[pct-l] Bringing up the use of hiking poles again

[Moynihan]

All this cougar talk has sparked my indecision about whether to invest in
hiking poles for this hike! I still have not had a chance to test drive
some, I never used poles on my AT thru hike and then there is an extra 20%
off these poles at REI for the next week. Seems like agreat deal.  Does
anyone recommend them, good/ bad feedback.
05' Leki Ultralite Ti AirErgo Trekking Poles
 Here, still, is what is in the back of my mind.
Pros:
reduces fatigue on long ups and downs......but the PCT is mostly a gradual
grade, right?
defends against snakes and other animals. With all this cougar talk I think
they may very well come in handy.
builds upper body
aids in fording rivers and through the passes
good/ better back posture, especially in the early weeks
it seems every hiker but a few use poles, which obviously means something.


Cons:
requires my hands to be unavailable on the spot. shooting photos, grabbing
my water bottle, slapping a pesty bug, etc., etc. This is worth 3X as much
at least as the other pros/cons.
extra weight on my back if I decide to not walk with them in hand, a whole
pound.
find them to be a distracting noise
knowing me I will forget them somewhere and realize this twelve miles down
the trail. Or I'll leave them in a car.
$$$
sweat buildup in my palms

Perhaps I should construct a point system in which I will assign each pro
and con a value. Hmmmmm....this may be getting a little too serious for me.

Does anyone use the old fashioned stick anymore?

~Spirit