[pct-l] Disrespect of the PCT.....:(

[Andrea Dinsmore]

 It's turning into a "Party" atmosphere out there. I just spoke to The
Bear, trail angel and they take pics of each hiker as we do and has them
sign in the register book. A few of the hikers didn't want their pic taken
and would not sign the book. The same ones proceeded to raid the hiker box.
They were booted out. We had a pair hikers stay here a couple years ago for
2 weeks when I was out of town and when I returned they went to their local
friends and bragged about staying 2 weeks, not donating to the box and
living on food out of the hiker box. Of course the word got back to us. For
all the home and on trail angels do, it makes me sick that some hikers feel
proud and boast about screwing the folks who are feeding, housing,
collecting mail, doing your stinky ass laundry and allowing you to use our
facilities to wash their body. The higher the numbers go, the more abusers
there will be. Maybe the trail would be better with out all of us. You can
only be abused and disrespected for so long before you give up. Some have
gotten to that point. If it wasn't for the ongoing love and care we Angels
get from most hikers......we would all probably be gone by now. The numbers
are crazy........unfortunately the disrespect is more prominent as the
numbers go up. This is not the first year for garbage on the trail. You all
have been talking about it more and more the last couple of years. On the
flip side of this.....we have super loving and caring right (or left)
minded hikers that have touched the hearts of the Angels and lifted our
depressed thoughts more than anything. The last ones who showed up here
without an invite....... worked to clean and organize the hiker dorm for
two days......THE WOLVERINES. They started the fund raiser to help us buy
new washers and dryers for the new hiker laundry room and our home. I still
get teary eyed when I think of all they helped us with. WARNER SPRINGS
MONTY. Love you sweetie. If not for him we wouldn't have the building
completed for the hiker laundry and bathroom and shower. The majority of
the hikers I would adopt as my own children. It's the growing number of
idiots (F.A.) (trying to keep it clean) that we have to deal with each year
that hurt out feeling and seem intent on getting as much for free as they
can. They don't care who they screw or who they hurt. We had to get a 20'
steel shipping container to start keeping the hiker's resupply boxes in
because each of the last 3 years boxes we had checked in were disappearing.
That's the mind set of "some" of the hikers coming through. We love our
hikers......it's the rising number of bad apples in the barrel that hurt us
so much.