Vent: guy on the Eagle Rock loop in Arkansas told me my route plan was 'a death wish' and then just walked off
Said it at the junction near the Little Missouri Falls trailhead back in April, and I've replayed it in my head on every trip since. What do you all do when someone trashes your route with zero actual details?
Ugh, that kind of drive-by judge stuff gets under my skin more than actual bad advice would. Years back I was coming down off a ridge in the Ozarks and some guy at a water source looked at my pack, looked at my shoes, and just shook his head real slow like I'd personally let him down. Didn't say one word, just that head shake, and I stewed on it for miles. The thing that bugs me is he probably had a reason, maybe he knew the creek crossings were blown out or something, but he kept it to himself and left me with nothing but the vibe. So now when I catch myself wanting to shake my head at somebody, I just ask them where they're headed and say my piece plain, because being weird and silent at people is way worse than being wrong out loud.