there are other ways to help with the problem of constructed campsites than locking people out of the wilderness. Educating hikers would be a good start.
I do not mean to sound like a nihilist, but I wonder how much that helps, especially with the general public? Of course, I know any education is better than none. On some of the biggest mountains like Denali, Aconcagua, and Everest, where the stakes are higher and the level of experience is greater and where you would think attention would be better, there is base camp education but I have witnessed that for many in the audience, a lot of it went in one ear and out the other. Same thing for the ranger-talks to the crowd waiting at the permit station in Tuolumne, etc. Forced, mandatory group sessions do not seem to work very well. I also know this from my time as a scoutmaster: one on one versus herd-mentality.
One on one is much better. I know that I have learned far, far more from the experiences and teaching of others than from a ranger. It is not his/her fault, it is just the nature of things; time constraints, others waiting,etc, etc. Wouldn't it be great to have the capability to REALLY educate everyone going out into the wilderness?
I have learned a lot of simple things: in 1996 I have a vivid memory of the top of Whitney when another hiker and I compared our trips. I mentioned camping at Wright Creek, and he asked, "were you the guys with the socks hanging to dry right next to the trail?" Yes, I sheepishly admitted that my son and I were the unthinking culprits. He did not say a word else, and did not need to, for I got the message loud and clear. How many other people would learn from such a small event? It's location- location-location. Learning wilderness etiquette like that in permit station is just not the same. On the flip side, I guess bear canister education
has been a success.
