[pct-l] ADZPCTKO: how it used to be

[Joel Ramey]

So 370 is the magic number? I always thought that it was 42.... ;)

On Thu, Feb 28, 2008 at 8:47 PM, Greg Kesselring <gkesselr at whidbey.com>
wrote:

>  Seems to me the whole issue boils down to numbers.  Is the size of the
> group that attends the kickoff large enough to seriously impact the trail
> and compromise LNT principles?  Seems like a lot of folks believe that the
> 150 people who attend the kickoff spread out over a few days will not have a
> seriously negative effect.
>
> I think we'd all agree that if the number of people at the kickoff were,
> say 40, we wouldn't have to worry about trail impact and LNT.  And we'd
> probably agree if that number were, say 700, then yeah, that group would
> have a serious impact.  But somewhere in the middle of those extremes is a
> bit of a gray area where we won't all agree on the significance of the
> impact, some will say the herd is too small to worry about, others will say
> no, there is a herd effect and it will have an impact.
>
> Roger Carpenter wrote:
>
> I thru-hiked the PCT in 1996, pre-ADZPCTKO.  My start date was May 8 and I
> met my first fellow thru-hiker in Idyllwild, and that was in town, not the
> trail!  It wasn't until Wrightwood when I started seeing more hikers
> consistently and even then it was in small groups.  I loved solitude and by
> the time I started meeting other hikers I was ready for their companionship
> on the trail.
>
> If I were starting a thru-hike these days I would avoid the herd to the
> greatest extend possible.  I cannot imaging starting a beautiful journey
> with so many people.  But I did attend the ADZPCTKO in 2006 as a non-hiker
> and I found it to be inspiring and fun.  The event is well run and and the
> people who volunteer to organize it, feed everyone and clean up afterwards
> are very dedicated.
>
> If starting a thru-hike this year and I had the extra time I would attend
> the ADZPCTKO and get a ride to Idyllwild after it's over, camp out in the
> campground near town, do some training hikes up San Jacinto for a week and
> drink beer every evening.  Before getting on the PCT I might even go to San
> Diego and catch a Padres game.  On May 8 I would get myself to Campo and
> start my thru-hike.  By then the number of hikers starting will be
> tolerable.  I would forget the party scene and hike like a madman.   I would
> increase my mileage gradually and start doing 30 miles days in the Piutes
> between Agua Dulce and Walker Pass.  In K-Meadows I would probably start
> catching up to many the folks who started in late April.  I would avoid the
> herd but meet the rest of the thru-hikers on my terms and not on the
> ADZPCTKO schedule.
>
> L-Rod's concerns about the herd are real and should be listened to.  But I
> also think the ADZPCTKO is fun.  Be creative and find a way to have the best
> of both worlds!  It may be your only chance to thru-hike the PCT on your
> terms!
>
> *Roger Carpenter*
> *Vancouver, Washington*
> *www.elkpass.com*
>
>
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