by Phil » Wed Jun 01, 2016 3:32 pm
It's as AT says. Party Central a lot of the time, thefts, graffiti, vandalism, selfish and rude behavior, drug and alcohol-fueled douchery, occasional fights, garbage, no etiquette, a generally less savvy and sophisticated crowd than you would find most elsewhere...and yes indeed, bears that have two main behavioral traits: unbelievable stealth, and conditioning to where they have no fear of humans, don't care because of it, and are more like pushy scavenging dogs than wild animals. To be fair, not everyone is like that at all, but it's where the culture of backpackers and people that probably should've just car camped and saved everyone a lot of grief meet. Basically though, LYV is like living in too close a proximity next to bad neighbors in apartments without walls. So many people together are bound to lead to problems, and it does, in one form or another, too often.
No, Meb, we've never, ever had any problem of consequence with anyone the further out of the Valley and LYV we've gone. People usually greet you in the backcountry as kindred spirits with a common bond. We leave each others stuff alone because we want our stuff left alone, we want our own space and as much of a quality "wilderness experience" as we can get, and we've put in the effort so we're empathetic to others that have too. We might all want the best campsite, but we have a higher level of respect for one another and nature because we don't have much choice but to be part of it and make it all work together. It's much harder to screw someone over that you've maybe met even briefly in passing or that you share a common interest with than it is a stranger that you couldn't even be bothered to look at and say 'hello' to.
And yes, I'm talking about the HD quota. LYV shouldn't be about a mad dash for just anyone as soon as dates open up, it should be solely reserved for backpackers that need a stopover on the way out from somewhere else...and that shouldn't include walking up from the Valley and taking two days to day-hike Half Dome instead of just one (watch that quota demand drop like a rock then!) Just like backpacker's camps. If people want to camp there, do the work to get there and appreciate it more. The bear problems would all but disappear. The crowds would diminish, as well as the law enforcement requirements that go with it. And who knows, it might actually become a natural environment again and be a better place for that reason alone.