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Question for hikers: How do you guys say hello?

Started by boldviper · · 👁 4 views · 14 replies

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Participants boldviperredmarlin3slyhound5steelstag4shadowgardener12northerntiger9Jeffrey Edwards5Kate DiazNathan Anderson44Brian Sanders6vividranger8nimblesailor3
boldviper boldviper NewcomerOP
3 messages
joined Oct 2006
#1 ·
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.
redmarlin3 redmarlin3 Active Member
132 messages
joined Apr 2010
#2 ·
I’m a little younger than you—which means I don't have any kids running around—but I've always been the type to say hello to other hikers on the trail. I wouldn't call myself an hardcore trekker or anything, but over the last few years, I've made my way up Mount Whitney, Cape Hatteras, and even the Appalachian Mountains... and every single time, we'd exchange greetings and get a friendly nod back.

I have a few buddies who live for the outdoors, so I'll check in with them and see what their experience has been like lately.
slyhound5 slyhound5 Member
21 messages
joined Sep 2013
#3 ·
boldviper said:We’d always greet those rare head-on collisions while hiking up—even though I think the rule is actually for the folks coming down to say it first.

Look, the tradition of greeting people on the trails is still very much alive. But let’s get one thing straight: the etiquette is that the climbers heading up should be the ones to initiate the greeting. It’s a way to show respect to the people who already conquered the peak and are making their way back down.🙂 .
boldviper boldviper NewcomerOP
3 messages
joined Oct 2006
#4 ·
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.
steelstag4 steelstag4 Active Member
99 messages
joined Dec 2002
#5 ·
I’m one of those younger folks around here, so consider this a friendly hello. Mind you, I don't mean that when someone is just passing by a few feet away while their eyes are glued to some distant horizon. I have no interest in being intrusive 😉
. But honestly, I find the whole custom quite charming 🙂
slyhound5 slyhound5 Member
21 messages
joined Sep 2013
#6 ·
boldviper said:So... how much do those high-altitude traditions actually apply to the trails on Mount Rainier or the Appalachian Mountains? Is the move just to stay silent and stare at your feet? Real classy.

Unfortunately, people don't really stick to the rules on these busy trails. Sure, actual hikers will always give you a nod, but the problem is there's a massive crowd of people who don't know the first thing about hiking. I guess that's why they find the whole tradition so weird.
shadowgardener12 shadowgardener12 Active Member
186 messages
joined Dec 2002
#7 ·
slyhound5 said:It’s still standard practice to say hello out on the trails. Usually, the ones heading up are the first to greet those coming down—it’s a little nod of respect to the people who already conquered the peak 🙂.

Fine, but what if there's just one summit and you're all in the middle of the mountains, everyone just grinding up and down? 😁 By that logic, are you supposed to stop mid-trail to figure out whose peak is actually higher? 😁
There’s no grand gesture involved... it’s just that shared sense of community.

Though, on the really crowded trails, I don't bother much. Or rather, it depends. Mostly it just breaks my focus... can't tune into nature or my own head if people are constantly talking. A quick nod is plenty.
northerntiger9 northerntiger9 Active Member
86 messages
joined Mar 2021
#8 ·
Hiking through the mountains in the Pacific Northwest, you’ll lose your voice just saying "hello" to everyone you pass... Everyone greets everyone—kids, seniors, little ones—all of them. And they make sure to acknowledge every single person individually.

I haven't really noticed any specific "protocol" for greeting people; I usually just shout a quick "hey there" once I'm at a reasonable distance, regardless of which direction anyone is heading.

