[pct-l] After Action Report - ALDHA-West Gathering

[Hiker97 at aol.com]

Yes, once again your hero, Switchback, has cheated death once again.   I 
attended the Gathering up at Lake Tahoe.
 
I drove from Las Vegas up to Lake Tahoe and immediately checked into the  
Holiday Inn Express on Thursday.  I ate a small Mexican restaurant down the  
street and then returned to my room to chill out and watch TV.
 
On Friday morning I headed up the highway on the CA side of the lake to a  
restaurant I had eaten at two years ago with Can’tQuit before we went hiking on  
the PCT.  The lady who ran the place collected post cards and I brought  some 
from Las Vegas.  Turns out she had sold the place and now worked down  the 
street at the post office.  So, after breakfast I took the cards down  there and 
left them with a clerk for her.  The drive along the lake was  very beautiful.
 
One of my goals on this trip was to visit Emerald Bay State Park and take  
the Vikingsholm Castle tour.  So, on the way back to South Lake Tahoe, I  turned 
into the park parking lot.  Unfortunately, I had a medical accident  when I 
got out of my SUV and decided not to go on the morning tour.  I  figured I 
could go on the tour in two years when the Gathering returns to Lake  Tahoe.
 
I drove up to Sierra Pines to check things out at the Gathering  location.  I 
saw MeadowEd and others who had already arrived.  I knew  some folks had gone 
hiking that day and were there too.  Instead of staying  at Sierra Pines, I 
decided to go back to the Holiday Inn Express and hit the hot  tub, eat, TV, 
wash, etc.  
 
On Saturday I drove back up to the camp for breakfast.  It really  surprised 
me that so few people showed up this year.  There were about 70  people there 
and two years ago there were 150 hikers.  I think that might  be because the 
registration was only put on the Internet about a month before  the Gathering.  
The presentations were focused on travel logs for various  hikes and outings. 
 Of course, two years ago I gave a SuperSecret seminar  at the Lake Tahoe 
Gathering.  That must be it.  Since I was not on the  program a lot fewer people 
showed up.  That's it.  You know what a  draw I am for any event.
 
I set up my Pirate's Lair table with some handouts, gear scales, and hiker  
jokes notebook.  The hiker jokes were a big hit with lots of people reading  
them (see PostHoler.com/Switchback Unchained).  Unsupported Reinhold spent  a 
lot of time reading them.  No one had me paint their tent stakes at this  
Gathering, but two years ago I did a lot of painting.  It was great to see  Yogi, 
GottaGo, Tortoise, Kathy from Yosemite, etc., etc. at the Gathering.   Lots of 
fun.  When Yogi saw me, she again gave me her patented belly dance  routine 
like down at the April Kickoff.  I think she is a closet  Pirate and wants to 
join my crew and is trying to get my attention for an  audition.
 
I took a break to go down to Harvey's to play slots.  I won some money  and 
brought a good bottle of wine to bring back for dinner.  At the dinner  table 
everyone was very nice to me as I passed the wine around.   “Switchback, do you 
need some more veggies?”  “Switchback, let me take your  dishes and trash 
after you eat.”  Switchback, do you need some more salad  from the salad bar?”  
It is so nice to see the genuine friendship and  camaraderie among 
backpackers.
 
I told the new ALDHA-West president, Strider the WagonMaster, that I wanted  
to start a new organization under the umbrella of the ALDHA-West.  I will  be 
the first president.  It is the American Short Distance Hiker's  Association - 
West.  If you hike 2 miles on the AT, CDT, and the PCT, you  get its “Triple 
Crown” award.  By the way, there were 22 real Triple Crown  folks this year 
and around 10 were at the Gathering to get their  certificates.  Wow!
 
After breakfast on Sunday, I drove down to Lone Pine to check into the Dow  
Villas Motel.  Of course, I had a nap, TV, and then hit the hot tub.   Later 
Crash checked in and we went to the Merry-Go-Round restaurant for dinner  and 
wine.  His wife called him while we were eating and I told her that I  was doing 
my best to keep him under control in the trailtown -- no sacking or  
pillaging.  
 
Overall, it was a very nice road trip and fun meeting.
 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
Switchback the Trail Pirate




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