[pct-l] Thru numbers

[Timothy Nye]

I've been reading six hiker journals this year from people I met at KO. One in particular stood out, but not, to me, in a good way; more as a potential cautionary tale.

This hiker posted how nice it was to hike with only one liter between water sources and about, in at least one instance, avoiding turbid water in order to fill up at a cache. I found this disturbing. I think the "system" has gone too far, too fast, towards the accommodation of hikers who otherwise wouldn't be on the trail.

It's really a question of a moral hazard. Water caches early on may have saved some hikers who, no matter what, represent a contingent that are seemingly always showing up at Campo unprepared in gear, knowledge and physical conditioning. Where all three are present the potential for something bad happening with a change in the weather is omnipresent. Unfortunately, once caches are encountered some become dependent on the assistance rather than treating it as a temporary measure assisting in the development of self reliance.

I realize this represents a tension in the HYOH model as well as the natural desire to give back to the trail by previous hikers. It really is what has often been discussed before. When what is essentially a gift between strangers becomes instead an entitlement it's a problem.

Last year I camped at the campground at trail pass with two other hikers. I attempted yogi-ing by offering money to pay for anything others might be willing to part with. The other two challenged day hikers with essentially demanded alcohol. I left them the next morning. I heard from a thru a few days later that he say one stealing liquor from a bear locker at the campground.


Sent from my iPad

On Jun 8, 2013, at 8:45 PM, Diane Soini <dianesoini at gmail.com> wrote:

> I know you said rhetorical, but I think the food wouldn't make a  
> difference but the water makes a difference. I can say that this year  
> has been way too hot and if I had been contemplating a hike and there  
> were no water caches I would have postponed it and not gone this  
> year. I probably would have postponed it anyway, even with caches. I  
> don't like it when it's 100+ degrees and it seems like it has been  
> that hot many times this spring.
> 
> Diane
> 
> On Jun 8, 2013, at 5:23 PM, Terry wrote:
> 
>> Diane, I just have to ask this rhetorical question to all that hike  
>> the trail.
>> 
>> If there were no trail Angeles providing hikers with water and food  
>> at most every turn, do you think the trail would be as populated  
>> with hikers as it is now?
>> 
>> Terry
> 
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