[pct-l] rescues, toilet paper, and questions

[Smith/ORR]

Carol, I Don't like being told I must do anything, even when all common sense says it is right. But Yogi is right, beacons make sense! Maybe bear canister type regulations for beacons after a certain date would work.

The OLD RidgeRunner

Carol <museumgirl at me.com> wrote:

>Required beacons. Or cow bells. How about cans of neon Silly String? That would be helpful but hardly LNT. 
>Carol
>
>Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Oct 21, 2013, at 11:03 PM, Jackie McDonnell <yogihikes at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Required beacons!!!   That's a FANTASTIC idea!
>> 
>> ;-)
>> 
>> Yogi
>> www.pcthandbook.com
>> 
>> 
>> On Mon, Oct 21, 2013 at 1:15 PM, Will Stenzel <willstenzel at hotmail.com>wrote:
>> 
>>> Yet another post on preparedness/rescues from a longtime
>>> PCT-L-er, as well as some discussion questions on the general direction
>>> for the
>>> PCT:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I don't have much info., but were there any fatalities on the trail this
>>> year?  As far as I know (and I don’t know much, at
>>> least in the way of hard numbers), road walking and heart problems remain
>>> the
>>> biggest hazards on the PCT, at least in terms of actually dying out there.
>>> True?  False?  I honestly don't know.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Despite the relative explosion in information available
>>> about the PCT, to me it seems very little has changed regarding storm
>>> preparedness since I set out NoBo in 1998.
>>> I don’t know that there’s an answer – the PCT features a large number of
>>> fast-moving, often highly-fatigued (and sometimes ill) hikers, who are
>>> actively
>>> encouraged by numerous sources (including this one) to leave most
>>> cold-weather/snow/rain gear at home, attempting a trail that wends among
>>> the
>>> highest and most exposed ridges in the country.
>>> What is the reasonable outcome?  I
>>> think it’s an annual series of rescues whenever storms hit WA early -
>>> unless some changes were made....
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Which leads to a question(s) for the group – does the PCT need changes,
>>> and if
>>> so, what?  More education?  Maybe some kind of test prior to getting a
>>> long-distance permit?  Required beacons?  Maybe a few shelters in isolated
>>> areas?  Designated campsites/toilets?  Other?
>>> Or is it fine the way it is?  For
>>> example, last year I spent a month hiking from central Oregon to Donner
>>> Summit,
>>> and was amazed by how much more trash and general impact there was
>>> compared to
>>> when I first hiked in 1998.  (I was also amazed by the sheer grumpiness of
>>> many NoBo-ers, but that's another story.)  What to do?
>>> -Will
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