[pct-l] Dangerous hikes

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

On Sep 13, 2008, at 10:16 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> The ten most dangerous trails, listed in order (1 being most  
> dangerous) are:
> 1.  The Maze, Utah
> 2.  Bright Angel Trail, AZ
> 3.  Barr Trail, Pikes Peak, CO
> 4.  Mt. Washington, NH
> 5.  Muir Snowfield, Mt. Rainier, WA
> 6.  Huckleberry Mt, Apgar Range, MT
> 7.  Kalalau Trail, Kauai, HI
> 8.  Buckskin Gulch, UT
> 9.  Abrams Falls, Great Smoky Mts, TN
> 10. Mist Trail, Half Dome, Yosemite, CA

I am not familiar with most of these, but I suspect the reason these  
are so dangerous is because there are so many civilians on these trails.

I think the most dangerous trail of all is the PCT. Why? Because it  
has the potential to ruin you. It haunts your dreams before and  
after, you wrack your brains for all your life to try to figure out  
how to make your life around it (rather than make a living). Before  
you go you spend way too much money. After you come back you swear  
off consumerism and stop contributing to the economy. During you  
become unshaven, unclean, and despicable. When you return, you  
secretly wish to stay that way. The magazines like Backpacker start  
to look like corporate shills, empty of meaningful content and full  
of commercials, full of ridiculous scare tactics meant to keep you  
safe in your city life, earning and spending and dreaming of little  
weekend trips you will probably never take while you do silly  
exercises at your desk. This is the way you used to be before the PCT  
turned you into a casual laborer with no health insurance and no  
ambition, except to tackle other long trails.

Ok, maybe not everyone ends up like this. Only the lucky few.