I celebrate the fact that a large number of my fellow Americans choose to enjoy and avail themselves of our national parks. I wish that some of them were considerate and aware of the reasons why people such as myself go into the wilderness. I know that many of them are there to share life with their families. Unless they invite me to join their festivities, a few pieces of etiquette should be remembered. You are not the only camper, and you are not the only living thing in the campground, and we are apt to disrupt nature when we go to enjoy it. Our world is not harmonious with the still of the wild, and that's why I go there, to re harmonize with the way life actually flows.
Flashlights should be pointed at the ground. The first night in Sequoia, we looked to the sky to see the Perseid Meteor Shower. Frequently, people would shine their flashlights right in our eyes, as if they expect to find a highwayman at 6000 feet in an organized campground. You can find your way just fine by pointing it at the ground. You do not need to know everything about your neighboring campers, and the lights are annoying if you're trying to watch for something in the woods or the sky or if it's time to turn in for the night. Children I can understand. The adults should learn to respect the fact that when it's night it's supposed to be dark, and I like that about the wilderness.
Noise should be kept to a reasonable rumble during reasonable hours. Our last night, we heard the resonant bark of a DOG in the distance. The group camp was loud, but they desisted from their libations by around 9:30PM, which was perfectly reasonable. In fact, most of the campers at Dorst Campground were respectful as per noise. In fact, it was so quiet, that when the first people stirred forth some mornings, it seemed loud compared to the absolute stillness of the woods. However, if you happen to meet a black bear, noise is the appropriate response. You can tell that the wildlife are unaccustomed to people because they do not seem stirred by us. The still of nature, the cry of the wind, and the whisper of the trees are easily drown out by the din of noise we carry along with us betimes. The Utahans are typically the worst, bringing their iPODs along for music along the trails.
Pack out more than you brought with you. There is always trash in the wilderness. As might as the forest is, some of the things we bring are either toxic or of a material type that the wild cannot easily recycle the materials we leave behind. I found it sad to see so much trash lying around in the Sequoias despite the abundance of trash receptacles and the percentage of beatniks in the park, particularly when there is such a problem with bears. Additionally, it makes me sad because our first day we reached a peak from which we could see the ghastly cloud of smog from the California coast, the effects of which are felt in the park. Fortunately for Sequoias, they seem to benefit by so-called manmade "global warming", but I digress. The trash doesn't belong there, and I filled my pockets with wrappers, cigarette butts, and other garbage, some of which made it all the way into the drier at home. Leave it so that others can enjoy it when you leave.
When Teddy Roosevelt envisioned the Park System, he did so with the idea that it may be preserved for future generations to enjoy. Although not technically a legitimate function of government, I am happy to support the NPS so that other people can see and appreciate the wonderful things I have been blessed to experience. Our intrusions into nature with the conveniences of modernity disrupt nature. The suggestions made here are there to help us harmonize with and benefit from our visits in the wilderness. I forget who said it, but there is a quote at the northernmost visitor center about the notion that wilderness is for the preservation of the human spirit. It's for us to reconnect with what is truly in OUR nature as well. I really liked that the park had no internet or cell service. It allowed me to unplug from the distractions of the digital age and remember the joys and happiness when I was a boy and my father took us camping to enjoy things to please the eye, gladden the heart, and enlarge the soul. As you keep these ideas in mind, you will harmonize better and help others re synchronize with the earth from whence we sprang.
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