As longtime fans of HCN, we were
deeply disappointed by the unprofessional reporting and
inflammatory tone of Sean Neilson’s “Writers on the Range”
column in the Aug. 2 issue. Neilson grossly mischaracterizes a
recent Backpacker article on Yellowstone,
accusing the magazine of three things: 1) Sending readers on
illegal routes; 2) Failing to mention backcountry hazards; and 3)
Recklessly encouraging readers to explore remote parts of the park.
If Neilson had bothered to call
Backpacker to fact-check his charges, he would
have learned a different set of facts. First, our author had
cleared the routes and campsites during several conversations with
park officials, including two with Anita Varley, the only source
Neilson cites in his column. (We later learned that one of the
areas was closed to camping but not hiking, and we immediately
informed readers.) Second, our story contains specific warnings
about bears and thermal areas and more than a dozen references to
“difficult route finding,” “miles of bushwhacking,” “thick grizzly
habitat,” and other hazards. Third, the very essence of backpacking
is exploring remote places, and no other magazine does more to help
readers do that safely than Backpacker.
We stand behind the service we provide to readers and
behind our author, Steve Howe, a 20-year veteran of Western outdoor
reporting. We’re saddened that HCN allowed
this one-sided attack to sully his reputation and ours.
Jonathan Dorn
Emmaus, Pennsylvania
The author is executive editor of Backpacker magazine.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Backpacker magazine responds.
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