[pct-l] The Herd is spreading out?

[Paul Bodnar]

Hi Iceaxe,

 

This year I believe hikers are more evenly distributed.  You can see the results at HikeThru.com, here is the direct link which compares the 2009 to the predicted 2010 season. http://pocketpct.com/about-the-pct/pct-hiker-migration  

 

There is an amplification effect caused when hikers spend time at a specific place.  If you have hikers spaced every hour (or 2.5 miles along the PCT) each hiker feels like they are alone.  But if those hikes stop in town for a night off then there will be 24 hikers in town for the first day.  If they take two nights off then there will be 48 hikers.  Because most hikers take two nights off at the Saufley's this amplification effect is observed in Agua Dulce.  I believe this is what you observed in your last hike.

 

Paul

 

 

Last year I picked my start date.. april 17th due to it's proximity to my birthday.
> s it turned out I had unwittingly avoided the "herd" supposedly associated with the Kick Off.
> The ironic thing was later in the hike, the Saufley's place was near capacity(50) when I reached there.
> Either the "herd" sped up and caught me(Not many passed me though) or a bunch of folks left early last year.
> I have been trying to figure out this whole herd thing. Even folks I met much later that had started after KO said
> they did not experience crowds on the trail. Actually this year there are 265 thru's registered for KO when there were only 165 last year. 
> I guess we shall see. 
> At least from my experience last year I never felt crowded on the trail but I will admit the Saufley's and later Kennedy Meadows saw quite a 
> few hikers at one time. Once back on the trail I rarely saw folks again unless I zeroed in town or caught and passed them. I think we all pretty much 
> began to travel near the same speed later on in our hikes as we get acclimated.
> Several Angels and the "Hiker Grapevine" mentioned that I was in between the "bubble" of hikers so perhaps it was just my timing. I wont say it was luck
> because, despite my initial reaction to the thought of crowds, it was ALWAYS a pleasure to share the trail with my fellow PCT hikers even if it was
> quite a rare event.
> -Iceaxe
> 



> 
> "I think this has already been mentioned on the list but I'll mention it
> gain because I just noticed it. After reading a bunch of this year's
> ournals, I'm struck by how many people are starting 1-3 weeks before
> DZPCTKO. It seems like many more than in past years, but maybe that's just
> y imagination. I'll be interested to hear if the "herd effect" is
> oticeably flatter this year.
> Eric"
> 

 

 
 		 	   		  
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