[pct-l] PCTA Membership

[Bob Sartini]

That's of course if you own and drive a car and use gasoline at all. 
Otherwise I guess you shouldn't join unless the price of shoes come down.

"EVERYTHING is in walking distance,"
    ......Bamboo Bob
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sly" <hikertrash at gmail.com>
To: "ed faubert" <edfaubert at yahoo.com>
Cc: <BillBatch at cox.net>; <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 11:57 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] PCTA Membership


> Thanks to the drop in the price of gas, the price a 1 year membership is
> saved in1 or 2 fill ups.  That said, it would be nice if the PCTA
> offered the lower $20 membership fee low income beyond the initial 1st 
> year.
>
> If you hike the trail there's no excuses not to join.
>
> Sly
>
>
> ed faubert wrote:
>> What with the present econony looking so bleak, good luck........ For 
>> years when folks had much more money to spend and they still did not 
>> support the PCTA how can you think they would do so now.  A few years ago 
>> they tried to get hikers to become life time members by spreading the 
>> cost out over 4 years and that never worked well. Perhaps if the FAQ ever 
>> gets up and running it could be a question asked our members here why 
>> they don&#39;t join.  Meadow Ed
>>
>> Bill wrote:
>>> Dear members of PCT-L Mailing List:
>>>
>>> L-Rod and I were talking last week about PCTA membership, the cost of 
>>> the
>>> trail, and the value of the trail.    She noted that many thru hikers do 
>>> not
>>> support the trail with membership to the PCTA once their hike is 
>>> complete.
>>> I have been thinking about this and I could see how this happens.   A 
>>> thru
>>> hiker pays for membership often to get the permit process done for them.
>>> After their hike, successful or not, they do not use the trail much. 
>>> They
>>> may not live along the west coast of the USA or don't hike much, or 
>>> perhaps
>>> just don't "get around to joining" because the drive to do so is 
>>> lessened
>>> (no pending big hike, no need for permit help, etc).    As a result, 
>>> they
>>> simply drop their membership.
>>>
>>> Of course, some hikers continue to renew for years regardless, some 
>>> never
>>> join to begin with, and some have other reasons.   I do not want this 
>>> email
>>> string to get bogged down in exceptions or defensive comments (aka "not 
>>> all
>>> hikers . . .)   or the flip side of making disparaging or attacking 
>>> comments
>>> about those that do not participate.   The point here is to encourage
>>> participation in the PCTA beyond the current average, not to throw 
>>> stones.
>>>
>>> I want to start a campaign or at least a cultural norm (by that I mean
>>> something heard often, printed in guide books, or included in email 
>>> groups
>>> like this).    I would call the campaign Thru Hike Plus Four.   The 
>>> campaign
>>> is to encourage Thru Hikers to pay for PCTA membership for at least an
>>> additional four years after their hike.   If this could become the norm, 
>>> by
>>> then end of four years we would have an overlap of four years of thru 
>>> hikers
>>> actively supporting the trail.  Also, we would instill a wonderful habit 
>>> of
>>> support that would be more likely to extend beyond four years.
>>>
>>> Thru Hikers will get more value, use, miles, and return from their trail
>>> time in one season than most will achieve in a lifetime.    I think 
>>> asking
>>> for a five year return is very reasonable and the vast majority of Thru
>>> Hikers would agree.
>>>
>>> Now this is out of my head and out to the group.
>>>
>>> Pink Gumby
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>>> Pct-l at backcountry.net
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>>
>>
>>
>>
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