In fall of 2025 and outdoor creator suggested that if he says hi to women on the trail, they owe him a response. The video, originally posted on TikTok, began to be referred to as the “creepy hiker guy video.”
Women certainly don’t owe anyone anything on the trail. But as outdoor adventurer’s we do owe each other something. We owe each other a feeling of safety.
Implicitly, a feeling of safety is the idea that someone will render aid on the mountain if you are injured. If someone is explicitly creepy, that undermines the idea that they will render aid. And indeed, makes one feel like that person could be the threat…
Here is my full video on this topic:
The video response referred to here can be see at Mandy Rae.
–Jason D. Martin