[pct-l] Drakesbad ranch is now closed to PCT hikers

[gwtmp01 at mac.com]

On Aug 14, 2006, at 11:34 AM, Eric & Susan Beeler wrote:
> As most of you may know this is the second year that Drakesbad  
> Guest Ranch
> has offered its hospitality to those of you who hike through on the  
> PCT.
> Thru hikers are offered a buffet, a shower & are allowed to use the  
> swimming
> pool. Now however that is not the case PCT hikers are no longer  
> welcome
> because Nemo decided to skip out without paying for her meal.(After  
> she took
> a shower & used the pool) She claims she didn't know that she had to
> pay,since when do you walk into a business and not expect to pay?  
> its not
> like your there to window shop or anything.

This doesn't sound right to me.  I suspect that there was some honest
miscommunication about what was/wasn't provided by Drakesbad.  I know  
when
I hiked in 2004 some hikers were invited to use the pool at no charge  
and
others were told that it was 'guests' only.  It wasn't altogether clear
what was or wasn't being offered for free, at a discount, or at full  
price.

I don't really think it is fair to call Nemo out like this on PCT-L.   
She is
out hiking and can't really explain her side of the story here on PCT-L.
Drakesbad's decision could have been reported without naming names.

In any case, even if you take the worst case scenario, it doesn't make
sense for Drakesbad to respond in that way to *one* hiker skipping  
out on
a tab.  Maybe they got complaints from paying guests, maybe they had  
several
hikers over the years cause problems, I don't know.  But it doesn't seem
rational to lay the blame all at one particular hiker's feet.

Gary Wright (Radar)