[pct-l] PCTA Trail Fest, Seattle, March 23-25

[yogi]

Christine - The original post was not intended to get
into a discussion about all the specifics of the PCTA
and what they do, blah, blah, blah.

Based upon what I see on the PCTA Trail Fest page, I
disagree with your whole point about needing to have a
place that has both sleeping rooms and meeting
facilities.  It *appears* that the events are at the
Mountaineers Building, and the lodging is at the
Hilton.  It *appears* that these are separate
businesses.  I could be wrong.

Granted, $139-$159 is way cheaper than the Hilton rack
rate.  But it's still more than I would ever pay for a
hotel *anywhere*.  When I attend trail events, I spend
all my waking hours visiting with trail friends.  $139
is pretty steep for 7 hours in a bed.

BTW, I've voiced my opinion about the Trail Fest
lodging situation to PCTA representatives for the last
three years.  If the PCTA wants to attract actual
hikers to Trail Fest, some sort of reasonable lodging
arrangements should be offered.   

If I remember correctly, in 2005, the "special" PCT
rate at the hotel was ~$110.  Um, that's not much of a
special rate for a hiker budget.  I stayed with Ron
Moak's wife instead.  In 2006, I did not attend Trail
Fest -- it was held at an historic location in SoCal
(Riverside?).  Again, the lodging was crazy expensive,
even with the "special" PCTA rate.  Now it's 2007, and
the Trail Fest lodging is $139-$159.

The web search I did showed many motels within a 1
mile radius of the Hilton.  It's been a few years
since I've been in downtown Seattle, but the motels I
found are not in "seedy" locations (if my memory is
correct -- but I'm getting old, so I could be wrong).

I hadn't planned on attending this year's Trail Fest
(due to financial reasons), but when they asked if I
would do a joint presentation with Ben Schifrin, I
couldn't say no to that!!  What an honor!

Again, I'm not getting into all the good the PCTA
does, because I *do* think it's an important
organization.  My original post simply offered a more
reasonable lodging alternative.

And that is all.

yogi
www.pcthandbook.com



--- cmkudija at earthlink.net wrote:

> Not that I had anything to do with the Trail Fest
> location, but just in
> defense of the PCTA - the association has to find a
> location that has
> conference facilities & support - meeting rooms,
> A/V, banquet room, etc, to
> support the various trail classes and exhibitors. 
> This is going to cost
> more than a motel/hotel that doesn't offer these
> amenities.  Even if a
> motel/hotel DOES offer the same amenities for less
> $$, it may be less than
> optimal, not clean, seedy, bad neighborhood....you
> get the idea.   Also,
> conference rates are typically better than what you
> can get for the same
> hotel even with other group (AAA, etc) discounts. 
> (That said, the room
> rate's spendy and I'm not happy with it either.)
> 
> Why does the PCTA have to do this at a conference
> hotel?  Because despite
> what we can accomplish at the ADZ with volunteers
> and remarkably excellent
> presentations <tic>, the PCTA operates on much more
> of a business model
> these days, and wants to project a professional
> image - partially in order
> to continue to "earn" the respect of major donors.  
> Why is this important?
> Well - it's extremely helpful as we go forward to
> eventually buy LAND to
> protect currently unprotected portions of the trail.
>   Case in point was the
> $25,000 we received from REI this fall (without Pete
> Fish, of course, we
> might not have been competitive for that particular
> award!).    And if we
> chose a seedy place...we just might turn off those
> who can afford to donate.
> It's a weird paradox.
> 
> For personal and financial reasons, I will not be
> traveling to Trailfest
> this year.   But I agree with Yogi that if you want
> to attend, but don't
> want to spend the $$ for the conference hotel, then
> by all means stay at a
> nearby motel.  Or share a room.  Whatever.  And make
> your feelings known to
> the PCTA Board President, Gary Hansen.   I don't
> believe that the Board has
> anything to do with selecting the hotel, but the
> Board President is
> technically the Director's boss, and may have some
> influence.
> 
> Christine "Ceanothus" Kudija
> PCT partially '94
> 
> www.pcta.org
> Join Now!
> 
> Ceanothus (see-ah-no-thus) or California lilac: 
> Shrubs or small trees,
> often with divaricate, sometimes spiny,
> twigs...[flowers] small but showy,
> white to blue or purplish, sometimes lavender or
> pinkish, borne in terminal
> or lateral panicles or umbellike cymes.
>                                                     
>           Philip A.
> Munz
>                                                     
>           A California
> Flora, U.C. Press, 1973
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net
> [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]On
> Behalf Of yogi
> Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2007 3:44 PM
> To: pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net
> Subject: [pct-l] PCTA Trail Fest, Seattle, March
> 23-25
> 
> The PCTA just posted information about the events at
> this year's Trail Fest, which is in Seattle at the
> end
> of March.  Check out the line-up at www.pcta.org,
> then
> click on TRAIL FEST at the lower left.
> 
> The lodging optioin on the Trail Fest site is really
> expensive.  I did a web search and found much
> cheaper
> motels nearby.  Don't let the $139-$159/night PCTA
> motel rate scare you.  Just stay someplace else.
> 
> See you there!
> 
> yogi
> www.pcthandbook.com
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