Let's Talk About Overcrowding at the ZNP

[oldno7]

Now days many (maybe even most?) of the NPS workers are unpaid volunteers.

You're thinking blue color...

I'm thinking starting at the top, thats where the largest waste lies.

And not just personnel but un necessary programs.

And yes, I would volunteer my time to delve out the much needed cuts...

[Scott P]

And not just personnel but un necessary programs.

Examples?

I have to admit I miss the old campfire programs they used to have.

[tallsteve]

I have to admit I miss the old campfire programs they used to have.

Timp Cave (a National Monument), still holds these every Monday night. We've taken our family to several of them. The most interesting ones were about the rattlesnakes found in the canyon and another one on the history of the canyon. Very worthwhile.

[Rob L]

It's not only a problem in the US NPS. The world is suffering from tourism overload (too many people having too much time and too much money).

Recent example in Spain:

Barcelona unveils new law to keep tourists away.
Barcelona is likely to give the go-ahead today to new legislation aimed at curbing tourism. The law would limit the construction of hotels and stop licenses being issued to new tourist accommodation rentals, and would remain in place until arrivals to the city fall to more a manageable number.

Last year, an estimated 32 million tourists visited Barcelona, far outnumbering its 1.6 million residents. Anyone who has been in recent years will have witnessed the crowds on its most famous drag, La Ramblas, and clogging up the Barri Gotic’s narrow streets.

But overcrowding aside, the city has been a victim of its own success, with strained resources and unsustainable property price increases causing tension among locals. In a city council survey last year, Barcelona residents said they thought tourism was a major problem in the city – second only to unemployment.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...tourists-away/

[Scott P]

On the plus side, it's great that people are getting out to enjoy the outdoors for exercise. At least that's applicable to the people who actually hike, bike, climb, etc.

[uintafly]

Simple supply and demand curve. Raise the prices a little. I have no problem with charging non citizens a higher fee also. I do a lot of out of state hunting, and the tags are always drastically more money. That's just life and how it goes, I don't feel like I'm being dealt with badly in any way

I think this is a good idea. I just paid around $35 for a 5 day fishing license in Idaho, which is about what I pay for a full year for my Utah resident license. Lots of other countries and cities do similar things for their tourist destinations. Should be pretty easy to say if you have a U.S. drivers license or passport or you pay twice the fee.

[twotimer]

Well, there's a few bucks being kicked to Zion.

While I was there, they were running a test of the new shuttle buses...big, modern, air conditioned and electric. They're too big for the loop right there at the VC shuttle stop, so they'll have to do some asphalt work.

One of the drivers told me they have 8 coming and 8 more on order. The old ones are falling apart. A couple I rode in sounded like they were not long for this world.

I was thinking about how much this park rakes in every day in the season and can't believe that it's not enough. I wonder what the budget for the park is...I'd like to see what they spend the money on.

[Sombeech]

I had this article bookmarked a while back as this thread reminded me of it: Is Instagram Ruining the Great Outdoors? https://www.outsideonline.com/216041...great-outdoors.

It’s stuff we mostly already know but it is good perspective on taking a 2nd thought about sharing the pictures online or telling people of directions on how to get there.

Social Media plays a part in getting people to the Great Outdoors, BUT...

The basic motive for posting images to social media from the outdoors, for MOST of the popular accounts, is the notion that going outdoors and into the mountains is somehow making you a better person, that the very act of going on a hike up a scenic trail was somehow being a better humanitarian.

The same goes for RUNNING for hell's sake. When you run, you are NOT FEEDING THE HUNGRY nor CURING CANCER. But for some damned reason, we think that Runners are selfless, giving humanitarians, offering their time and skills to build water canals for the desert villages.

When we honor the outdoorsy folks and equate them with humanitarians, THAT is the problem. We have this idea that a running girl in the picture on the scenic trail above the treeline is somehow donating 50% of her paycheck to Venezuelan orphans, when in reality she's running for a better ass.

Somebody who gets that SICK sunset shot of the Horseshoe bend is also saving the rain forests from their laptop when they're back home in their Seattle studio apartment sipping a Mocha from the local coffee shop (Not Starbucks!)

