[pct-l] Trees Down in Section L

[Mary Kwart]

Barry talked about trail angels putting more effort into trail work
rather than food and drink on the trail. Many trail angels are older
people who want to help hikers and cannot do the physical work of
trail maintenance. The PCT is evolving as a trail experience, both for
those hiking the trail and the larger trail community, which includes
people in towns along the way, trail angels who don't hike and those
who maintain an interest in reading about the trail. At one time there
was no trail tread--then someone had an idea to develop this trail.
Now there is trail tread. Some would argue that putting in a trail
tread is trail "magic" that is inappropriate to wilderness--you should
just go cross country in its most primitive form. And so it
goes--water caches, food, rides, etc etc. Each one an escalation of
trail magic. I believe it will all self regulate as the trail
evolves.I don't reject this evolution because I believe the trail will
cease to exist if it doesn't evolve along with the interaction of the
surrounding trail community--including those who can't do trail work
and those who don't hike at all but support the trail. I also use
water from caches, believing this is a good part of the
trail/community evolution.

 I hiked my first section of the PCT in 1976. There were trail angels
back then, but they didn't call themselves trail angels--they were
just good people who wanted to help hikers.I also don't consider
evolving forms of trail magic to be somehow violating a kind of trail
"purity" that we experienced in the 70's. I say let it
evolve--beer,burgers, water, rides. 

That being said, I do advocate those who physically can to join trail
maintenance projects, but realize that the greater group of people who
support the trail cannot physically do that kind of work. I don't want
them to be shut out of being part of the trail experience. They will
help the PCT survive and thrive.
--Fireweed