Meet up hike Saturday......with 63 people??

cheriej2042

So for the new year I said I would try some new things. Some of my friends do all sorts of things with different meet up groups. So I looked up my local one and they had one called Big Hikes where they do some of the better known longer and sometimes more challenging hikes. I have done a lot of these hikes many times over the years but haven’t been back in a while so I thought might be worth it so I joined this Sat hike. Then I see today 63 people are signed up for it😳. I don’t think that many people can fit in the trailhead parking lot! Idk I’m thinking of cancelling and just doing the hike on my own but just starting earlier. It’s not that I couldn’t keep up but that many people it just seems like it would take away from what I like about hiking which is enjoying nature without a lot of noise. Then again I want to try new things and I would meet new people, so should I just go and see what happens??

aokoye

63 people sounds beyond miserable. I would go with your option of cancelling and doing it on your own. I can appreciate wanting to try new things and meet new people, but there are a lot of different ways to do that.

hesn92

Maybe all those people wont end up coming. I agree that sounds ridiculous, way too many people. I'm not a fan of doing things like that in groups anyway. I want to go at my own pace. That many people thrown together just get annoying IMO. I might still go just to say I did, and then if it ends up not being your cup of tea, don't do it again and find another way to meet people.

ritzvin

Generally, a better organizer will put a cap and waiting list on a hike - for one, you don't want to cause excessive trail damage & 2, parking will be an issue. If no penalty for no shows, then likely many will drop out, but still will probably be too many people for a decent hike IMO. (Good organizers often also post a carpool meetup spot and time before the hike start if parking is likely to be an issue).

spartan_d

As a runner, I find these large groups annoying. One of the local hiking clubs has these huge groups that take up the entire width of the park trails. They don't give way when a runner comes toward them, and even if they did, it would take a while for the entire group to make room for a single runner.

Admittedly, this is their fault rather than a problem with large groups in general. Proper hiking etiquette says that you shouldn't occupy the entire width of the path. In other words, always leave room for people to pass you or to approach from the opposite direction. Despite having existed for more than a century though, this particular hiking club has horrible trail etiquette.

kenyonhaff

It depends how well this group is organized. I've done Cub Scout hikes with this amount of people. So this certainly can be done.

The key thing is having smaller sub-groups with experienced, organized people. It's easy to lose a person in a crowd of 60, but in a group of 5-7, not as much.

Also, in a group that size, the groups need to find alternate routes (faster stronger hikers might do a more vigorous route than slower ones), stagger trailhead times, or one group goes one way around the lake, the other heads the other, and meet up for lunch on the other side of the lake.

Carpooling is important, especially if trailhead parking is tight. It's also a check on missing hikers. ("Wasn't Carl sitting next to you?")

cwolfman13

I'm surprised there wasn't a limit. I used to do a lot of meetup stuff, and there's was almost always a participation limit. No way in hell would I go hiking with 63 people...personally, I can't even imagine what that would even look like on our mountain trails unless it was very staggered.

lorrpb

It sounds like a big group. Not everyone will show up. Some people will likely carpool to the trailhead do you won’t have 63 cars. People will spread out and break into subgroups. Go and see how it works out and if you want to join future outings. Have fun!