It is pretty obvious to me from the above two posts that you will find a full spectrum of opinions here and in the world...
bill-e-g wrote:
> I cannot tell you how disappointed I was... Darwin Canyon lost all it allure to me then... esp. since ended up seeing a number of people in the Canyon and Bench.
I personally don't mind encountering significant numbers of people on the trails. For those who want to find solitude in the wilderness, I say "Don't expect to find solitude on any trail. All you have to do is make a right-angle turn and walk a quarter mile!"
So many times, I have been nearly unable to get a permit, or have gotten the last one, and then hiked into my destination and found nobody around for a few miles. Yes, it's solitude, but that sure isn't high on my priorities.
Fishmonger wrote:
> What I do not comprehend is that people willingly hike up this thing without a harness and carabiners to clip into the cables.
And I, on the other hand, am one of those who walks up on the outside of the north cable, and zips down on the outside of the south-side cable. No gloves on the way up, to get a better grip, and leather gloves on the way down to get a smoother slide on the cable.
