[pct-l] thus behaving badly

[JOHNNY J FARBER]

The past two days I have gotten a lot of good ideas on how to show appeciation to trail angels---I love the thank-you post card idea.  When I read the journal entry that was written about the hiker town experience I saw the hikers frustration at getting her plans changed unexpectedly.  She had the right to feel frustrated.  My 2 cents:  we all have our crabby days and these are not right or wrong, but venting anger towards someone over the internet is totally inappropriate.  I think that an alert not to plan zeros there would be ok.  Everyone, includindg a trail angel has the right to change their mind if something comes up.     I hope I behave myself when I hike next weeK.  FREE  
     1. Re: thrus behaving badly (RobTrailmail)


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  Message: 1
  Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:55:14 +0100
  From: RobTrailmail <rob at trailmail.galbavy.de<mailto:rob at trailmail.galbavy.de>>
  Subject: Re: [pct-l] thrus behaving badly
  To: Pct-l at backcountry.net<mailto:Pct-l at backcountry.net>
  Message-ID: <20080418175514.y1w83u3kqo40kosk at webmail.df.eu<mailto:20080418175514.y1w83u3kqo40kosk at webmail.df.eu>>
  Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; DelSp="Yes";
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  I'm mostly lurking here but today I want to add
  my 2 cents.


  I totally agree with David and most of the other
  postings here.

  In my humble opinion hiking the PCT became kinda
  like "mass hiking tourism" in the last few years.

  New trail angels are popping up all along the way
  each year.

  Some thrus think that thru-hiking entitles them to
  certain things and that it's the trail angel's job
  to help out ("there are so many angels out there
  anyway").

  This attitude sometimes sneaks in without you
  realizing it.

  Some of the thrus I met in '04 - me included - were
  showing attitude to some extent.

  A thru-hike IS an accomplishment and a special
  experience but because we are doing something special
  we tend to think that we are entitled to something
  special. We keep forgetting that there is no such
  thing as entitlement in this case (as David said
  before).

  We are getting angry / annoyed ...

  ... when we don't get a ride right after arriving at
       the trailhead.

  ... if there's no beer left in the fridge of the trail
       angels.

  ... when there's no water left at a water cache.

  ... when the hotel owner charges you extra for extra
       people in the room.

  ... when the resort owner doesn't let you use the
       laundromat cuz he needs it.

  ... etc


  I'm sure this was different, let's say, 10 years ago.
  When almost nobody you met in towns actually heard of the
  PCT and hikers really appreciated every bit of help they
  got. (I wasn't around back then of course but that's my
  impression)

  I really will try to keep this in mind for my thru-hike
  this year...

  ...and if I forget and start to show attitude again I
  would politely ask you to remind me of my words from today.

  Many of us are out there to actually find our way into
  ourselves: the pilgrimage into the core.

  So let's just not forget what drives us, why we are out
  there, and maybe we need a little reminder from time to
  time from fellow hikers, trail angels and / or the PCT-L.


  Good luck to the class of 2008.

  Hike on!


  -Germanator-