[pct-l] ADZ

[enyapjr at comcast.net]

Greg "Strider" Hummel wrote:
> Scott,
> 
> You and L-Rod have officially lost it.  On my list of  "underlying concerns 
> threatening The Trail" rank;
> 
> 1) Encroachment by real estate
> 2) 4WD - offroading - motorcycle use
> 3) Logging
> 4) Noise and Sight pollution
> 5) Air Pollution
> 6) Traffic safety for hikers
> 7) Safety around the southern terminus
> 8) Trash and overuse by weekenders
> 9) Lack of public awareness
> 10) Sufficient volunteer base for maintenance
> 11) Funding for land purchases
> 12) Funding for maintenance
> 13) Funding for NFS oversite and public awareness stewardship
> 
> Hmmm, how is it that the ADZ even comes up in this discussion considering  
> all of the other massive and imposing threats to this national treasure?
> 
> In what specific ways are you also attacking or opposing these  threats?
> 
> You must have way too much time on your hands and way too few problems to  go 
> so far out of your way to try to make this an issue.  

Well, then I must have "officially lost it", also - whatever that means...  Does it mean being on an ADZ "official" 'bad person list', or just on your own personal 'bad person list'?...  Or are you referring to mental capabilities or faculties?  Just what do you mean?

As for your hard thought out list - sorry to see you 'double-dipping' so many times - your list of 13 is quite a few less in reality, but...  Yes, I do agree some things on your list are much more important than the ADZ issue, but I also think you overly dramatize those while you trivialize - no, incorrect - you don't even recognize that there 'might' be a "herd" / ADZ associated 'problem' and its impact on the trail...

Your list:  Items 1, 2, 3, 4 partially (sight 'sometimes'), 9, 11, 12, and 13 are all simply all FUNDING related items...  The PCT needs more funding to purchase a protected "corridor" its entire length...  Congress saw fit to do that for the AT - what about the PCT??  The PCT also needs more funding for PR for public awareness and volunteers, maintenance, more 'authority'/law enforcement on some stretches (esp. BLM where most of the offroad damage is done)...  The PCT definitely needs more funding, but for OFF TOPIC "political" reasons that I cannot discuss it isn't getting enough to cover even the minimum needed...
Item 4 - Never going to get rid of all 'outside' noise on the PCT, especially from ABOVE - there was air traffic noise in the high Sierra long before the PCT was 'official', some places out in the SoCal desert and mountains and the southern Sierra get 'plenty' of military training flights - etc., etc. ...
Item 5 - CA has stiffer air pollution standards than the federal government...  Most of the SoCal air pollution 'looks' terrible - but it is more a climatological phenomenon, it gets stacked up against the mountains day after day until it 'spills' through the passes out into the desert (except during the Santa Ana winds, of course)...  Since no 'vehicles' are allowed on the PCT - air pollution is kind of 'Off Topic' and just something to live with and battle against elsewhere...
Item 6 - I'm not sure where you're coming from with this (other than possibly the walk over the Bridge of the Gods)...  PCT 'hikers' have as much rights as any other pedestrians out there...
Item 7 - I honestly believe this is blown way, way out of proportion to what is reality...  Even some postings of late downplayed the so called 'problem' as being nonexistent...  Propagating fear of the 'unknown' is not a wise decision...
Item 8 - First, the trail is for ALL, not just thru-hikers - you can NOT exclude "weekenders" from the trail; who's next excluded - section hikers, too??  It goes against the establishing National Trails System Act...  As for trash - are you sure it is ONLY from "weekenders"?  I also recall some posts talking about trash around some of the water caches during thru season - some caches away from the normal "weekenders" locations...
Item 10 - Not sure about the 'why' there is a lack on this one, but I do agree...  The 'popular' and more 'populated' areas get volunteers - others don't...  I put some blame with the primary managing agency (USFS) on this one - and, of course, the old FUNDING issue!!

I do 'what I can' regarding "helping" the PCT - via the PCTA and other associated organizations, emails to Congress and other political offices and the various on-trail agencies...  Certainly not as 'much' as you do (as you pointed out to me previously), but that is highly irrelevant - isn't it?  I, too, will keep giving my opinion on ADZ's influence on the "herd", annually or whenever it is brought up...

Happy trails!!!
Jim Payne

"Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul."  - Edward Abbey