[pct-l] Dude Hiking - Scott Williamson's Worksops

[jeff.singewald at comcast.net]

I would have to agree with StillRoaming...  These workshops (and guidebooks such as Yogi's) will definitely be of interest to a certain group of hikers.  Are they for everyone?  In my opinion, heck no!  I have been fortunate to meet the person that many of you consider a legend on the PCT on several occassions.  I first met Scott when he gave a talk at REI in San Carlos last spring just before I departed for Campo.  What did I learn from the free presentation?  I learned that the trail is a beautiful place and that it can be hiked in many different ways.

Would I personally pay to attend one of Scott's workshops?  No way.   There are several reasons why I have come to this conclusion but most importantly is that I wanted my thru-hike to be my adventure.  I wanted to face my own problems and come to my own conclusions.  And I wanted to fail and succeed on my own. Note, that in Scott's presentation at REI, he very clearly stated that he did not recommend that others follow in his footsteps or adopt his techniques without careful consideration.  Nowdays it seems that many folks are so eager to complete the PCT that they are looking for a cookie cutter approach.  That's not for me.  Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting that these seminars or guidebooks provide a cookie cutter approach.

I met Scott on two additional occassions during my thru-hike.  Scott passed the Three Amigos (myself and Larry & Sandy Tyler) on Pinchot Pass.  He was gracious enough to share some insight on the route to the snow-covered pass but suggested that we not blindly follow his footprints.  We assured him that we would take the route we felt most comfortable with.  I met Scott again just before Snoqualmie Pass as I was headed north and he was headed south on his yo-yo.  Even though he was still tucked away in his sleeping bag at 7:15 am, he graciously shared insight on the trail ahead.  I appreciated his willingness to share, but in the end, I made my own decisions about how to proceed.

So, if there are enough folks out there that will pay the money to attend a seminar on how to hike the PCT, I say more power to Scott.  Only time will tell!  Come to your own conclusions.  I personally have no issues with either the positive or the negative.  Frankly, I prefer these threads over some of the other unchained nonsense on this list.

Elevator 



-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "stillroaming" <pct at delnorteresort.com> 

> It would be tough to find someone who has as much hands on experience with 
> the PCT as Scott Williamson has. If you were to have someone hold a clinic 
> on the topic of hiking the PCT, Scott would be at the top of my list. 
> 
> When you see a clinic for hiking the PCT, or Yogi selling handbooks, or the 
> ADZPCTKO hand picking vendors to participate at the gathering, a new phrase 
> is dying to be introduced: 
> 
> "Dude Hiking" 
> 
> Any avid equestrian would probably roll their eyes at the notion of spending 
> their time and hard earned dollars at a 'Dude Ranch'. So it would be with 
> the independent hiker who hikes because they enjoy it. 
> 
> With that, I wish the above mentioned a profitable future. 
> 
> Note: I intentianlly omitted Ned Tibbits Mountaineering School, as I feel 
> such an institution is truly a great benefit to the inexperienced, early 
> season hiker. 
> 
> Scott Parks 
> 
> ------------------------------------ 
> Trails : http://Postholer.Com 
> Journals : http://Postholer.Com/journal 
> 
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