[pct-l] Water Caches - Pro and Con

[Ron Moak]

I suppose if we wanted to be environmentally pure, we fill our water at each
town stop and live off it until the next stop. After all we're no longer
able hunt for food along the trail, I don't suppose it's too great an
intellectual leap to argue that we should leave the little water available
in the deserts to indigenous populations. One could certainly argue that
have more environmental rights to the water than we do.

Oh wait, that's right, they don't vote. No vote, no say in the laws. Sucks
for them I guess.

Environmental purity matters aside for the moment, here's a few random
thoughts on the matter.

Off trail caches - Fine idea if they're placed within 50 or 100 yards of the
trail. Or what is most convenient for the maintainers. The only reason to
place caches 1/2 to a mile off trail is to punish hikers for hiking the way
some believe they should. Frankly considering some of the vitriol put forth
on this matter, I wouldn't be the least surprise to discover those pushing
this logic also tearing down signs directing people to the cache. All in the
name of a pristine wilderness trail of course. 

Are caches illegal - I'm not a lawyer and haven't a clue. I do know they
have been given a defacto legitimacy by the BLM. Which as far I know, still
maintains a cache at Bird Spring Pass. There's even a concrete water cache
at Pioneer Mal. Of course that's for the horses, so that's ok.

Anyone who's traveled through any of America's desert has dealt with
numerous caches (from truck feed tanks to small reservoirs) put in on
federal lands. Most of them are strictly for the benefit of grazing stock
animals. Any benefit we humans gain is purely tangential to purpose for they
are installed and maintained. 

There are even a few groups of "Really Nasty Vile Evil Do-Gooder's" running
across the deserts along the border installing water caches for illegal
aliens crossing into the US. Imagine the conundrum, illegal water for
illegal people, it literally boggles the mind. Bear in mind these caches are
often frequently sanctioned by both the land agency and the Border Patrol. 

One thing is fairly clear, over the years the number of hikers on the PCT
has increased. This does add stress to an already limited supply. It also
stresses local populations of plants and animals that don't have the luxury
of someone hauling in water to suit their needs. The increasing effects of
global warming and pollution are also likely to have significant impact on
water availability in coming years. 

Over the last decade caches have been pretty much an ad hoc affair, too
often subject to the whims of the maintainer. Sometimes they do have some
institutional support, often they are left to defend for themselves. Water
is the fundamental element of all life, and these people who work long hours
to install and maintain them, have literally given life. They don't need the
heaps of scorn placed on them by people with too much time exercising the
internet and too little exercising their brains. 

I realize that people would like to put the PCT into a time capsule that
doesn't one iota in the years following their great adventure. But the PCT
isn't anymore static than the landscape through which it meanders. It'll
constantly evolve and change as the environments change and as new armies of
boots stride along it. Each new generation of hikers will bring its own
unique sets of hopes and fears and hopefully along the way will find
something of enduring value that they'll pass along to those that follow. 

I do believe that due to increasing pressures that caches are likely to
remain a part of the landscape for some time to come. That doesn't mean that
there aren't good options available.

Over time perhaps a better method may be to establish a chain of buried
multi-gallon tanks at strategic places along the trail. They could be placed
where they are easy to refilled and maintain. It would certainly eliminate
the mess associated with existing caches. They would be little different
from the fire water caches that scattered around the desert and still used
by thru-hikers. There even used to be some private water tanks close to the
trail that were once used by hikers. Most I believe are no longer available.

All of you cache whiners can still bypass this miserable inconvenience, if
you so chose. Of course to ensure you're following a strict environmentally
friendly hike, you have also grown, hand woven, cut and sewn all of cloths
and gear from eco friendly materials. Plus you've grown, harvested, cooked
and dried all of your food. You have, haven't you!

Fallingwater