[pct-l] Level playing field

[Reinhold Metzger]

Tortoise, Tortoise, Tortoise,....have you been smoking something?
If you want to argue that they hiked through a fire closure, fine.
But don't use the argument that because they followed the actual trail instead of a alternate 
route their record should not count.
Taking a alternate route would be a stronger argument, because subsequent competitors might be 
at a disadvantage if they fallow the actual route and the alternate route was easier.

I you starting to see the light?

Besides, they are not there yet...they have 9 days to go and may not finish, or fail to break 
the record, or Switchback may beat them to the border, in which case you, JoAnn & Patty are 
creating a big ruckus over nothing.
Calm down and enjoy the excitement Scott & Joe are generating.

JMT Reinhold

--------------------------------

Tortoise wrote:

Reinhold,

You sidestep the point -- Scott and Joe went thru a trail closed because 
of a forest fire. Maybe they had an exception from the forest service ??
But they went thru an area closed to thru hikers when they were there. 
This is the point.

You and some others may consider this OK. I and others here don't.

How do you know that Joe and Scott are "following the exact route"? Did 
they even once glissade down a snow field instead of following the 
switchbacks of the trail? Did they never loose the trail and when they 
found it again just keep on going instead of going back to hike "the 
exact route"? I don't care if they did or not.

Tortoise

<> He who finishes last, wins! <>



Reinhold Metzger wrote:
>/ Tortoise,
/>/ Old buddy....You and JoAnn seem to miss the point.
/>/ Scott & Joe are not out for a walk in the park.
/>/ Following the exact route on a record attempt KEEPS the playing
/>/ field level by them not having an advantage, over subsequent record
/>/ attempts, by not taking a perhaps easier alternate route.
/>/
/>/ Like Scott Bryce said  ''That is the nature of the trail. It is an 
/>/ unlevel playing field.''
/>/ There are ups and downs, some hikers encounter more snow or rain.
/>/ Some go UL some carry heavy packs.
/>/ Some wear running shoes, some wear waffle stompers.
/>/ Some eat hot gourmet food, some eat cold black beans.
/>/ Some have many zero days and trail town binges, some hike border to border.
/>/
/>/ Let's see now, how would JoAnn make a level playing field out off this 
/>/ diversity?
/>/ You would have to put a canopy and rope on each side of the trail from 
/>/ Canada
/>/ all the way to Mexico to ensure everybody follows in each others foot 
/>/ steps and
/>/ and is exposed to identical weather conditions.
/>/ Everybody would have to carry the same weight pack, take the same zero days
/>/ and eat the the same food.
/>/
/>/ Let's say JoAnn creates that level playing field, what criteria would it 
/>/ be based on?
/>/ I have an idea.....Scott  &  Joe are veteran PCT hikers so lets create 
/>/ this level
/>/ playing field based on Scott  &  Joe's criteria.
/>/ You better get used to minimal creature comforts and cold black beans.
/>/
/>/ You say you want your thick full length Therma Rest and hot gourmet food?
/>/ But Tortoise, you would be violating Scott  &  Joe's level playing field 
/>/ rules.
/>/ Ooohhh,...I see,....You and JoAnn want that level playing field to be based
/>/ on your and JoAnn's hiking criteria.....Still sounds like socialism to me.
/>/
/>/ I wonder if Scott  &  Joe would like to play on that kind of field?
/>/
/>/ I say.....''LET  FREEDOM  RING''....Let each hiker determine how he
/>/ or she wants to hike or play the game.
/>/
/>/ JMT Reinhold
/>/ Fierce defender of individual freedom and  HYOH  advocate
/>/
/>/ ----------------------------------------------------
/>/
/>/ Tortoise wrote:
/>/   
/>>/ Reinhold old friend,
/>>/
/>>/ Since when is playing by the rules or a level playing field considered 
/>>/ socialism or marxism or communism?
/>>/
/>>/ In most competitive endeavors, there are rules for the competition and 
/>>/ those that get caught violating the rules usually are usually 
/>>/ disqualified.
/>>/
/>>/ Scott and Joe's hike may be their personal best. HYOH doesn't mean the 
/>>/ rest of us have to approve of the hike or consider the record legitimate.
/>>/
/>>/ Tortoise
/>>/
/>>/ <> He who finishes last, wins! <>
/>>/
/>>/
/>>/
/>>/ Reinhold Metzger wrote:
/>>/     
/>>>/ Say Joann,  Why did the others not have the chance to do the same?
/>>>/ Did they post different signs with different instructions for the 
/>>>/ others?
/>>>/
/>>>/ Besides, this  ''level playing field''  sounds to much like Socialism.
/>>>/ Karl Marx was preaching it 100 years ago, they tried it in Russia and 
/>>>/ even there the playing field was not level....seems like it was a 
/>>>/ failure
/>>>/ wherever they tried to force it upon people.
/>>>/
/>>>/ Why do you thing it would be a success in a free society like the 
/>>>/ good old USA.
/>>>/ Free people like to choose for themselves the field they want to play 
/>>>/ on and what kind of games and at what intensity to play.
/>>>/ Not all people like to play the same game or play at the same 
/>>>/ intensity level.
/>>>/
/>>>/ I say...''Let Freedom Ring''...let people choose their own playing 
/>>>/ fields and games and intensity levels.
/>>>/
/>>>/ Besides, you might not like it, if under socialism, the ''level 
/>>>/ playing field'' the game and intensity were geared to Scott & Joe's 
/>>>/ level.
/>>>/ Would you be happy playing the game at their intensity level?
/>>>/
/>>>/ JMT Reinhold
/>>>/ Fierce defender of individual freedom & HYOH advocate
/>>>/ -------------------------------------
/>>>/
/>>>/ JoAnn wrote:
/>>>/
/>>>/ "what's the problem??"   ...Others didn't have the chance to do the 
/>>>/ same, i.e.,unlevel playing field.
/>>>/ are we there yet
/>>>/ JoAnn
/>>>/
/>>>/ ------------------------------
/>>>/
/>>>/ Andrea wrote
/>>>/ If they were allowed to continue through the "closed" area with out 
/>>>/ being
/>>>/ fined, arrested or hauled off the trail by the 
/>>>/ authorities.........what's
/>>>/ the problem??
/>>>/
/>>>/ PCT MOM
/>>>/
/