I'm sure that anyone reading this has the consideration for others on the mountains to use headphones when listening to their music. I was on Mt. Langley on Sunday at the first cairn about a mile from the summit around 8:30AM; it was a beautiful calm quiet morning and I was having a snack while appreciating everything around me and feeling so grateful to be there. Just then I hear a thump thump thumping of a subwoofer and some wonderful gangsta rap getting louder and more intrusive on my experience. A small group is heading up the steep trail towards me and one of them has a portable speaker connected to an iphone in his pack blasting eminem as they hike. By time they got to me it was LOUD. I was staring at them in disbelief as they smiled at me and said hi and kept walking. I asked the man with the phone if he could turn off the music so that I could enjoy the solitude please. He looked a little surprised and disappointed at the confrontation as if he had no idea that anyone would object to his cool tunes.
I have to say, I don't care if the music is to my liking.. be it classical or classic rock; where are the freaking headphones? Do I really have to say something up there in the quiet mountains to someone to turn it down? Doesn't anyone have the forethought about why people go to nature and the high mountains where we have to train and work hard to enjoy the solitude? Where is the consideration for others? I have seen this a few times, more recently on Half Dome and Mt Baldy and it wasn't even pleasant music it was awful pop or harsh rap. Like I said I don't care what kind of music it is, turn it off or use headphones, I am listening to natures pure sweet music already! These are the kind of people who read their texts while driving and don't give a darn about how they are driving like a drunk. Then when you point it out to them they get testy and act like you are stomping all over their rights or something. Seriously how much thought does it take to figure this out?
Anyway, I have finished my rant and now I feel better... But in the future I will NOT hesitate to point out the fact that headphones are the way to go because I DO NOT think your music is better than nature's sweet solitude that I worked my a** off to get up to and enjoy.

Many safe hikes!

-Dan

I honestly don't believe that my way of enjoying the solitude of the outdoors is better than anyone elses, or that my way is the "right way" to enjoy a good hike or backpacking trip, but when your way of enjoying yourself starts to encroach on my way, that's when I tend to get a little testy with people on trails. I'll always try to look past it or just deal with it, but I've asked people to do the same thing when it's just outright obnoxious.

Yeah I know that my way isn't the right way for everyone or that I know what's best or anything but it would be hilarious for someone blasting their music to think that solitude is encroaching on their volume level! Hehe.
Of course I only speak up when it's obnoxious too but I just needed to vent a little here!

Cheers, Dan

I hear you. That's also one of my pet peeves too.

Just this past Sunday, I had 4 people go by me on Mt Diablo with music playing through speakers. Not the same as the wilderness, but still very inconsiderate to other hikers IMHO.

I always pack earphones for when I'm watching a video at camp after a hard day's hike. Only time I don't use them is when I'm sure there are no other people anywhere within miles of me.

Never complained, but probably would if I was in the wilderness somewhere and someone came by with music blaring.

I was leading a group of 5 a few years ago. Along a narrow trail with a dropoff somewhere on the JMT, a young man was charging up the hill wearing earbuds.

I could not hear his music, but he was oblivious to me and the coming possible collision unless he looked up and paid attention.

Concerned about getting bumped off, I was miffed , so I yanked the earbuds off his head and said, "listen to the rocks!"

He seemed non-plussed. "Oh, I have seen this before." Maybe he was stoned, and I don't mean the rock type.

I like to listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan's live from Carnegie Hall version of the Jimi Hendrix classic, "Voodoo Child," and Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" at basecamp to psyche me up for the uphills and downhills. Believe it or not, I also play the tune from "Patton."

You will never see me with earbuds on the trail.

Apparently not everyone (I do like some SRV). I've been around fairly large groups of "hikers" often fairly close to a trail head who are loud , boisterous (now there's a word), and having all kinds of fun. Perhaps they'd appreciate nature more if they sat quietly on a rock.