[pct-l] RE The "Guide book"

[enyapjr at adelphia.net]

Ah, c'mon, folks...

Is Yogi's "PCT Handbook" required?  No...  And she has never implied that it is that I know of...  (Do I agree with everything Yogi 'says'?  No, of course not!)
Is the PCT "Data Book" (1st edition 1997) required?  No...
Are the 3 (formerly 2) 'Guide Books' (1st edition CA 1973, OR/WA 1974?) required?  No...
Is the PCT "Town Guide" required?  Definitely not!  That book IS definitely outdated!  My edition (#?, year? - sorry, it's buried since it's not used!) didn't even have Etna, CA (now one of the favorite town stops on the entire trail), listed or noted!...
One could hike the PCT without ANY of the above, IF ONE WANTED TO (and some did years ago, of course)...

Good points regarding Yogi's "PCT Handbook":
The 'Handbook' has 2 sections - Prep/Planning and Data/Town info...
The prep/planning section is not solely from a ONE PERSON perspective, but from many previous thruhikers...  Read them all and then decide for yourself (if you haven't already!) on what to do for various gear and situational requirements...  The '2nd edition' also added more thruhikers, including Scott Williamson - but what would he know?  ;-) ...
I'm 'old school' - have been backpacking since the early 60's - so I have 'lightened up' drastically over the years... Since thru and long distance hiking is given most of the credit toward the push to 'ultralight', I'm VERY interested in the gear selected and techniques used by successful thrus, and why...  Yogi brought quite a wide selection of thru 'styles' together, and their opinions also vary widely at times...  (My thru 'dream' would have been forgotten long ago if I still anticipated carrying a 60+ pound pack!)
The data/town info uses the same mileages as in Ben Go's PCT "Data Book" (with permission) so as not to further confuse 'issues' (the 4th edition, 2005, "Data Book" mileages changed from those in the 3rd, 2001, edition - so Yogi changed her 'Handbook' also in her '2nd edition')...
Yogi's water info is MUCH better than the PCT "Data Book"...  many of the "Data Book" 'w' (=water) notations are worthless in 'thruhiker season', especially in far northern CA and southern OR...  her notations give more insight on what to expect in any year when one might normally be going 'thru'...
The town info is as up to date as possible, and MUCH better than the PCT "Town Guide" both in depth of info for services/resupply and the town 'maps'...
Yogi has provided, in the past, and will, in all probability, in the future continue to provide 'updates' on her web site and posts to the pct-l (remember the closing of the 'Pink Motel' and Alderbrook Manor, or the Tahquitz Inn being 'booked full' for an entire season?)...

Personally, being 'stuck' in central PA far from where I was born and raised in northern CA, I read anything and everything 'PCT'...  Yogi's "PCT Handbook" and some other PCT books stay out on the table next to my chair for easy access - they keep 'the dream' of thruhiking the PCT alive!
It was also very interesting/heartening to see some change in 'attitude' from Yogi's 1st edition to the 2nd - see, especially, bear canisters (sorry, no, I'm NOT trying to start another string!)...  And not always just Yogi's 'views', but of other thrus as well...

Thanks, Yogi, for a great RESOURCE regarding thruhiking the PCT!

Yes, the PCT is 'changing', and I'm not sure if it's for the better...  but it will still be whatever each individual makes of it for himself!  i.e. - the old standby - HYOH!

As for 'mythbusting' - I think each individual can already do that, on their own, for themselves...  if they so desire...
If someone 'publishes' these 'mythbusters' - aren't they simply just another 'opinion' to be taken to heart or cast aside?...  i.e., HYOH, once again...

Happy trails!!!