[pct-l] O.d.Coyote??? Not quite...

[Ginny & Jim Owen]

Gary wrote:
>On Nov 30, 2006, at 8:28 PM, Ginny & Jim Owen wrote:
>>I said that many, if not most, of those who have hiked the CDT in  the 
>>last 5 years ,as well as those who plan to hike next year, have  announced 
>>the Triple Crown as their primary motivation.  That’s  fact – not 
>>guesswork, opinion or argument.
>
>Hmm. I'm not sure I would agree with this statement but I'm only  
>speculating--I certainly don't have any 'data' to prove that my  thoughts 
>are representative of past or future CDT hikers.

We've tracked this kind of information since 1995 - and chased it down for 
some years before that.  I seriously doubt that anyone but Jim Wolf has 
given this subject as much attention.

>If I hike the CDT next year it will indeed complete my triple-crown  but 
>that isn't the reason I'm considering hiking the CDT.  The reason  I'm 
>considering the CDT is that I haven't hiked it before and I think  that I 
>now have the skills for that trail--I didn't even know about  the CDT 
>before I set out on my AT thru-hike.  I don't think that my  desire to hike 
>a *new* trail is all that uncommon.  The inevitable  side-effect of the 
>desire to hike new long trails is to complete the  triple-crown.  But I 
>think it is a side-effect, not the primary  goal.  At least that is the way 
>I'm thinking about it.  I don't think  that my CDT completion will satiate 
>my appetite for long-distance  hiking and as such I don't think of the 
>triple-crown as and endpoint  but just an inevitable milestone in this 
>long-distance hiker's journeys.

Well said.  I was hoping you'd get out there soon.  Now - can you get WC to 
go with you?  He's resisted our best efforts.  <g>

Skill sets - if you've hiked the PCT, you have a good start.  My 
recommendation - go for a Wilderness First Aid course - and hone your map 
and compass capability with some orienteering work.  Then you can save 
yourself the cost and weight of the GPS.  GPS is NOT necessary for anyone 
who's competent with map and compass and lacks an overwhelming fear of being 
"lost."   To paraphrase an old saw - Give a man a GPS and he'll navigate for 
a day, teach him how to navigate and he'll never be lost again.  Using a GPS 
is NOT navigation - it just makes you a tourist with an electronic 
guidebook.  Of course, YMMV.

Frankly, I don't give a damn about the motivation of any iindividual.  My 
concern is the cumulative effect on the Trail, the hiking community and the 
Trail towns.  Like it or not, those who hike only for Triple Crown status 
rather than love of the trail  tend to have a less positive experience.  
Generally they just want to "get through it" and they, for example, take all 
the shortcuts/cutoffs and then roadwalk New Mexico.

There are also other side effects, but - enuff - let's not get too serious 
here.

We're on your side.  If there's anything we can do for you, let us know.  
But the website won't be updated with 2006 information until at least Jan 1. 
  We're working on it.

OK - I'm outta here - gotta go back to the drywall and tile work.

Walk softly,
Jim

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