I live in Utah. The majority of my experience hiking on and off trails comes from hiking peaks on Forest Service and BLM in the Mountain West region. I recently started doing the state high points and took my first trip to the East Coast this last week. I hiked Katahdin in Maine and Washington in NH and spent some time on a few other trails in the region.
My question for everyone: Have you experienced a difference between East Coast and West Coast hiking: either the trails themselves or in the mentality of the locals?
Some of my thoughts about East Coast hiking as a West Coaster:
1. It is dang near impossible to lose the trail.
a. Trees and underbrush grow in so thick that you would need a machete or chainsaw to get off the trail. This was the case for the vast majority of the trails I was on below treeline.
b. The trails are all spray painted with color coded paint markings every 10-20 feet. On trees in the forest and on boulders above tree line.
c. Every trail intersection was signed with mileage.
d. There are ranger stations along the trail including stores where you can purchase equipment and food.
2. The Carins are ridiculously tall and close together.
3. The spray paint seems excessive and detracts from the experience.
4. Spray paint on a Carin seems even more ridiculous and excessive.
5. The locals all tried to convince me of how serious their mountains are and that having experience on other mountains doesn't really prepare you for their mountains.
6. The forest service land in the East is managed more like National Park Service Land.
7. There are a lot of cops in New Hampshire (especially for a state with a motto like "Live Free or Die").
8. It seems like the same problems you could get yourself into on a mountain in the West would get you into trouble on a mountain in the East - bad weather, ill preparation, lightning, dehydration, etc.
9. Hiking in the East is beautiful. Their forests are not all dying from bark beetle infestations/ fire suppression / drought / etc.
10. Timberline at 4000 feet is kinda cool.
11. They want you to "rock-hop" above timberline to not crush the wildflowers - but in doing so you are crushing all the poor little lichen species. Lichen have a tough time growing up there too >.<
Please share your thoughts.