[snowmonkey]

Has anyone noticed the recent advertisements from Honda? Free WTA membership with new car purchase.

[puzzlr]

Yes on the WTA related commercial. I skip through ads on my Tivo, but stopped and backed up when I saw a flash of a NW forest scene. I was surprised to see a WTA tie-in. Normally when I stop on a mountain scene it's showing a pickup truck bombing over steep terrain where it should never be in the first place. But the background vistas are beautiful.

[Pyrites]

Honda has signed up as the only $100k+ WTA corporate sponsor. Is it likely WTA made a deal to sign up new members up to that value? Most people will sign up for the electronic magazine. A certain percentage may continue when first year is up. Getting new members is an on-going project.

[joker]

While I lament how some areas are no longer refuges of solitude that they used to be, and that some areas are getting harder use than they used to (while others less hard, to be sure), it's hard for me to believe that it's bad for society that more people are getting out there. If they are "using it like a gym" does it mean they also don't get a dose of "forest bonding" and the like while out there? If they take selfies in front of amazing views and share them, can you be certain they don't also find moments of true bliss out there? As for environmental impacts, we have much bigger factors diminishing ecosystems; hiking is just a blip in this regard.

[slabbyd]

Despite supposedly have no budget and being wildly ineffective the Forest Service seems to do a fairly good job of keeping logging roads open. I wouldn't mind seeing a lot of roads decommissioned/let go. Adding subalpine mileage would significantly reduce crowding in a lot of simply overused areas. Imagine if any approach to Mt Baker involved an extra 5-7 miles of walking through forest. Or close off 8-mile road at Icicle Creek. Even gating Sunrise Min Road (adding ~2 gentle miles) would probably significantly reduce the impact on Vesper.

[Cyclopath]

[Cyclopath]

[peter707]

[peter707]

Random thought - I was always sort of curious about why human-powered bikes are disallowed, but energy storage via batteries or food or fuel is not banned in the wilderness. The current definition of wilderness isn't particularly elegant, other than the 'visitor but does not stay' part. One neat wilderness definition would be "no external energy import into the wilderness" What would a ban on external energy import / consumption in the wilderness look like? A 'mega-wilderness' designation? a) no bringing fuel? b) navigation systems / altimeters would have to be solar powered or map & compass? c) no bringing food? There would need to be medical exemption for diabetes and whatnot, but it seems like an interesting concept.

[Kim Brown]

[altasnob]

[Randito]

[Backpackapalooza]

Sorry but this is a dumb thread. There are many really busy trails into the wilderness and there are many trails that lead to incredibly remote wilderness areas that few ever visit. What's your point? Further, who cares. For most people, being in nature is good for their soul. This thread seems like one big trolling fest.

[Cyclopath]

[HitTheTrail]