HIKE YOUR OWN HIKE-ISH
Anyone who has hiked a long-distance trail, or at least spent extended periods of time in the backcountry, is familiar with the term “hike your own hike” ( or “HYOH” if you’re trying to go ultralight). If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s the hiking community’s counterpart to ‘you do you’. It means hike in any fashion you’d like and don’t judge others if their style doesn’t sync up with yours. Whether you’re an ultralight-er carrying a sheet of polycro and a cuben tarp, or the weekend warrior who literally backpacks with a cast iron skillet, keeping our mouths shut and letting others do things their way is something we should all aspire to do… most of the time.
As I’ve matured through my backcountry career, I’ve come to realize there are most definitely times where HYOH shouldn’t apply, and speaking up is the right thing to do. What I didn’t just say though, is that it’s okay to be an a$$hole. If you’re still with me, I’ll outline a couple of situations where we, as responsible members of the outdoor community, should be choosing not to take a HYOH mentality.
Leave No Trace
The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace (LNT) essentially boil down to two generalities: minimize your impact on others (including both people and woodland critters), and minimize your impact on the environment (including both the trails and wild areas). If you have no idea what I’m talking about, please brush up on those LNT principles and consider taking their online certification course!
Being in the backcountry is awesome, amiright? That’s why it’s important to preserve it for continued use and be respectful of others when we get the chance to enjoy it. We often run into folks on the trail who aren’t necessarily doing these things—we’ve probably all stumbled upon rogue toilet paper just off the trail, that telephone pole-sized log laying unburned across a fire ring, or that group of hikers playing their music at a near megaphone-level decibel. It’s easy to assume the people doing these things are simply jerks, but it’s probably more likely they just aren’t familiar with LNT practices or haven’t considered the effects of their actions. When we encounter others breaking LNT principles (this especially includes members of our own hiking party), it’s important we try to correct their course—more on that later.
Safety and Resources
The other situation (I promised you a couple, so you’re getting exactly two) when we need to consider going against HYOH is when we encounter folks in the backcountry being unsafe or being improperly equipped. This idea could technically fall under the first principle of LNT (Plan Ahead and Prepare), but I think it’s important enough to tease out and give it its own attention.
You might be thinking, “So what if somebody is being unsafe or doesn’t have the proper equipment? They’re not hurting anybody else.” Well, this isn’t exactly true. A single-person accident or misstep in the backcountry has the potential to put both fellow hiking members who are rushing to get help and/or responding rescuers at risk. Additionally, search and rescue operations can require an immense amount of resources to carry out. Let’s take a six-day search and rescue operation on Whiteface Mountain, NY, for example. The February 2018 search involved helicopters, dogs, and more than 135 volunteers. Luckily no responders were seriously injured, but serious injuries and even death among search and rescue personnel do happen. The search not only highlights the potential for risk to responders, but also the resources required to carry out such an operation. This can be a significant problem when resources are already spread thin—New York State currently operates with only about 140 rangers, one for every 40,000 acres of land.
So what can we do? Well, it’s important we have a respectful conversation about LNT no-no’s or safety concerns when we can. Try to approach the situation lightly--you can even work HYOH into the conversation. For example, say something like, “Hey man, hike your own hike, but trail conditions up ahead are a little rough. I’d really recommend turning back if you don’t have microspikes.” An example of what you shouldn’t say is, “Hey man, hike your own hike, but you’re being a silly b!#@h.” Hopefully, making an attempt to educate those individuals (I said educate, not preach at) will convince them to do the right thing next time. If they’re actually just a jerk or intentionally being risky, maybe they’ll get sick of hearing the same thing and reconsider what they’re doing. Either way, you’ll sleep better at night knowing you gave it a shot.