Took a spin round the mountain this weekend

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
06/29/2020 at 12:00 • Filed to: what did I do this weekend? Im glad you asked!

Took a loop on the Alpine Scenic byway this Saturday to do a hike my wife has been wanting to do for a long time. The Cruiser is a poor canyon carver but it loves these mountains.

The busiest hike I’ve ever been on...constantly moving over on the trail. Can I tell you how disappointed I am with the quality of hikers today? Not to hold the general public to too high a standard but the number of people in flip flops and tank tops holding gallon jugs of water listening to a Bluetooth speaker loudly from their string backpack while completely ignoring keep right, allow to pass or any other trail etiquette was shockingly high. so you know it was a 4-mile roundtrip with lots of rocks and elevation change in the heat. Not a casual hike per se. In fact, there are so many people getting to trouble on this trail that there was a volunteer group at the waterfall to provide EMS and first aid. I guess they are pretty busy on the weekends . I guess Still worth it.

It wasn’t the weekend I had hoped for. I was planning to see if I could do a quick trip to someplace to do some wheeling but given that it would have been a class b misdemeanor for me to leave my house between the time of testing and results that I wasn’t sure that I would be able to do anything. I found out Saturday morning that I am negative so thankfully I was able to do something.

Had a great picnic, had a great hike, had a great drive. I freaking love the mountains...even full of idiots.

DISCUSSION (18)

jminer > HammerheadFistpunch
06/29/2020 at 12:19

I’ll join you with my inner old man yelling at people that don’t know how to properly hike!

I mean it’s good they’re getting outside but wear proper gear and no damn music - you’re here to enjoy the outdoors! I first came across a couple people with a bluetooth speaker playing music a couple years ago and it absolutely blew my mind.

On a nice day with other people being light on gear won’t get you killed but you never know when that’ll change. I n ever go out without a basic first aid kit, water, fire starter, gps and knife.

Those are some beautiful pictures though, thanks for sharing!

The Ghost of Oppo > HammerheadFistpunch
06/29/2020 at 12:21

Nothing says “ I love and respect the tranquility of nature” more than a bluetooth speaker.

HammerheadFistpunch > The Ghost of Oppo
06/29/2020 at 12:24

it used to be an anomaly , but it’ s common now. An interesting observation I’ve made: Whenever there is a group and someone is playing music, that group is always quiet and no one looks like they are having a good time. Music is an effective conversation killer on the trail it turns out. It’ s almost without fail that I notice the correlation .

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > HammerheadFistpunch
06/29/2020 at 12:25

listening to a Bluetooth speaker loudly from their string backpack

This absolutely bugs the shit out of me. I am on a hike because I want to enjoy nature and get away from the commotion of the world. If you just have to listen to music while hiking put in some earbuds. I feel like people keep getting less and less courteous to those around them, it’s all “me, me, me, me, me”

TheRealBicycleBuck > HammerheadFistpunch
06/29/2020 at 12:26

He’ll be comin’ ‘round the mountain when he comes....

Yeah, ok. Sorry about that.

While I love having a bluetooth speaker for use in the workshop, I hate the fact that these little portable wonders have invaded the rest of our lives. I’ve had to deal with inconsiderate a-holes on bikes, in parks, on trails, on subways, in the streets - basically anywhere and everywhere. Look, people, I get that you want a little entertainment, but there’s a time and a place and anytime that there are other people around that may not want to hear the explicit lyrics of your favorite song, you should probably do the right thing and turn it down. Or even better, put on some headphones or just turn it off.

HammerheadFistpunch > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
06/29/2020 at 12:28

we had 2 instances of very inconsiderate groups on the trail so much so that we had to tell them so. Which is very high for me. One group was hiking behind us and since we had kids we were moving leisurely, and the group said “oh come on, seriously?!” loud enough so we could all hear it. We let them pass and then passed them at least 3 times on the trail as they were sitting in the shade resting and we strolled past only for them to pass us again later . We finished the trail at the same time. The other time we had pulled off the trial to let the uphill group come past us and a group behind us went around us and through the uphill group. The uphill group called them out which was nice. I wish I knew a way to at least inform new hikers what courtesy on the mountain is.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > HammerheadFistpunch
06/29/2020 at 12:33

Not to get into my wife’s gig of psycho-analysis, but it’s possible that “social networking” actually has killed their ability to communicate one-on-one in real life . To “compensate” they may be dragging along the music to grout over the emptiness (and awkward silence) of no longer being able to relate meaningfully to each other. The music could be the symptom... Social dysfunction could be the disease.

Or, they could just be inconsiderate d-bags.

HammerheadFistpunch > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
06/29/2020 at 12:34

I get that. When you know exactly what everyone has been doing everyday for years...even to the point of what they are eating...what is there to talk about? Thing is...social media is not who a person is. Its who a person wants to be.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > HammerheadFistpunch
06/29/2020 at 12:41

I started noticing the blue tooth speaker this winter on the skin track. I hate it unless it’s just me alone.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > HammerheadFistpunch
06/29/2020 at 12:43

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I absolutely think this nails it. The whole “Instagram one-upsmanship” of trying to show YOU living YOUR BEST LIFE is absurd. And, I tend to think the whole selfie-stick-culture and idiots on ledges they have no business being on takes it to the next level—— It’s all some aspirational “who I want to be” thing. Plus you get this kinda nutty stuff...

Kinja'd!!!

PowderHound > HammerheadFistpunch
06/29/2020 at 12:51

Do they make bluetooths jammers? I would love one of those for the ski lift

HammerheadFistpunch > PowderHound
06/29/2020 at 13:08

They s ure do! And they sure are illegal!

PowderHound > HammerheadFistpunch
06/29/2020 at 13:18

Dang! All the fun stuff is illegal

HammerheadFistpunch > PowderHound
06/29/2020 at 13:18

I guess you can make one, tempting but pass. I’ll just talk loudly over their music. or sign my own songs. Analog jamming.

PowderHound > HammerheadFistpunch
06/29/2020 at 13:31

While it would be somewhat nice to have it would just be another thing to shove in my pockets that takes up valuable snack space. I’m pretty good at just tuning other people out.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch
06/29/2020 at 15:04

T his is, in my mind, the quintessential start of summer drive if you live in the Salt Lake-Provo region. I think we did it yearly when I was a child. We always called it “The Alpine Loop”. When I got older and could drive it myself, I usually did a detour down to Cascade Springs (and out-and-back in a normal car, or there’s a trail over to Heber Valley near Soldier Hollow if you have a suitable vehicle) before returning and finishing the route.

The mid-summer drive of that area in my mind is the High Uintas route from Kamas (get jerky in Samak !) to Evanston.

The funny thing this reminds me of is how rare wild plants with edible fruit are up there. Around here, you can barely turn around without finding some edible fruit this time of year.

HammerheadFistpunch > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
06/29/2020 at 15:16

The alpine loop, correct. I usually like to do Cascade springs, but the road on this end is closed to be repaved completely. I also really like adding in the cummings parkway over the mountains, but thats a much bigger drive.

Also yes to mirror lake highway...its on the list.

Stef Schrader > HammerheadFistpunch
06/30/2020 at 02:05

Man, that’s beautiful.