[pct-l] Help needed in Skykomish

[The Weathercarrot]

Nemo asked me to forward this to pct-l.

----Original Message Follows----
To: weathercarrot at hotmail.com
Subject: Can you post this on PCT-L for me Carrot?
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2006 12:30:21 -0700 (PDT)


   Dear Trail Family,

It has come to my attention that PCT trail angels Andrea and Jerry Dinsmore 
of Dinsmore's River Haven in Skykomish need our help. Earlier this year they 
had set aside about $20,000 to build a bunkhouse for hikers in their yard 
near the main house. They offer laundry, phone, kitchen use, inside 
sleeping, internet, showers, a hot tub and rides to and fro in a very remote 
location in Washington. They are currently overrun with us needy 
hikerttrash. They were excited about their dream coming true to have a cute 
little hostel above their garage and then their lives changed suddenly when 
a fire ravished their home. They lived in an RV and rebuilt and amazingly 
remained open to hikers this season despite their loss. This is truly a 
special couple.

They have a dream and now have very limited funds to see it through. They 
need help realizing it. Skykomish needs a hostel. Everyone is poor by the 
time they get there and the weather is a challenge. It is hypothermia 
central up there. Every hiker can benefit from the kind of love that Andrea 
and Jerry provide. They also deserve to have their living room to 
themselves! :) They refuse to turn anyone away. Jerry has also been known to 
sleep on the livingroom couch to give his bed to hiker couples. I heard of a 
couple hikers this year finding a twenty dollar bill in their packs from 
Jerry so they could afford to eat at the famous Stehekin Bakery. They 
shuttle hikers around without bother for compensation. They only ask for a 
donation you can afford in return. Without them, it would be impossible to 
eat or get around in that town. Feed the dream!

The plan is to set up a work party after snowmelt in June or so to build a 
simple wooden structure on a slab with TV, computer, fridge, clothes lines, 
map wall, bunks, desk and a few windows. This will be upstairs over the 
garage. They are asking for donations of money, time or materials. Any 
skilled and serious carpenters, architects, painters, finishers, 
electricians and handymen/women think they can take a week or so out of 
their lives next spring to make this happen? You will be given room and 
board, great food and will be in terrific company. I know that we are a 
ragtag bunch of roaming ramblers, us hikertrash, but this is a noble cause.

To help out, or find out more, email Andrea at buggy_boo69 at hughes.net. Tell 
her what you can do to help. Copy and paste and e-mail this message to any 
fellow members of our hiker trash family. Hopefully the Dinsmores will be at 
the ADZPCTKO in 2007 so if you haven't met them yet, you'll get a chance to. 
I am incredibly thankful to the Dinsmores for their kindness in sheltering 
me, the littlest hiker on the PCT in 2006 (except for Monkey), on some of my 
hardest days on the trail.

Sincerely,
NEMO
   AT 01/03, PCT 06