What is the strangest thing you ever saw in the backcountry?

Not too wierd, but saw an extremely large all Asian hiking group. I started counting at one point and was over it at 50. Probably around 70 to 100 people! Who does that, and why?

Lol! There are certain areas of Japan that I refuse to hike in because of regular inundations of just such groups. The Oze Marsh area north of Tokyo is literally crammed with group after group after group. And since it is customary to greet every hiker you pass on the trail, standing there waiting for 100 or more people to pass while greeting them can drive you insane. Then five minutes later another group forces you to stop and you stand there greeting all of them, too. One time, descending from a 3,000 meter peak in the North Alps early in the morning, I had passed more than seven such group when I came up the eighth (so almost 500 or more people so far). I stopped in the middle of the path and roundly and loudly criticized the leader for the insensitive, noisy, and selfish behavior of putting such groups together and expecting everyone else to put up with them. He apologized deeply and was sincerely abashed (and let me through), but of course that does not stop these groups from continuing to hoard the backcountry here. I'm sure China and Korea are no different.

Edit…Now that the picture is down, I'd better remove my post. Taken out of context…well…it might just attract a whole new breed of enthusiast to the GGG.

It's only Doug. Fairly harmless.

UNCLE!

Alright. What did I miss ken?

Michael, it's hard to describe. It was huge and white with some kind of musk ox wool on it. It came from the sky and plunged into the water. Only a few of us saw it and it's an experience we will never forget.

Et tu Kat?

Judas?

No, I think it was Brutus, wasn't it? Et tu Brute? (said by Caesar?)

Yup. I f'd that one up pretty good.
Brutus?????? More like a little Olive Oyl:)

This offends my sensibilities, but.

By popular demand.

I don't know about the rest of you, but, nice legs, Doug! And there is a kind of Michelangelo quality to the finger, wouldn't you say?

I think Doug got the Clelland UL finger wrong there. It's the pinky, Doug, not the index finger!

"Christopher, in the second photo, is that Telescope Peak on the left in the background?

The stack was left from the mining/smelting operations from 100 years ago.

–B.G.–"

Had to ask my friend but he said no. He went to the highest mine (Wyoming Mine) in the area and he still couldn't see it.

Ken, I think that photo needs a caption contest! :)

And no offense meant to Doug in any way!

"Hey Ken! Pull my finger!"

:0

Great.

By the way, in the foreground, is that the elusive Abominable Cyclops hunched over with its eye shut?

Oh, and nice black racing stripes on the base layer shirt, Doug!

"The laundromat is right over there"

@Miguel. I'm not tellin'

"What? Bear Grylls says this is the fastest way to re hydrate"

My apologies to Doug.

As I approached Sunrise High Sierra Camp in Yosemite on my first day of the JMT, I passed a young guy hiking in a tux that looked like it came from the thrift store and a girl in a prom dress. Both were carrying packs. I inquired as to what was going on and they said there was an party going on at the camp for the park concessions staff. Apparently it is an annual tradition for the staff to party in the woods on the full moon in August. The gathering was somewhere on the other side of the meadow but it sounded like a high school house party next door until 3 in the morning. So if you ever want to experience prom outdoors, come dressed to impress to Sunrise Camp on a full moon in August.

The guy was setting traps for the squirrels. And also using an air rifle.

I remember them quite vividly and discussing the whole commune thing. Very nice people.

I recall that stretch of trail (both south of Etna and north) to be a really good experience (heck, even Etna was).

Dirk

"Your butt needs to be this high for this thing to work….."

I think I am going to gouge out my eyes with my spork. ;)

–louis

A red headed young lady walking in the Purgatory trail going to the animas river in Colorado's Weminuche wilderness … in a tiger stripe bikini and flip-flops. Kind of like a syren beckoning me further into the wilderness though she was at the RV Park next to the trailhead on 555- maybe I need a travel trailer or a 1970's love van. Pre-camera for me so nothing to really share, but at least the rest of you have Doug, nude aging hippies, and Rambo types in loin-clothes :)

My wife an i were doing the arctic circle trail in Greenland, we were 4 days from the nearest town, and we stumbled on 2 scouts making love…,
Bad luck for them when you consider you can walk days without seeing anyone there :p

I was on my first SUL attempt (well not quit SUL but I got close) and my brother was on his first UL trip with all his stuff in a daypack. We camped next to a group of boys scouts with their heavy tents etc. The next morning we chatted with the leaders while we ate breakfast. One boy, I'd guess about 13 came out of his tent wearing a steel World War II helmet painted organge. Somehow I never managed to ask "why?!?" Tents, fancy pads, I get all that, but a steel helmet?