[pct-l] Unprepared hikers

[Jeffrey Olson]

I was coming down the ridge to Snoqualmie Pass from the Kendall Catwalk 
side at the end of a section hike.  That section is very busy on 
weekends - lots and lots of people.  At one point I passed some Japanese 
tourists, and then 15 minutes later, a lone Japanese woman who was 
standing in the middle of the trail crying.  She was paralyzed with fear 
that a bear was going to come out of the woods and eat her.  I don't 
speak Japanese and her English was so broken there was no way I could 
assuage her fear.  I hung with her for 20 minutes until one of her party 
came back for her.  She stopped whimpering and lit into him verbally 
with dagger and rapier.  He looked at me sheepishly as he suffered her 
abuse and herded her up the trail...

Jeffrey Olson
Santa Rosa, CA