[pct-l] Billy Goat's lost poles

[Gary Wright]

On Apr 10, 2010, at 5:31 PM, Timothy Nye wrote:
> I think the lesson is that rather than "booty", the lost gear could be an
> indication of someone in trouble.  Poles, for example.  There is no way a
> hiker is going to forget or voluntarily abandon hiking poles.  Even if you
> were to leave your pack, your still going to take your poles. Poles on the
> trail indicate the owner is nearby.

Some people only use their poles intermittently and so it would be quite easy to head down the trail while leaving their poles behind.  I do agree that abandoned packs and/or deserted campsites might indicate trouble but I don't think that is necessarily true with poles or other items.

In 2004 I came across a deserted campsite with three dogs barking and leashed to trees.  It was very creepy and I really wasn't sure what to do about it. This was near Landers Camp and I soon ran into some guys on dirt bikes (not on the trail, on the many dirt roads in the area) and explained what I had found in the hopes that they could send the message along to a ranger or other official.

Radar