[pct-l] Rude behavior in Warner Springs End of April 2008

[montypct]

Hi Matt

Thank you for you opinions and that is what this forum is for,  however I 
would rather this thread be used for the question asked.

I do agree the fewer hikers the fewer hiker problems, and, therefore, no 
hikers, no hiker problems, yet getting lost in that, we might loose sight on 
possibilities that might help a couple of my trail angels currently asking 
for input farther north to help them this year.

Also
Good vs Evil in water caching and Kick Offs have always been an excellent 
and entertaining topic.


"Protection from and curtail of evil 2008 thru-hiker behavior" also deserves 
an equal and hopefully seperate thread.

Thanks

Monty



Possible Cross Posting Exception (true story)
There were these two young lady hikers (names witheld) who did refill 110 
gallon bottles at the empty dry Scissors Crossing the night before last to 
help their fellow members of the Class of 2008.  They also attended the Kick 
off and Helped there too! (those evil wrong-doing girls)....  :0)  I 
devilishly salute them!



Warner Springs Monty
Pacific Crest Trail 2650 Miles .....Again.....and Again
Sign my Guestbook
www.trailjournals.com/monty
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matt Geis" <mgeis at yahoo.com>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Friday, May 02, 2008 11:09 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Rude behavior in Warner Springs


> Solutions?  Here's a 'modest proposal'
>
> Remove the water caches.  There's enough water to do the hike without 
> them.  Sure, you might have to go off trail a mile or two, or take an 
> alternate route.  You might have to hike at night (hello, it is the 
> desert, after all).  You might have to get up early, or take a break, or 
> go slowly to not burn through your water, or actually (gasp) CARRY WATER A 
> LONG DISTANCE.  You might even have to take a zero on the trail once you 
> do get to a good water source, just to recover.  It's really not that hard 
> or that big a deal.
>
> However, removing caches (and WIDELY announcing that there will be no 
> caches) will reduce the number of thru-hikers to a smaller group of folks 
> who are...
>
> a.  prepared
> b.  up for a challenge
> c.  grateful when they do get a little help
>
> There are a lot more hikers this year than 5 or ten years (or more) ago, 
> which means there's a lot more GREAT people on the trail.  However, 
> there's also a lot more people who feel that the hike should be easy, that 
> they should be catered to, that they have some sort of *right* to trail 
> magic (despite the fact that it's not trail magic if you expect it and are 
> waiting or even depending on it).
>
> Of course, getting rid of the kickoff, the artificial "start day", and the 
> herd would probably help too
>
> While my idea above is only halfway serious, if something isn't done (like 
> addressing the herd created by the kickoff), at some point the situation 
> is going to get bad enough to motivate someone go poke holes in water 
> containers to find out how many non-hackers they can send home by forcing 
> them to rely on their wits, their maps, and their common sense to make it 
> through the desert on their own.
>
> Iron Chef
>
>
>
> 
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