Oof. I live near Mt Rainier National Park and I've learned to simply not go in the summer. Tourists seem like they're allergic to even a little bit of snow, which I take advantage of. I went last week and had the trail entirely to myself.

Having a fear of crowds of people but also enjoying hiking is a potentially tricky combination...

[–] CookieOfFortune@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If you’re good at hiking you can always go somewhere more off the beaten path. Especially in the PNW! Even Yosemite gets a lot less crowded once you’ve gone more than 5 miles.

[–] ObtuseDoorFrame@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 day ago

I'm gradually getting better at picking spots that will have fewer people. It's ironic that finding those spots becomes more intimidating when there are this many trails to choose from. Washington has a dizzying amount of hiking.

You're right about the 5 mile thing. Day hikers often turn around after 3 to 5 miles so I tend to just push myself for those first few miles and then slow down once I get some room to myself. And most of the annoying hikers aren't staying overnight. Everybody loves loops but that's also a good reason to avoid them.

Although I did a 40 mile loop in July this year and barely saw anyone. 30 pound backpacks are quite the gatekeeping system.