Personally, I think it's a great tradition 😍 Especially when you run into hikers with toddlers and see a three-year-old enthusiastically waving and shouting hello 🙂 It’s a shame that on the busier trails around Mount Rainier, you run into plenty of people who act genuinely baffled when you actually acknowledge them. But I'm not stopping... maybe one day they'll realize that being friendly is just part of mountain etiquette 😬

offtopic: speaking of being judged: one summer while hiking up near Mount Whitney—and I almost always use trekking poles—I ran into some folks who had driven all the way to the trailhead. They started laughing and asking me, "So... when did the snow fall?"
Jeffrey Edwards5 Jeffrey Edwards5 Active Member
74 messages
joined Dec 2004
#9 ·
I'm a polite person by habit. I always say hello.
Unless I’m having one of those days where I'm just completely drained and cranky—the kind where you can barely catch your breath—then I might just pass by. Still, I feel bad being rude, so I'll usually squeeze out a "good morning."
Honestly, I don't think I've ever run into anyone truly rude enough to skip the greetings altogether. So, 👍
I still laugh thinking about this one time we were hiking up near Mount Rainier. We were absolutely wiped, dragging ourselves along, and couldn't see the summit in sight. We asked some hikers coming down how much further it was, and they just go, "Oh, you're basically there. Just a few more switchbacks and you've made it."
They probably thought they were being encouraging, but all they did was give us a burst of false hope. We cheered up, picked up the pace, and ended up trudging along for at least another thirty minutes. 🙂 😬
boldviper boldviper NewcomerOP
3 messages
joined Oct 2006
#10 ·
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. 😬
QUOTE]

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...
Kate Diaz Kate Diaz Member
41 messages
joined Aug 2008
#11 ·
In the mountainous regions of the US, specifically around the Dolomites, exchanging greetings isn't just a standard courtesy among hikers—it’s actually expected between trekkers and everyday locals too. Even out in the small rural towns, people are incredibly welcoming. Among the folks living in those countryside communities, it’s perfectly common for someone to invite a passing hiker in for a quick drink or a bite to eat.
On several occasions, we’ve had local farmers working in their fields or tending to their livestock actually call out to us during a break, inviting us to pull up a chair and join them.
Nathan Anderson44 Nathan Anderson44 Newcomer
4 messages
joined May 2006
#12 ·
Honestly, people are always so friendly when you're out hiking near Mount Shasta or wandering through the Appalachian Mountains!
Although, you always run into those "fake hikers" who drive halfway up the mountain in an SUV, only to immediately compensate for the tiny bit of effort by devouring a massive plate of bacon and washing it down with enough water to fill a swimming pool. 😉

The absolute highlight of my weekend was this little scene. My brother-in-law and I headed out to the eastern side of Mount Shasta to hunt for mushrooms, and we were just making our way back with our baskets full when suddenly, this lady with her dog pops out from nowhere.
"Oh my gosh, boys, what were you doing out there looking for mushrooms? Is there actually any left? STEVE!" she shouts to her husband.
"I swear, I have to drag my husband along every single time, STEVE, STEVE, come here! I’m always pushing him to go mushroom hunting and he always insists there’s nothing to find, but look, these guys actually found some!"
There stands Steve, with a cigarette dangling from his lip, staring into our basket, realizing there's absolutely no way out of this conversation since his wife has already caught him red-handed—"So, what did you guys manage to find? Any porcini?"
I just tell him, "Just a few, but we saw at least five other foragers out there, so I wouldn't count on finding much yourselves!"
Suddenly, Steve lights up: "Well, isn't that just wonderful, dear!"
I nudge him and say, "You know, there's that little patch of woods on the right side that most people tend to skip over."
In the end, Steve just shrugs, realizing he's stuck in the middle of it, and keeps trekking along—probably muttering curses under his breath about us! 🙂
Brian Sanders6 Brian Sanders6 Newcomer
2 messages
joined Oct 2006
#13 ·
I head up to Mount Rainier pretty frequently, but I have to admit, I was completely unaware of this tradition. Of course, if someone says hello to me, I’ll say it back, but I’ve never really been the one to go out of my way to initiate it 🙂 But now I know.
vividranger8 vividranger8 Active Member
96 messages
joined Aug 2011
#14 ·
I mean, I feel like it’s totally fine if you run into someone out in the middle of nowhere—like, you just give a little nod or a quick hey—but when people start acting like it's some kind of crowded sidewalk where everyone's constantly swarming up and down the trails? That just feels kinda off to me, honestly...
nimblesailor3 nimblesailor3 Newcomer
7 messages
joined Mar 2006
#15 ·
It’s a beautiful tradition, one that almost everyone follows throughout the Appalachian Mountains.🙂

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