[pct-l] Disrespect of the PCT

[Wayne Smith]

This is a topic I've considered bringing up on here for a few years.  Is it
maybe time for there to be LESS help and services for thru hikers?  I've
noticed over the years a growing sense of entitlement among hikers on the
trail and I blame this mostly on the fact that as the years have gone on,
there have been more and more people wanting to help hikers with trail
magic and make it easier for them to hike the trail.  This has allowed a
different breed of hiker to grow in numbers on the trail, the kind of hiker
who isn't as self reliant as hikers in the past had to be.  A lot has
changed in the 16 years since I first hiked the PCT.  Back then the PCT was
more of a solo endeavour where hikers had to rely on themselves and their
own ability to plan and carry out the logistics of hiking the PCT.  These
days it seems more like a supported, group effort where many of the
challenges have been removed or made easier by well meaning trail angles
and former thru hikers who want to help the current hikers any way they can.
The ADZPCTKO is a good example of how I think things have gone too far in
trying to help hikers and it is helping to create or promote the growing
sense of entitlement on the trail.  When you start out, right from the
beginning with a big party for hikers, where volunteers fall all over them
trying to make them feel special, giving them free food and telling them
about all the free services to expect from people along the way like rides,
places to stay, and water caches. It would be hard not to feel like you
deserve special treatment from that point on. You're a PCT thru hiker!
People love you and want to help you anyway they can!  And you have barely
even started yet!  The KO sets a tone for many of the hikers who attend it
each year which I believe only encourages a sense of entitlement.
Trail angels are great people, don't get me wrong, I just feel that helping
the thru hikers too much may be contributing to the growing number of
"party hikers" who in the past would not have lasted long on the trail at
all, if they even made it through the planning stages.  Every water cache
contributes to the sense that it is reasonable to expect outside help when
things get a little challenging.  Why carry your own trash when there are
other people going back to town who can take it for you?  Everyone wants to
help you, right?  That is what they are being taught right from the
beginning.  Something freely acquired is never appreciated as much as
something earned.  New hikers who have never known anything different don't
think there is anything wrong with expecting all the help that is offered.
That's just part of the PCT experience as far as they know.  I'm sure many
hikers this year were genuinely surprised to learn that some trail angles
were upset about not receiving donations for their hospitality.
With all the information available on the Internet, it is easier than ever
for anyone to plan a thru hike, and we see that in the growing number of
people hiking the trail each year.  Don't have what it takes to plan a 5 to
6 month hike?  No problem, plenty of people online will help you.  And
with all the help on the trail it is easier than ever for people to stay on
the trail so even the people who can't learn to rely on themselves can keep
hiking and surviving off the good intentions of others.
The natural filters that weeded out the unfit and undeserving in the past
are being eroded as time goes on.
Perhaps it is time to restore some of those natural filters that have been
lost and work towards eliminating that sense of entitlement many hikers
have been developing.