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View Poll Results: Better for hiking?
Eastern US 24 27.91%
Western US 62 72.09%
Voters: 86. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 10-06-2020, 06:05 PM
 
Location: Østenfor sol og vestenfor måne
17,919 posts, read 24,174,688 times
Reputation: 39021

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It is a a weird phenomenon, West Coasters getting butt hurt and defensive over the notion that someone has a different opinion than them.

Then using confirmation bias laden photo posts to reinforce their vision of "reality". I can do that too.

West


East
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Old 10-06-2020, 10:33 PM
 
Location: Oregon Coast
15,189 posts, read 8,778,429 times
Reputation: 20213
Quote:
Originally Posted by ABQConvict View Post
It is a a weird phenomenon, West Coasters getting butt hurt and defensive over the notion that someone has a different opinion than them.

Then using confirmation bias laden photo posts to reinforce their vision of "reality". I can do that too.

West


East

LOL, you had to go and find an old news photo of graffiti on Box Springs Mountain in Riverside that was cleaned up five years ago , to make your point that graffiti is a problem on the West Coast? If that is the best you could do, I'm happy for the West Coast.

I already posted that I'm not saying it doesn't happen on the West Coast, but we deal with it. Just like UC Riverside dealt with the graffiti that you posted, and apparently it hasn't been a problem since then.

The difference is that the picture I posted was an accurate representation of what that looked like recently, not five years ago. You can do a Google Image search for "High Rock Overlook Maryland" and see that the picture I posted was not even the worst of it. Every single photo, looks as bad, if not worse then the one I posted.

High Rock Overlook Maryland - Google Search

Now the good news, I didn't know it when I posted that photo, but apparently just three days ago on October 3, Washington County Maryland cleaned up the graffiti in the photo that I posted. Good job to them. I'm happy somebody out there is trying to do something about it, but I think it's about 10 years late, and I'm not sure how much effect it will have. Since there are hundreds of places on the Appalachian Trail that are just as bad as that. There seems to me to be a lot more tolerance for it in the East, then the West. Which makes me happy I live in the West.
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Old 10-07-2020, 12:20 AM
 
Location: Østenfor sol og vestenfor måne
17,919 posts, read 24,174,688 times
Reputation: 39021
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz View Post
LOL, you had to go and find an old news photo of graffiti on Box Springs Mountain in Riverside that was cleaned up five years ago , to make your point that graffiti is a problem on the West Coast? If that is the best you could do, I'm happy for the West Coast.

I already posted that I'm not saying it doesn't happen on the West Coast, but we deal with it. Just like UC Riverside dealt with the graffiti that you posted, and apparently it hasn't been a problem since then.

The difference is that the picture I posted was an accurate representation of what that looked like recently, not five years ago. You can do a Google Image search for "High Rock Overlook Maryland" and see that the picture I posted was not even the worst of it. Every single photo, looks as bad, if not worse then the one I posted.

High Rock Overlook Maryland - Google Search

Now the good news, I didn't know it when I posted that photo, but apparently just three days ago on October 3, Washington County Maryland cleaned up the graffiti in the photo that I posted. Good job to them. I'm happy somebody out there is trying to do something about it, but I think it's about 10 years late, and I'm not sure how much effect it will have. Since there are hundreds of places on the Appalachian Trail that are just as bad as that. There seems to me to be a lot more tolerance for it in the East, then the West. Which makes me happy I live in the West.
I have been hiking, paddling, skiing, and hunting, both as a guide and in my free time, in the Western US for 30 years, mostly Colorado and New Mexico, and have been guiding in upstate NY for the last two years. In my anecdotal experience, you are making gross exaggerations to support your very cherished notion of how dirty the East is. All I can say is that has not been my experience, and I have thruhiked the AT in 2002 (and the PCT in 2013). I am well aware of vandalism on the trail. Several sections of the AT are located close to population centers like Washington DC and New York City and those parts of the trail, the lean-tos, picnic tables, etc. are right off the road and end up as party spots for the local teenagers and college kids. Not exactly representative of the backcountry. To imply that the first picture you posted is representative of the nature experience of the East coast is like if I were to say that downtown Portland the day after a protest is representative of daily life in Oregon.

I am glad you are happy to be in the West. Everyone should be happy and not told that they are wrong for a conflicting opinion.
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Old 10-07-2020, 06:07 AM
 
136 posts, read 113,946 times
Reputation: 294
I’ve done lots of hiking in the east, and I don’t recall ever running into huge graffiti and trash problems. There are beautiful places to hike mountains/hike from Alabama to Maine.

