[pct-l] Boy Scouts and trail etiquette

[jeff.singewald at comcast.net]

Thanks Bob.  I totally agree with you.  It appears that sometimes we thru-hikers (and yes the section hikers on the list as well) think we are the model hikers.  Yet, as I have said before on this list, I doubt that any of us on the list that have have hiked significant portions of the trial could say that there was not at least a couple of incidents where they might question their actions.

Last year there was quite a lot of comments made to the the Sharpie graffetti on the trail markers.  This was likely done by one of our comrades in the thru-hiking community.  And there have been several cases in the recent past where the evidence points to thru-hikers having responsibility for igniting fires.

And, how many of us have camped at the Deep Creek Hot Springs, even though the signage clearly indicates it is not legal to camp there.  Nope, we have all done it.

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Bob Sartini" <r.sartini at rcn.com> 

> I think we've all seen thruhiker behavior at least as bad and likely worse 
> than any scout behavior. The scouts are usually young kids at least . The 
> thruhikers are not THAT young. 
> 
> Twice I've come a cross evidence of human defecation smack on the trail w/tp 
> as a "joke". It was in a remote place so I doubt it was cubscouts. 
> 
> How about town behavior? I stick by my statistic. 6% of any group are badly 
> behaved. From Marines to legislators, nothing unique to scouts. 
> 
> 
> "EVERYTHING is in walking distance," 
> ......Bamboo Bob 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "ed faubert" 
> To: 
> Cc: 
> Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 9:34 PM 
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Boy Scouts and trail etiquette 
> 
> 
> 
> Well it may be true about the leadership of these troops needed some lessons 
> on true wilderness expertise it may be a small percentage of the overall 
> scout troops. 
> That said it brings back to mind some PCT hikers back in 2001 who were Eagle 
> Scouts who wrote graffeti on the pct as well as the CDT when they did that a 
> few years later........... and these guys were college students to 
> boot........... 
> 
> Meadow Ed 
> --- On Mon, 11/24/08, Amanda L Silvestri wrote: 
> 
> > From: Amanda L Silvestri 
> > Subject: [pct-l] Boy Scouts and trail etiquette 
> > To: pct-l at backcountry.net 
> > Date: Monday, November 24, 2008, 6:02 PM 
> > My first reaction was to be shocked, after all scouting, I 
> > thought, should be teaching young boys how to be one with 
> > nature. Then I thought, "How much training do their 
> > leaders get? How many potential leaders would put up with 
> > a lot of training?" Are my standards too high? 
> > Perhaps, but if you are going to introduce young boys to 
> > nature, I would think that teaching respect for nature 
> > should be a big part of that introduction. I guess I am 
> > too much of a cynic to really be shocked, just 
> > disappointed... again. Thank God for the trail community 
> > and a few nature-reverent souls, and thank you Patti for 
> > putting out that fire. 
> > 
> > Amanda (Shepherd) 
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> 
> 
> 
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