[pct-l] Listo

[John Henzell]

Hi all,
I rarely read PCT-L, having seen it hijacked by a few who are intent for
reasons best known only to themselves to make it a forum that creates far
more heat than light.
But I was concerned on reading the archives that my trail journal from the
PCT this year had been used as part of an apparent character assassination
of Listo, AKA Adam Bradley.
For the sake of fairness, can I add the following sections from my journal
on that day and the next two?
On July 5: "A hiker bearing one of Gottago's 2006 PCT bandanas cruised into
sight and we made the usual pleasantries. But he didn't even slow down,
providing the single grunted answer of "North" when we asked where he was
heading. And then he was gone. It was bizarre. At least half the fun of the
PCT, for me at least, has been from the other hikers and especially in this
particularly fun group. But everyone has to hike their own hike."
On July 7: "At Carson Pass, we ran into North -- AKA Listo -- who was far
more solicitous and tried to explain that his apparent snub of us the
previous day had been to do with mistaking us for another group of hikers
he'd met in the Sierra and fallen out with. His girlfriend had arrived and
he was going to slackpack to Echo Lake the next day then take five days off,
and he generously offered to arrange for our packs to go too."
Listo can make a bad first impression but he's a good guy and I think the
hiking community would be a more vanilla place without him and that is
definitely a bad thing. I concur wholeheartedly with Elevator's endorsement
of Listo's decision to hike alone. It seems a shame that my journal entries,
taken in isolation without the full context, have been used to flame
someone. (There's a dodgy metaphor in here about fuel and flaming which I'll
avoid).
In this season of goodwill, maybe -- just maybe -- we can remember that the
PCT-L can serve a far higher and more worthwhile purpose than merely
slagging off those who are different. To those who get sick of the personal
attacks and despair of the PCT-L, I hope you bear in mind that 99% of
participants don't indulge in that. And in the five months and four days I
spent on the trail this year, I don't remember meeting *any* of the 1% who
do. Maybe that's something to think about?
Rolling Thunder