[pct-l] Cyclists and the PCT

[Douglas Tow]

Good morning!

 It really would be all right if cyclists were not allowed on the PCT, in
the same way that it is all right if ATVs are not allowed on the PCT. Both
cyclists and ATVers have an abundance of trail and road opportunities. The
AT and the PCT can be reserved for non-mechanical travel without reducing
the great enjoyment I am sure cyclists already gain from the abundance of
what is available to them.

One can drive on the roads in Yosemite, but there are no roads in Kings
Canyon, because Kings Canyon was reserved as a wilderness. No roads, no
snack bars, no motels, no gift shops.  There's plenty of parks to drive in
- it's all right to have a park where cars aren't allowed. I am sure that
some would want Kings Canyon "shared" with drivers and commerical
businesses, but no. It's special in that way, and should remain so.

I want a place to hike where, if I sit on the trail, hang my feet over the
trail as I sit on a log, or have to bivouac adjacent, or simply stop to
catch my breath on what might become a blind corner, I would not have to be
concerned about being injured, or becoming a hazard to others.
Creating and uniting a hiking trail from Mexico to Canada, crossing local,
state, federal, and privately owned land was a vast undertaking that took
decades, and that work was done by and on behalf of hikers and equestrians.

Doug