[pct-l] Fw: GPS's, etc.

[Georgi Heitman]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Georgi Heitman 
To: Bill Batchelor 
Cc: Slyatpct at aol.com ; pct-l-request at backcountry.net 
Sent: Sunday, January 28, 2007 12:30 PM
Subject: GPS's, etc.


I have a computer being readied in our shop, expressly for the use of hikers, so you'd be welcome to use it if it does what you need it to do.  All you might have to do is to stand in line.  My own in the house that's been used by hikers for the last three seasons, attracts tons of spyware by the time the season is over, and I'm trying to avoid that happening again.  Anyway, the one in the shop will be up and running when the first hikers arrive.  It does not have a printer...anyone reasonably close to Old Station (in Shasta County, CA ) or Kick-Off have a surplus one they'd donate to the cause?  It would be much appreciated by all who might need it.
BTW....Old Station is not friendly to cell phones, tho HST, I do see someone wandering around with one in their had occasionally, most often around the Fill-em-Up gas station at the other end of town.  Pay phones are fairly numerous tho...one at the same gas station, one at Rim Rock Ranch Resort, a little south of the gas station, at least two at the Hat Creek Resort, at the south end of Old Station and very close to the trailhead where most hikers exit the trail, the P.O. and Heitmans.
Also, re cougars...they are fairly common up here, tho I personally only know of one incident, that involving a horse that was injured, but not seriously, thanks to the owners dogs.  Tracks indicate that last summer there was one in the vicinity of the trail where it exits to go to the P.O., etc. at the Hat Creek Resort that well may be ranging along the trail as far south as the Twin Lakes area of Lassen N.P.  Or maybe two cats.  Twin Lakes, late last season turned up a half buried, reasonably fresh deer kill, eaten from the rear forward, right beside the trail.  We put warning signs out last season, undoubtedly ruined by weather by now, and while there has been no fresh sign that I've heard of, I may try to replace them next summer.
There are several incidents every summer of cat sightings or pets being killed in front of the owners eyes, children being threatened, etc...and especially along the River Trail, in Redding.  These cats, are for the most part described as young and looking very lean and hungry.  It would seem that they're being forced out of their own territory by their mothers, and neighboring territories by other cats, and so are venturing into suburban residential areas.  Up here the cattle ranchers don't travel w/o a rifle and a seen cougar is a dead cougar, if the rancher's quick enough.  Deprivation permits are issued pretty routinely to ranchers by Fand G.  My feeling is that in selected areas, hunting is probably the answer, tho I am appalled at the thought of using dogs.  There should be some skill on the part of the hunter involved, treeing a cat by the use of dogs doesn't give the cat a fighting chance, IMHO.
Georgi