So with all that being said, everybody sees these SICKBRO photos online from their favorite Tiny House owner, and now they want to get that same shot and let everybody else know that they support baby Polar Bears just like the celebrities.

In the end, it's selfishness. I post a lot of photo and video online, so I've got a horse in this race, and yes I can legitimately say it's out of praise and selfishness. I'm not donating to any charities, and some of you know that I hate the outdoors.

If the photographer is truly taking the shot to remember the experience, they wouldn't share it online, they would just get it printed and hang it in their home.

Now, Mountain Bikers, on the other hand, they are not humanitarians. They are jackasses. Runners are heroes, bikers are irresponsible kids.

[uintafly]

In the runners defense Beech, a nice ass can cheer me up. If that's not humanitarian work, what is?

#vanlife

[jman]

Social Media plays a part in getting people to the Great Outdoors, BUT...

The basic motive for posting images to social media from the outdoors, for MOST of the popular accounts, is the notion that going outdoors and into the mountains is somehow making you a better person, that the very act of going on a hike up a scenic trail was somehow being a better humanitarian.

The same goes for RUNNING for hell's sake. When you run, you are NOT FEEDING THE HUNGRY nor CURING CANCER. But for some damned reason, we think that Runners are selfless, giving humanitarians, offering their time and skills to build water canals for the desert villages.

When we honor the outdoorsy folks and equate them with humanitarians, THAT is the problem. We have this idea that a running girl in the picture on the scenic trail above the treeline is somehow donating 50% of her paycheck to Venezuelan orphans, when in reality she's running for a better ass.

Somebody who gets that SICK sunset shot of the Horseshoe bend is also saving the rain forests from their laptop when they're back home in their Seattle studio apartment sipping a Mocha from the local coffee shop (Not Starbucks!)

So with all that being said, everybody sees these SICKBRO photos online from their favorite Tiny House owner, and now they want to get that same shot and let everybody else know that they support baby Polar Bears just like the celebrities.

In the end, it's selfishness. I post a lot of photo and video online, so I've got a horse in this race, and yes I can legitimately say it's out of praise and selfishness. I'm not donating to any charities, and some of you know that I hate the outdoors.

If the photographer is truly taking the shot to remember the experience, they wouldn't share it online, they would just get it printed and hang it in their home.

Now, Mountain Bikers, on the other hand, they are not humanitarians. They are jackasses. Runners are heroes, bikers are irresponsible kids.

Haha. Great post. I was literal LOLing at my desk at work.

I have friends that post every weekend about how glorious their vacation was to Zion, Moab, the lake, the mountains, and rarely add any substance to it.

Like for example, a friend of a friend posted a close-up post of herself and her two friends (all 3 ladies, blondes, and blue-eyed) at the Pyscho Block in Park City (the one where they rock climb that overhangs a Olympic size pool). The problem for me was they posted this picture with NO climbers actually climbing and captioned it with this, verbatim “Love watching these skilled climbers! Love PsicoBlock! #rockclimbing #hotgirls #BeUtahFul #ParkCity #ILoveTheOutdoors”

These girls know they are cute and are passively saying “look at these climbers” but the attention is ALL on the 3. It’s the breed that is starving for attention and thrive on the replies that say “wow, y’all are so hot” and “wow, beautiful eyes” etc. No comments on the event or the sport, etc. just all of the comments on the girls.

That stuff literally makes me lose my mind. They are the ones who want to be the instant celebrities, but have no reason to be famous.




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[Sombeech]

In the runners defense Beech, a nice ass can cheer me up. If that's not humanitarian work, what is?

#vanlife

Yeah but they'll rarely admit that's why they run. It's always some BS about "being free" or "giving my ALL to the run" or "finding my true self", but these are all second place next to trying to become more sexually attractive.

But eww, eww, girls don't like sex, ewwwww gross you pervert

[Sombeech]

Haha. Great post. I was literal LOLing at my desk at work.

[rockgremlin]

Yeah but they'll rarely admit that's why they run. It's always some BS about "being free" or "giving my ALL to the run" or "finding my true self", but these are all second place next to trying to become more sexually attractive.

But eww, eww, girls don't like sex, ewwwww gross you pervert

This is so true. They wanna look so hot in that outfit, but when I bring sex into the conversation I'm slapped and called a pervert. What the hell?