That said, the west is best for hiking/trail scenery. Lots of variety (desert, alpine, dense forest, etc) and truly awesome places.
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Old 10-07-2020, 09:44 AM
 
Location: Oregon Coast
15,189 posts, read 8,778,429 times
Reputation: 20213
Quote:
Originally Posted by ABQConvict View Post
I have been hiking, paddling, skiing, and hunting, both as a guide and in my free time, in the Western US for 30 years, mostly Colorado and New Mexico, and have been guiding in upstate NY for the last two years. In my anecdotal experience, you are making gross exaggerations to support your very cherished notion of how dirty the East is. All I can say is that has not been my experience, and I have thruhiked the AT in 2002 (and the PCT in 2013). I am well aware of vandalism on the trail. Several sections of the AT are located close to population centers like Washington DC and New York City and those parts of the trail, the lean-tos, picnic tables, etc. are right off the road and end up as party spots for the local teenagers and college kids. Not exactly representative of the backcountry. To imply that the first picture you posted is representative of the nature experience of the East coast is like if I were to say that downtown Portland the day after a protest is representative of daily life in Oregon.

I am glad you are happy to be in the West. Everyone should be happy and not told that they are wrong for a conflicting opinion.
Sorry you take offense to it, but this is a thread debating which is better for hiking, the east or the west. If your feelings are going to get hurt, by someone having an opinion that one or the other is better, you probably shouldn't be reading this thread.

Anyway thanks for confirming my point, that vandalism on the trail is a problem on the AT. Fortunately the PCT doesn't seem to have that problem. Yeah, I'm sure that minor graffiti pops up from time to time, but PCT trail maintainers, deal with it very effectively. I hope the recent clean up of High Rock Overlook is an indication that the AT is taking it more serious, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
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Old 10-07-2020, 11:54 AM
 
Location: Kentucky
1,049 posts, read 644,651 times
Reputation: 1206
Geez, I get having strong opinions about a lot of political topics because they have large and wide-ranging consequences but don't let whether hiking in one region or one state be the hill to die on.
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Old 10-07-2020, 12:04 PM
 
Location: Kentucky
1,049 posts, read 644,651 times
Reputation: 1206
With that being said there is so much diversity in both the East and the West that I don't really think you can make a broad enough argument to say that one broad region is better than the other.

The main drawback about hiking say along and east of I-35 is the summertime humidity. When it is hot and dry you could probably find some shade (outside of a desert/semi-arid setting) but when it is humid with little to no breeze that doesn't provide much relief.

The main drawback in the West would probably be wildfire risk, although that can happen in the East if there is a major drought but not near as common as out West.

Graffiti, if the taggers can get to it then that is always a threat whether it is in Oregon or Georgia or anywhere in between. Tyler always seems to need the world to know his love for Lacy by spraying it all over the rock formations and abandoned buildings so it can linger there even after Lacy leaves him and moves to Nashville to marry Todd.
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Old 10-07-2020, 02:59 PM
 
Location: Philadelphia, PA
2,212 posts, read 1,413,501 times
Reputation: 3027
For my more regular hiking excursions, I prefer the East. I love the four distinct seasons, deciduous trees, and overall lushness. It is nice to visit out West and see the dramatic scenery. Both parts of the country have their perks for hiking.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alabama211 View Post
I’ve done lots of hiking in the east, and I don’t recall ever running into huge graffiti and trash problems. There are beautiful places to hike mountains/hike from Alabama to Maine.
I agree. I rarely encounter issues with graffiti here. I think the one memory I have of such issues were some trails close to the NYC metro area. Talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill. (PUN INTENDED!)
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Old 10-07-2020, 03:55 PM
 
Location: The High Desert
15,964 posts, read 10,526,043 times
Reputation: 31132
I was raised in the midwest, and lived 35 years on the edge of the Ozarks. I hiked parts of the Appalachian trail in two sections. I back-packed the Big Horns in Wyoming. I did a lot of Ozark hiking and camping. The Ozarks were tick-infested scrubby jungle in many parts so you had to do it in the colder months - but pretty in spring and fall. It is so wooded that you don't see hidden places until you are right on top of them. That is sort of cool. The Appalachian Trail was scenic in spots but a drudge. You are walking in a trench at spots. The west has more of a choice -- what do you want? The Big Horns were empty...only an occasional hiker or a couple horseback riders. You could see for miles. I now hike the canyons or foothills or ridges in New Mexico. We have desert wilderness areas in NM which is very different hiking. There are miles of trails in every type of terrain or ecosystem. My backpack and trekking days are over but I picked the west mostly because of the solitude, variety, and scenery you can get to even on simple day hikes.
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Old 10-08-2020, 08:19 AM
 
3,710 posts, read 3,625,798 times
Reputation: 6459
Can't I like them both for different reasons?

I appreciate the size of mountains in the west, the desert landscape, the vastness
I appreciate the accessibility, coziness, and lushness of the east
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