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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Well, I respectfully (and affectionately) disagree.
It’s nice to have the first lightening strike come from you, my friend.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>The notion of a narrow starting window is
erroneous, and another argument that attempts to justify disregarding LNT
principles. It’s amazing to me how thru-hikers think they’re exempt
from these principles. It’s what leads to quotas being imposed on
trails, which is what I believe the ADZ is expediting (amongst other
crowd-related problems). The Kick-Off is scheduled a year in advance (to book
the large venue), and has nothing to do with the best time to start the trail
or enter the Sierras. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Regardless of the “Ray Day” magic
day to enter the Sierras mantra that some will expound, the fact is that hikers
start as early as March and as late as June and still finish the PCT. April
and May are prime. The two-week window that some expound is ridiculous and not
borne out in facts. While admittedly it’s not as broad a window as the AT
has, it’s still enough time for people to disburse themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Most of the hikers attending the Kick-Off deliberately
set their start date to attend the event – usually within a week or so of
the date. If there weren’t an event to attend, they would use other
criteria to start, and the overall number of hikers would disburse over a
broader range of possible dates. I’d also wager that there would be
fewer hikers starting the trail if they didn’t have the hand-holding
opportunity and one-stop shopping and information gathering available to
them. Reality would winnow out the ill-prepared. I think the
ill-prepared should not be encouraged and supported (except to go home and do
their homework).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>The problem isn’t (yet) how many
hikers are on the trail in a season though that day may come – it’s
how many hikers are starting at or near the same time. That’s what’s
raised red flags for officials, caused problems of varying sorts out on the
trail, and what will expedite permit regulation. We either regulate
ourselves by spreading ourselves out, or we’ll get regulated in a way
that we won’t like. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Only time will tell if I’m a
bellwether or have bats in my belfry. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>With great respect,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>L-Rod (aka Lightening Rod)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
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face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> Jim Keener
[mailto:lists@oldmanwalking.net] <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, February 26, 2008
12:06 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Donna
Saufley</st1:PersonName><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Cc:</span></b> pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [pct-l] Time for the
Annual "Why I Boycott the ADZ" Message</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Dear Donna,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I do not buy this premise. It infers that the herd is caused by ADZ.
While ADZ probably exacerbates the problem, the kickoff is based on expected
hiker start time, rather than hiker start time being based on the kickoff.
There are, of course, exceptions.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>AT hikers start hiking in almost every month of the calendar and there
is a considerably higher percentage of SOBOs on the AT, than the PCT. So having
a starting event in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Georgia</st1:place></st1:country-region>
makes no sense on the AT. The start window for the PCT, however, is fairly
narrow. And an overwhelming number of hikers are NOBO. A start event makes
sense for a number of reasons, primarily in ease of access for all hikers.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I am going to start hiking earlier than the kickoff in order to miss
the crowds early on in my hike. Not for LNT reasons (hangs head), but that's
what I prefer. Others will begin some time after the kickoff. I have been re-reading
Suge's 2003 journal, and he started in May, but attended the kickoff earlier.
Point: scheduling an event at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Lake</st1:PlaceType>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Morena</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> does not dictate
hike start time. It influences it, most likely, but people will start based on
their own styles and wishes.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I started to write that it is unlikely that the kickoff will change.
But I don't know if that's true. I hope it does not change too much. Even if
the kickoff were to go away, there would be a herd. The nature of conditions in
the west create it, not the kickoff.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>With great respect and affection,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<span style='orphans: 2;text-align:auto;widows: 2;-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px;
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'>Jim Keener ( J J )<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=1 color=black face=Helvetica><span
style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black'><a
href="http://oldmanwalking.net">http://oldmanwalking.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</span>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>On Feb 26, 2008, at 11:44 AM, <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Donna Saufley</st1:PersonName>
wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=cite><span
style='orphans: 2;text-align:auto;widows: 2;-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px;
-webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px;-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;
-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0;word-spacing:0px'><u1:p><u1:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"><u1:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"><u1:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place">
<div link=blue vlink=purple>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </u1:p></span></font><font
color=black><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>First and foremost, having a starting
event that attracts hikers to start on or around a specific date is against
Leave No Trace principles which state, “Schedule your trip to avoid times
of high use.” “Visit in small groups when possible.”
“Consider splitting larger groups into smaller groups.” <span
class=apple-converted-space> </span><a
href="http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles.php">http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles.php</a><span
class=apple-converted-space> </span> <u1:p></u1:p></span></font><font
color=black><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
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</blockquote>
</div>
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</u1:smarttagtype></u1:smarttagtype></u1:smarttagtype></span>
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