Posts by boldviper

3 posts shown.

Question for hikers: How do you guys say hello? in Hiking & Mountaineering · Oct 5, 2006

northerntiger9 said:
I think it’s such a beautiful tradition. 😍 Especially when you run into hikers with little kids and see a three or four-year-old happily shouting out a greeting. 🙂 It’s a shame that on the more popular trails around Mount Rainier, you run into so many people who act surprised when you just say hello. But I’m not giving up... maybe one day they'll realize that being friendly is just what people do in the mountains. 😬
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Thanks for the support!!! I’m going to keep greeting everyone, too. To me, it feels like passing along some good energy, especially out in the wild. I also love it when people are open to a quick chat instead of being grumpy. Nature usually helps mellow people out.

On a different note, for those who enjoy hiking with the family: we headed out toward Mount Hood via the Blue Hole about two weeks ago. It’s normally a stunning route following the creek, and the waterfall is definitely worth seeing, but—the trail markings are honestly terrible. Such a missed opportunity. If you stick to the creek or even follow the dry bed, you won't get lost, but it's something to watch out for. Still, it's a great trek.
Just a little off-topic, but I figured it might be helpful for someone...

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Question for hikers: How do you guys say hello? in Hiking & Mountaineering · Oct 4, 2006

slyhound5 said:It’s still standard practice to say hello when you're out on the trails. Usually, the rule is that those heading up should be the ones to initiate the greeting. It’s a way of showing respect to the hikers who have already reached the summit and are making their way back down🙂.

My mistake, I was convinced it worked the other way around. I honestly thought it would be easier for the folks descending to be the first to offer a greeting.
That brings up a question, though... how much do those high-altitude etiquette rules actually apply to local spots like the trails around Mount Rainier or even deeper in the Appalachian Mountains? One could always just stay silent and stare at the dirt. Real classy.

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Question for hikers: How do you guys say hello? in Hiking & Mountaineering · Oct 3, 2006

Back when I was just starting out, I went to one of those outdoor leadership courses—you know, hiking school. One of the first things they drilled into us was that it’s common courtesy to acknowledge other hikers when you pass them on the trail. It was just part of the culture back then.

So, this year, I finally got back out there, hitting the trails around Mount Rainier and the Appalachian Mountains now that my kids are old enough to keep up. I made sure to teach them about that tradition of saying hello. We were being polite, passing people on our way up (even though technically, the rule is that those heading down should be the ones to initiate the greeting). Out of about ten people we passed, seven of them just gave us these blank, confused stares, looking at us like we were total weirdos for even trying to be friendly. I couldn't tell if they were serious trekkers or just casual tourists, but it didn't matter. I vividly remember when being polite on the trail in the 80s was just the most normal thing in the world.

What’s your take on this? Am I just becoming a relic of a bygone era? Or has the social vibe shifted entirely? I really hope I'm not making a fool of myself here... the kids are already giving me a hard time about it.

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