[pct-l] FW: Scott and Joe hiking closure

[Tortoise]

I agree with Will's first post as well as some others.

How can we complain about the Forest Service or ATVers or whoever not 
obeying the rules when we don't expect thru hikers to follow the rules.

With all the forest fires still burning the forest service has a lot more 
to care about and a lot more important to care about than the inconvenience 
of a trail closure to hikers. The trail closures will keep hikers safe even 
if inconvenienced.

Apparently, most thrus are behaving properly and respecting the closures 
even if they don't like the closures.

As for me I will consider Scott and Joe's attempt at a record illegitimate 
for violating the trail closure.


Tortoise

<> He who finishes last, wins! <>


Will Hiltz wrote:
> While I generally agree with the sentiment you're expressing here, perhaps
> you're missing my point a bit.  Rather than wanting to really slam Scott and
> Joe from behind a desk I just thought it would appropriate for there to be
> some sort of general acknowledgement that what they are doing isn't
> exemplary behavior and talk about ways that we as a community can identify
> the standards of outdoor practice we want to espouse.
> 
> Whether by their will or not, through Scott's appearance in LAT, NYT and the
> publiciziation of their attempt on this list, Scott and Joe have become the
> public faces of the trail.  As such, they had a real opportunity to
> demonstrate for all the other thrus what proper and consientious wilderness
> behavior is and lead the community by example. They chose not to do that.
> Hiking through closures is a bad idea for all sorts of reasons not just
> including Scott & Joe's personal safety.  As role models one COULD say they
> have an obligation to think about how their disregard of closures/wilderness
> guidelines might affect not just the way thrus as a whole are percieved by
> regulatory bodies etc., but also how their actions might affect the
> decision-making of people actually on the trail.
> 
> When I was on the trail in '07, I stopped filtering my water after Kennedy
> Meadows.  Most folks that I hiked with didn't also go w/o treatment
> initially, but after having seen me do it successfully for several
> days/weeks, they too began to drink unfiltered water.  Once I demonstrated
> that the behavior was possible (though not necessarily advisable) for me,
> other folks eventually tried it themselves.  That is the problem with what S
> & J have done here-- this makes it way more likely that other thrus will
> attempt this.  Other hikers will put themselves at risk, and maybe they
> won't be as experienced or fast-hiking as S&J.  Maybe regulatory bodies will
> crack down (suspension of the PCTA's ability to grant magical permits,
> anyone?).  S & J had a real chance to show by example that these closures
> (and by extension, wilderness regulations in general) are worthy of
> consideration.
> 
> And honestly, how can we as a community not speak out against this and then
> at the same time decry ATVers and Mt. bikers on our beloved trail?  Or rail
> at folks for not using bear cannisters?  Rules are only rules if they apply
> to everyone all the time.  Otherwise they're just suggestions.  Is that what
> we're really pushing for?
> 
> YITOOD,
> 
> Easy
> 
> 
> On Thu, Jul 24, 2008 at 8:36 AM, Andrea Dinsmore <zaqueltooocool at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> DON'T JUDGE ME (OR ANYONE ELSE) UNTIL YOU WALK IN MY SHOES.............
>>
>> Unless YOU were there YOU don't know the actual conditions at that moment.
>> If they where talked to by the authorities and not ticketed , put in jail
>> or
>> sent back.........the actual danger must not have been too serious. They
>> did
>> get dumped on by the water drop. That's the perils of being where they
>> were.
>> We all can sit at home on our computers and rag on what they did......not
>> going to do any good. I can't think of any hiker on the trail that gives a
>> hoot what us arm chair folks think.
>>
>> PCT MOM
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