Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness

[HappyHour]

Another factor to consider on the breadcrumb issue is the venue. I have never worried too much about giving away good spot on Backpacking Light forums because the knucklehead quotient there is fairly low and it's at least partially behind a paywall and can't be googled quite as easily. I expect TG (and pmags.com) readers are also similarly thoughtful, but it's likely that TRs will show right up on searches  Maybe there is an anti-SEO algorithm to prevent this?

By example, one of the worst trips I ever took was to Surprise L in the Gore Range. The "surprise" turned out to be a dead, half-eaten horse near the outlet. We camped at the other end of the lake, but were soon joined by maybe 50 campers, all equipped with dogs and hatchets. When the local bear returned that night to feast on rotting horse meat the dogs all went crazy and the campers chopped wood all night long keeping their bonfires going. I couldn't wait to get back to town for a quiet night's sleep. Turned out the Denver Post had published a guide to best hikes near I70 that week...

 

Apologies for any rambling, had knee surgery this morning

Drew

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

Exactly! Drew's excellent article highlighted a beautiful area without the "bread crumbs".  I learned the very good distinction you made the hard way.

Ha, couldn't help but do a quick search...gotta love the karma section at the end of this one...already planning my trip. (Just kidding  )

 

...By example, one of the worst trips I ever took was to Surprise L in the Gore Range. The "surprise" turned out to be a dead, half-eaten horse near the outlet. We camped at the other end of the lake, but were soon joined by maybe 50 campers, all equipped with dogs and hatchets. When the local bear returned that night to feast on rotting horse meat the dogs all went crazy and the campers chopped wood all night long keeping their bonfires going. I couldn't wait to get back to town for a quiet night's sleep. Turned out the Denver Post had published a guide to best hikes near I70 that week...

 

Apologies for any rambling, had knee surgery this morning

Drew

Sounds like a long night!

I usually do my best to avoid areas I think might be crowded, and when I can't avoid it I usually just put my head down and hike through it...I'm part of that crowd after all so hard to complain.  But as above sometimes you never know. Have actually had some great conversations and swapped helpful intel on more than one occasion...and have also learned a few tricks on finding solitude even in crowded places. On the extreme end of the spectrum, totally off the map & secret isn't always good - I had a spot where I used to hike and camp all the time growing up that only a few people knew about - always had it to myself and it seemed unchangeable - went back a few years ago and it's now mostly a huge suburban neighborhood. 

"The idea of wilderness needs no defense. It only needs more defenders."  -Edward Abbey

Of course, National Parks and established wilderness areas etc. are already there and on the map, and areas with very sensitive historical / flora / fauna concerns aside, I think sharing some ideas in a responsible & balanced fashion is a good thing. As a personal example, I can recall reading an article about backpacking and fly fishing in the Winds in a fishing magazine as a kid - the article didn't "hotspot" any particular lakes, but captured the essence of what it was all about. As someone from the south who had never seen anything like that...it was an eye opener. (Perhaps guilty as charged...and I've had to put in a lot of miles to find those lakes.  )

Something in the Denver Post going out to a mass market general audience in such a large metropolitan area would be well accompanied with a lot of LNT info of some type and the more people that are out in the wilderness, without a doubt the more important education becomes...

Sorry to hear about the knee - Good luck!

[Dogwood]

Yes,  you folks all nailed it  - 10 10 10. Thank you much but sometimes TMI is proffered.  We should be mindful not to eliminate much of the self adventure and exploration that can be had with hiking for others. 

Prefer being made thirsty; then,  exploring to find what suits my individual thirst rather than having a forced but well intentioned  attempt at the iced Gatorade cooler being dumped over my head.

I want to do my hike not the hike you did. Consequently, I don't want you do my hike in cookie cutter fashion either. I want you to find the shweet spot for you to design your own hike. I prefer others don't live through my hiking adventures. I want others to  live through their own.  

I have to be careful I don't do it too -offering too much info.  Being mindful of your targeted audience, and even then holding some beta back, allows a wider berth for other's  personal hiking growth.