or stupidity.  We have all been stupid at some point and needed help, and we should remember that we are all “human here!” even if some of us are veterans that have learned from mistakes and some are beginners out there for the first time.

I see so many people going out without enough water on popular trails.  Overweight people carrying a 16 oz. plastic water bottle on the way to Half Dome with flip-flops on.  I have seen it!  My advice was to just go up the Mist Trail just to where you can see the falls, and beyond that you will be slipping all over the place so don’t go any further.  They were already looking tired anyway only two miles from the shuttle stop.  I don’t know if they heeded my words or not.  We all need to bring extra and be willing to give it out when someone else needs it.

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