Mountaineering Style - Part II (~14,000 feet and below)

Let me start by saying that I have no desire to be 8000 meters in the air. I believe that those who want to should follow a strict set of rules so that those who follow them can share the same experience. The wildest I'll ever see myself getting is a trip to Everest Base Camp (~18,000 feet). In the meantime, I am perfectly content to play on 14ers and below. From here on in this post, I will mainly be in rant mode.

I want to talk about some of the things that agitate me in "everyday" mountaineering. On my last 14er trip, we saw a man coming up the mountain with penny loafers on his feet. I'm not saying that you have to have a spanking new pair of Vasque Sundowners to be on a mountain, but penny loafers? (Note: Just for the record, he did not have actual pennies in the penny compartment. I don't know if that makes it better or worse.)

Crowds are always a nuisance. Here in Colorado, you can have 20 or more people at the summit of a 14er in the middle of the season. Then you think about all the people visiting our National Parks. On the one hand, I can't complain about the overwhelming interest in the beauty of America. On the other hand, crowds are a deterrent to the serenity I seek. My friend Dr. Joe kids about visiting the Grand Canyon in the summertime, "It's like standing on a sidewalk in New York City. Excuse me, pardon me. Can you take our picture?"

Littering can be a problem, but I believe that the Park and Forestry Service do their best to clean up after the messy ones. On a recent trip to Bryce Canyon, I only say an apple core and an orange peel.

Done with ranting, hopefully I'll have some more solid content up soon.