[pct-l] Billy Goat's Lost Poles

[hetchhetchyman at aol.com]

Last year just after the Andersen's cache I found a fleece jacket in the trail. I knew the last hiker to leave the cache must have dropped it or else someone would have picked it up. Sure enough J.B. got his Jacket back. In Mojave Socks and I found a camera at the gate along Hwy 58.. loking ahead we saw a figure on the trail.. caught up to her and J.J. got her camera back. Then in the Sierra I found a class bandana by the outlet to Duck lake. At Reds meadow I happened to mention it and sure enough P.F. got it back. As for the infamous boots hanging from the sign at the drinking fountain below San Jacinto.. well we left those.. uh.. the rest is history. In Oregon my new Granite Gear Pack cover fell off.. I walked 2 miles back to find it and Birdman saved me the last mile cause he had picked it up.
I say if it is not too much trouble, pick it up, cause you just might find the owner.
Although all the above mentioned items were not placed in such a way as to infer someone would be back for them. If I saw a pair of trekking poles leaning against a tree I don't think I would take them.. If they were laying off the trail as if they had fallen off a pack I might.
The vast majority of us are(were) headed the same direction so it made sense to me that sooner or later the item and it's owner would be reunited.
-Iceaxe

PS. Another trick I thought was cool for camera safety was to take the first picture of your name,address,and phone number or in my case email address (Peek) written on a piece of paper.
That way if you do lose your camera the person that finds it can contact you.