truchas wrote:I think Backpacker makes those claims to keep the interest of the reader. The South San Juans are probably wilder than the Pecos.
I think they ought to try keeping the interest of the reader by having better content. I grew up in a subscriber household and used to love it. They would usually have a reasonably in depth article on a certain destination, a good topical discussion of some other types of destinations and the weekend wilderness section, in addition to all the technique stuff. One of my favorites as a kid was an article called "Lost Mountains", some of which are here on Summitpost. Others, like the Ferris Mountains in Wyoming are still anonymous. The peaks around the South Fork of the Rio Honda near Wheeler were one of the featured areas.
Now, Backpacker has "the Best National Park Trails Ever" or some such claptrap. Any article on a particular area has to be about "the journey through it" rather than about the great backpacking that can be done there. It is so disappointing but I still subscribe, hoping things improve.
And now, as I step off my soapbox...