[pct-l] ADZ

Thu Feb 28 12:55:51 CST 2008

I have Greg Hummel's email address blocked, so I am responding to his post
on top of yours, Jim (this isn't a response to you, but to Greg). 

Greg:  I have never once said that the ADZ is a threat to the TRAIL beyond
the violation of Leave No Trace principles, which to me is ethically wrong.
I have stated that it is a threat to HIKERS, who will be the losers if quota
systems are imposed, or if they lose services along the trail because there
are too many of them for some businesses to handle. It is my concern for
hikers and their needs that I have continued to raise this issue.  

I am actively involved in the PCTA (in fact, recently returned from their
annual "Hike the Hill" event by invitation and on my own dime), and I am
well aware of the numerous other threats to the trail.  Your insinuation
that I am unaware of these issues is part of the ongoing rudeness that you
have exhibited, and one of the reasons I block your email.  

You entirely have missed the point, but that doesn't surprise me.  It also
doesn't surprise me that after all these years, you are still not willing to
consider the impacts your event has caused, although there has been many
independent sources relating the issue to you. It is why I left the ADZ
organizing committee -- at the time I originally raised the issue you didn't
even want me to mention this issue to the other members of the committee,
which is why I quit in disgust. You also said that I was outright wrong
about there being a "herd", and that the issue was because we couldn't
handle the numbers at Hiker Heaven (and you were wrong on both counts).  As
to your personal attack below, I simply consider the source.

Donna Saufley
a.k.a. Lightening Rod, a.k.a. L-Rod

-----Original Message-----
From: enyapjr at comcast.net [mailto:enyapjr at comcast.net] 
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2008 10:30 AM
To: pct-l
Cc: Bighummel at aol.com
Subject: ADZ

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

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