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[butitsadryheat]

Sierras

[Bob Sihler]

So no real suprises here, but it does look like places like the midwest are heavy in people and light in mountains and vice versa for places like the Rockies. Either way though it looks like you can make a case to divide up the CA forum.

Thanks for doing that legwork; it's both helpful and interesting.

Right now, if I do anything, I'll separate Utah.

I really, really, really don't want to split California, but if there were a big demand for it, I would consider it. It would be a ton of work sorting existing threads, especially the Sierra ones. It would almost make more sense to split the Sierra Nevada from the rest of CA, but even that could be problematic or at least tedious.

[Bob Sihler]

On a more serious note, the real question is: what's the advantage of sorting into boards? Is it to keep people within socializing distance together? (Then split N/S CA by all means, but why not have a Chicago Board, a DC Board, an Atlanta Board, and so on.) Is each board a driving radius board? The LA people drive to the Sierras, so keep CA together.

And in either case the Midwest board is too big. Those of us in the Great Lakes mostly recreate in the Great Lakes on weekends; when we go to Texas or the Dakotas (also Midwest board) for big trips we might also go to Northern Rockies or Colorado.

I know the Midwest board is often quiet. But so is Africa and some other international boards. It doesn't cost anything to add a board.

I think the advantage of having more specific boards is to help people find information more easily, not to group populations. Although I live in the East, I rarely look at that board, but I check the Northern Rockies frequently.

To me, the driving reason to split should be traffic. So while I see the sense in splitting the Midwest and the East, I don't see that the traffic justifies the additional sorting. It's not to say that it won't happen; this thread is about finding out if there's much interest in these ideas at all. No, it doesn't cost anything to add a board, but there can be a fine line between variety and clutter, and I want to avoid going overboard, ha ha.

[butitsadryheat]

especially the Sierra ones.

You mean the ones about the Sierras?

[MarkDidier]

I think the advantage of having more specific boards is to help people find information more easily, not to group populations. Although I live in the East, I rarely look at that board, but I check the Northern Rockies frequently.

To me, the driving reason to split should be traffic. So while I see the sense in splitting the Midwest and the East, I don't see that the traffic justifies the additional sorting. It's not to say that it won't happen; this thread is about finding out if there's much interest in these ideas at all. No, it doesn't cost anything to add a board, but there can be a fine line between variety and clutter, and I want to avoid going overboard, ha ha.

Bob - My original post on separating the East had more to do with finding information than on traffic. From an eastern standpoint it seems that a good many posts are either about northern New England or the southern Appalachians - not a lot in between. Again, two geographically totally separate areas. When I go to the eastern forum it is usually for info on the latter, not the former.

If it is going to be a lot of work to separate them then I would agree to just leave well enough alone. Most of us know where to go searching for info, or (more imporatantly sometimes) who to PM .

[Bubba Suess]

I say leave California whole but create a separate forum for "Baldy Conditions".

Not that this is relevant to splitting any of the forums up or not, but I really, really think that Arkansas does not belong in the Midwest forum. It has more to do with southeast than it does the Midwest. I know it share the Ozarks with a nominally Midwestern state (Missouri), but still, it is totally out of place in that forum.

[Kiefer]

Since I haven't seen anyone suggest it and there's usually a lot of questions or curiosity regarding this time of year,
how about a seperate forum regarding winter climbing and all that it includes?
Between all 4 seasons, winter really is its own thing; seperate clothing, seperate hiking/climbing rules,
seperate food/gear issues, seperate safety concerns etc.

[Buz Groshong]

So no real suprises here, but it does look like places like the midwest are heavy in people and light in mountains and vice versa for places like the Rockies. Either way though it looks like you can make a case to divide up the CA forum.

Thanks for doing that legwork; it's both helpful and interesting.

Right now, if I do anything, I'll separate Utah.

I really, really, really don't want to split California, but if there were a big demand for it, I would consider it. It would be a ton of work sorting existing threads, especially the Sierra ones. It would almost make more sense to split the Sierra Nevada from the rest of CA, but even that could be problematic or at least tedious.

I doubt I'm the only one, but I go to the Southwest Board from time to time mostly to look at stuff about southern Utah. I also look at stuff about AZ when I'm there. To me splitting out Utah doesn't make sense - what would make sense (but not really) would be to split off northern Utah and add it to the Rockies. As Fletch points out, you can't really go by where people live - the vast majority of those who post on the South America board don't live there.

[ZeeJay]

My vote would be to split out Utah. I live in Utah and almost never travel anyplace else, so being lumped in with Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and especially Texas, does nothing for me. But, I can see how non Utahns might like southern Utah lumped with Arizona and New Mexico, but I for one would not.

[WouterB]

I'd love to see a gear selling section for Europe. I'm always looking for stuff, but every single time I click on gear I need, it's in the US. An extra column in the title displaying the sellers location would do too!

[JasonH]

I'd love to see a gear selling section for Europe. I'm always looking for stuff, but every single time I click on gear I need, it's in the US. An extra column in the title displaying the sellers location would do too!

Sounds like your asking for a forum with nothing in it.

[Marmaduke]

Could you add a "totally confused" board for those SPers like me?

[lcarreau]

My vote would be to split out Utah. I live in Utah and almost never travel anyplace else, so being lumped in with Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and especially Texas, does nothing for me. But, I can see how non Utahns might like southern Utah lumped with Arizona and New Mexico, but I for one would not.

I travel to Utah and Nevada quite frequently. My vote would be to split Utah into a Northwest part and a Southeast part.

The southeast portion could remain with the Southwest, while the northwest portion should belong
with the Rocky Mountain states.

In my opinion, it wouldn't be GOOD to divide up the Colorado Plateau, except for the Colorado piece that belongs to Colorado anyway. The rest should belong to the Southwest forum.

[lcarreau]

Based on the current set up North America has the following "subdivisions: