[pct-l] Mountain Education's Spam Schedule

[Carl & Judy Rush]

Jon,

  How about starting out your messages with a IMHO, because it isn't the
opinion of any hiker I have ever talked to. We appreciate having a few small
vendors at the kickoff party, because they have great gear that can make the
difference between a successful hike or an aborted hike. The Leki guy spends
all weekend just fixing our old sticks.
 I personally have hiked up from the border to Lake Morena in 2004 with a
couple of young guys who where ready to quit the trail already because they
were carrying over 40 lbs. each. They got their nice new gear from REI, when
they saw what great gear was to be had at the kickoff they got a ride to REI
in San Diego and returned most of their gear and bought their new gear at
the party. It saved their hike. Now I know you might be thinking , If they
weren't prepared then they shouldn't have been on the trail, but I gotta
tell you , you can't tell at the kickoff who's going to make it all the way.
Novices make it every year, and some experiences ones might not.
Carl


On 12/1/06, Jon Danniken <danniken at comcast.net> wrote:
>
> K Murray wrote:
> >
> >... how do you explain your post here?
>
> This problem is not only limited to Ned Tibbits spamming this list (and
> other
> backpacking forums) for his Mountain Education company, but is indicative
> of
> what a growing number of entities who insinuate themselves with the PCT
> are
> doing.
>
> You need look no farther than what Greg Hummel does with the ADZPCTKOP to
> see an example of this. By encouraging and providing a place for
> commercial
> interests at the event (Leki and Six Moon Designs, amongst others), the
> collusion between those who have established themselves as structures
> within
> the hiking community and corporations motivated by profit becomes
> established.
>
> Look at what Ron Moak is doing, President of the ALDHA-West, and oh, just
> coincidentally, the founder and owner of Six Moon Designs, which makes
> tents
> and other gear for distance hikers. That such a man assumes such a
> position
> of leadership in a hiking organization while profiting from it is
> despicable.
>
> Remember the row at Dick Cheney's former involvement with Halliburton and
> the company's involvement in the Iraq war? Imagine how much worse it would
> have been had Mr. Cheney been the founder and owner of Halliburton, as Ron
> Moak is with his company.
>
> Beyond these reasons, they are encouraging this trail to become populated
> by
> individuals whose sole expertise in hiking is that they plunked down money
> to pay for their trip, similar to the "culture" of well-funded
> "mountaneers"
> that currently infest the slopes of Everest.
>
> As I have stated in the past, people need to provide for their own
> experience insofar as hiking a trail such as the PCT is concerned, and
> spoon-feeding them what they need to know for cash money goes against the
> very nature of being self-reliant enough to hike on a trail.
>
> What men like Ned Tibbits, Greg Hummel, and Ron Moak are doing is obvious;
> it is the whoring out of the PCT for their own financial gain and/or
> other motives they have. What boggles my mind is that individuals such as
> yourself do not see this for what it is, the carving up of the PCT for
> commercial exploitation, and take a stand against it.
>
> Jon
>
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