[pct-l] safety on the pct

[Donna Saufley]

So very true and I know with certainty we could not do what we do if the
hiking community reflected what you find in the rest of society.  It is the
caliber of the majority of people hiking the trail that make it such a joy
to host them.  While we’ve hosted over 2,000 hikers, and never asked anyone
to leave, we have had some situations that required handling.  I don’t
delude myself for a minute: one day someone dangerous could walk through our
doors.  That could also happen if we didn’t host hikers (I watch way too
many criminal investigation shows).  The bottom line is that we do what we
do on faith, called to service.  We just don’t do so blindly and have an
awareness of the risks and realities.  Along the way we have had hikers:

 

-                      loaded on drugs and alcohol

-                      try to pick a fight with another hiker 

-                      in some kind of psychotic state

-                      lock other hikers out of our guesthouse (unbeknownst
to us at the time)

-                      masquerading as thru hikers

-                      perpetuate thefts on other hikers, and steal mail and
postage money 

 

These are all isolated incidents over a span of 11 seasons.  We could not be
certain who perpetuated the thefts, although we had strong suspicions. We
managed the drug, alcohol, and mental case situations here, deeming it best
not to throw people in that state of being out into our community.  I would
not hesitate to eject someone or call law enforcement if the situation
called for it, but so far, so good.  The fellow obviously masquerading as a
hiker never got invited to our place, and I was thankful that no one in our
community gave him a ride here.

 

I screen hikers in a number of ways, mostly without their awareness.  One of
the easiest ways to know if someone is okay (or not) is by observing how
other hikers react with them.  Hikers tend to know who is ahead or behind
them from town stops, footprints, and trail registers. I feel the most
vulnerable times for us are the beginning and end of the season when there
is no general community moving through, and you’re dealing with individuals
or small groups without other sources of reference.  I have a short list of
questions that I ask in conversation that confirms for me whether someone is
legit or not.  One time, early in the season, someone failed this line of
conversational questioning, and he knew I’d caught him in a lie.  I let him
stay though because he was wearing a Rusty’s Hard Time Hallow shirt and had
more than casual knowledge of the AT (gleaned from his conversation with
another hiker here at the time), which was a strong indication he was at
least a real hiker.  Why he was lying I’ll never know.

 

I wouldn’t host if we lived closer to the southern terminus.  By the time
hikers get here, they’ve been through some difficult spots and earned their
stripes; the hardships and travails over the first 454 miles weeds out
riff-raff and the uncommitted (the survivors are simply committable ;o).
I’ve witnessed that the trail is a purifier of the body mind and spirit.  It
peels you like an onion down to the center of your being, all of the
superfluous layers gone.  It is the “Great Equalizer” where less is more and
material status irrelevant.  What is left is the very best of human kind
I’ve ever known.

 

L-Rod

 

   _____  

From: Andrea Dinsmore [mailto:zaqueltooocool at gmail.com] 
Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2008 10:12 AM
To: Donna Saufley
Cc: Hiker97 at aol.com; jabregman at bellsouth.net; pct-l at backcountry.net;
carolwbruno at yahoo.com
Subject: Re: [pct-l] safety on the pct

 

Morning L-Rod..............

 

I have to agree with you whole heartily about criminals being lazy. You also
need to add dumb into the mix. It takes a lot of planning just to survive on
the trail. Most criminals couldn't think that far ahead. There's nothing to
steal on the trail........there's no where to hide. It's a different class
of people that hike the PCT. You are definitely safer on the trail. To put
the class of people in a different perspective.........each season most of
the thru hikers stay in our home. Average 200 strangers each year. We have
had no problem with personal safety. Most of them look like wild eyed,
smelly, hairy scrawny homeless folks when they get here. You can't tell a
book (or hiker) by their cover (or smell). Judges, teachers, lawyers,
students, authors, artists and hikers that live most of every year on the
trail are the types you will find out here. Most we consider family....some
have come back to stay a while. Some have come back and helped Jerry on his
garage. Your worst enemy on the trail is YOU. HYOH.....prepare yourself
mentally and physically....and don't think you are invincible. Mother Nature
will beat you at your own game. 

 

PCT MOM
 

 

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