Makes me wonder how many of these people (and that goes for ALL involved, both sides of the case, the judges, etc) really get out into the Sierra, or anywhere, with any regularity. I just don't see or hear about many David Brower's out there.
It's sadly interesting to see the original visions of Muir ("Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn." ) ("I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." ) morphed into such extreme positions.
I wonder what the beef will be once all the step-arounds and new paths to avoid the uncleared obstacles (on the more populated trails) start to erode everything else.
I have the rulings from the stock case printed out, waiting to be read more thoroughly. One of my co-workers owns the Rainbow Pack Station in South Fork (Bishop Creek), and says the ruling may completely destroy their business. Makes me think that sneaking into the backcountry, sans permit -- because those will be obsolete when they close it off entirely -- might happen in my lifetime.
