[pct-l] How to not be an a-hole on the PCT.

[Scott Bryce]

On 2/7/2013 10:40 AM, Brian Lewis wrote:
> "I had mixed feelings about the notes. On the one hand, I felt there
> was far more hand holding than was necessary."
>
> Of the notes and images "drawn in sand" along the side of the trail,
> I don't remember all that much of it in my year, and of the stuff I
> do recall, little or none of it was of the hand holding variety.  So
> maybe this varies year to year.


"Drawn in the sand."

Perhaps that is an important distinction. The notes I saw were written
on paper. Sometimes they were printed on card stock and laminated. There
was a note where the trail connects with the Boundary Road on the way to
Hauser Creek informing hikers that they must follow the Boundary Road
for a distance before finding the trail on the downhill side of the
road. There was another note pointing to the trail where it leaves the
Boundary Road posted just a few feet from a post with a PCT emblem on
it. There was a nature trial type sign marking the first occurrence of
poison oak near Barrel Spring. There was a laminated card tacked to the
sign post to the Sunrise Trailhead indicating that water could be found
there.

I left a note by Cottonwood Creek telling  hikers that the water at
Boulder Oaks Campground had been shut off. I was not carrying the Water
Report, and had to backtrack from Boulder Oaks to get water.

I'm sure the notes, as well as arrows drawn on the sand, were put in
place by hikers who took some time to discern the information on their
own and wanted to save that time for the hikers following them. For that
I was grateful. But anyone who was carrying maps could have easily found
the trail to Hauser Creek or the trough at Sunrise Trailhead. And anyone
who was wise enough to carry the water report would already have known
that the water at Boulder Oaks Campground was shut off.