What constitutes an emergency?
If I know there is a blizzard coming - and I drive into it -
with bald tires, 1/4 tank of gas, and no warm clothing -
is it an emergency?
U.S. and Canadian park services make it very clear that the crown jewel parks are swamped.
And the demand far exceeds supply of campsites, rooms, even entry in some cases.
Few, indeed, are the cyclists who cannot click on the park websites and see this clearly stated.
Thus, it requires planning - and, unfortunately, fixed schedules at times.
Hiker/biker campsites are an amazing benefit for cyclists.
And kudos to the national and state parks that have implemented them.
But they aren't a given - even though Adventure Cycling has worked for years to expand them.
For whatever reason, Banff and Jasper have not implemented hiker/biker campsites.
(One possible reason is the likelihood of misuse by transients and seasonal workers in the parks.
As with so many resort communities, there is a serious lack of housing for workers.)
I have lived in Wyoming for 30+ years - part of that time in Jackson.
I have seen the damage done to fragile environments by the crush of tourists.
I have friends in the park service and the stories they tell are mind-boggling.
Why are people gored by bison every year despite signs everywhere?
And it is exhausting for rangers.
One person camping in the woods overnight may not seem like much.
But when you multiply it by thousands - year in and year out -
the impact is serious and permanent. So, there can't be "exceptions".
The Bighorn Mountains have some of the most stunning wildflower meadows in the world.
It is national forest land, not national park - so there is significant dispersed camping.
When I was a kid, dispersed camping meant a station wagon parked at a turnout -
and a couple of tents that you carried in. (Unfortunately trenched.)
Now it is a caravan of giant RVs with ATVs and drit bikes tacked on.
The wildflowers meadows are being destroyed.
People drive these monstrosities out into the middle of the meadows - -
so they can see all the flowers ?!?!?!?!?
And destroy them in the process.
I think the expression is - "Loving our wild places to death."
So many species are on the brink of extinction.
Not just fuzzy animals like bears and wolves, but insects, amphibians, plants.
National parks are one of the few places with stringent protections.
Those protections need to be observed.
Photo - Bighorn Wildflowers, Late June
