[pct-l] Thru hikers for 2011...by date

Wed Dec 22 10:27:15 CST 2010

Paul,

You may be trying to be funny, but you just come across as rude. 

Thousands of people have completed thru hikes of long distance trails while using trail names. Many of these trail names are obvious, common, and simple. When I thru hiked the AT in 2008, I met plenty of people with duplicated trail names. I personally don't know anybody who has used the trail names "Pack Rat" and "Spill." They are both fairly obvious trail names and fitting descriptions of habits that Rachel and I have demonstrated while doing long distance walks.

"Pack Rat" may be "a well known and popular accomplished hiker," but I don't know him. I searched Trail Journals and found one listing for a "Packrat" (one word) who hiked the AT in 2004. I didn't find any listings for anybody named "Spill." I am not "pretending" to be a guy I never met who hiked the AT in 2004. I don't even know if this is the hiker to whom you refer.

Your list of people who plan to attempt a PCT thru hike in 2011 doesn't include anyone else with the Trail Names "Pack Rat" or "Spill." Do you know of anyone else who plans to hike the PCT with these names in 2011?

Like birth names, trail names don't have to be unique names that nobody has ever used before. I'm not the only person who has ever been named Gary. That doesn't mean I'm "pretending" to be somebody else named Gary. You're not the only person who has ever been named Paul. How would somebody even know if they've come up with a unique, totally original trail name? Is there some searchable registry of evry trail name any hiker has ever used? Is there a specific list of prohibitted trail names that have been officially reserved for "well known and popular accomplished hikers?" 

Your 2011 PCT list includes people who have chosen obvious, common trail names like "Blue Moon," "Sunshine," "Spider," "Echo," "Topsy Turvy," and "Goodness." I'm sure that other hikers must have used these trail names before. Did you tell all of these people that they can't use these trail names? You have two Dans and two Mikes listed. Which Dan and which Mike are imposters posing as the other Dan and Mike? You have other PCT hikers listed with unoriginal, deceptive names like "Karen," "James," "Pete," "Ryan," "Steven," "Lisa," "Rick," "Scott," "Kevin," "Dennis," and "Sarah." I'm pretty sure that other people with these names have gone hiking somewhere, sometime previously. Have you officially denied these folks the authority to use these names while hiking and labelled them imposters?

I don't really care what name I use on the PCT, or if I use a trail name at all. I have used the nickname/trail name "Thought Criminal" in various contexts since 2002, but I would prefer to use a less political, more light-hearted name on the PCT. Rachel and I had extensive discussions about possible new trail names while hiking the Glacier NP section of the CDT with a friend whom I met on the CDT in New Mexico's Chihuahuan Desert. It's taken a lot of discussion for us to come to mutually agreeable trail names. 

Other trail names I considered have been keeping "Thought Criminal," just going by my birth name, or choosing Winston Smith, Ecotopian, Sequoia (to Rachel's Redwood), Green, Crestone, Peakbagger, 13er, Alien, Dissident, or Swingman (my nickname from high school). 

If you want to have a real discussion about trail names, let's move that discussion to the "Trail Names" thread, please.

Cheers,

Gary (insert trail name here)

--- On Tue, 12/21/10, Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Thru hikers for 2011...by date
To: "Gary Swing" <homelessontherange at yahoo.com>, pct-l at backcountry.net
Date: Tuesday, December 21, 2010, 4:23 PM

well Pack Rat is a well known and popular accomplished hiker.

...i suppose we could make an exception.

i went ahead and added you to the list as 'imposter pack rat' and "spill"

have a good day,
~Paul

(i hope you sense the intended joking sarcasm here... doesn't always come through on paper)

From: Gary Swing <homelessontherange at yahoo.com>
To: pct-l at backcountry.net; Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
Sent: Tue, December 21, 2010 12:12:17 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Thru hikers for 2011...by date

Paul,

We regret to inform you that frankly we don't give a damn what you think.

Cheers,

Pack Rat and Spill

--- On Tue, 12/21/10, Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Thru hikers for 2011...by date
To: "Gary Swing" <homelessontherange at yahoo.com>, pct-l at backcountry.net
Date: Tuesday, December 21, 2010, 5:54 AM

Your application for trail names has been regretfully 

declined

name "Pack Rat" is already in use
names "Spill" is already in use

for further information please contact the admin

this is an automated message

From: Gary Swing <homelessontherange at yahoo.com>
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Sent: Mon, December 20, 2010 12:49:18 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Thru hikers for 2011...by date

My girlfriend (Rachel) and I plan to attempt a northbound thru hike of the PCT in 2011, starting with ADZPCTKO, which is scheduled to take place April 29-May 1.

I was "Thought Criminal" on the AT in 2008 and the Colorado Trail in 2009. Rachel proposes to call me "Pack Rat" on the PCT in 2011. She was "Red" on the AT. I propose to call her "Spill" on the PCT.

Cheers,

Gary Swing

Partner, Rachel Terry
--- On Mon, 12/20/10, Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Thru hikers for 2011...by date
To: "Rick Wiggins" <moosewig at yahoo.com>, pct-l at backcountry.net
Date: Monday, December 20, 2010, 5:24 AM

k i added new entries and sorted by date to let you see who's going to be near 
you:

James B (blue moon – march)
Mike Schaffer (April 8)
Holly Eggleston ( early / mid april)
Pete and Karen Peterson (Early-Mid April)
Ryan Hull (early – mid april)
Ramblin' Rose (aja) and Emily  (mid april)
Steven dvsteven (flying tortoise) (mid april)
Duncan Webb (Spider) (April 17)
Outpost and Echo (April 17)
Ron Dye (burning daylight), (April 17)
Colin and topsy Turvy (mid-late april)
Joyce L (mid-late April)
Lisa Freathy (mid – late april)
Matthias Kodym/Austria (mid/late April)
Rick Wiggins (mid – late april)
Scott G ; flip-flop (mid to late april)
Kevin ( start 4/20 )
Dennis osbourne - Sunshine (april 22)
Whitnee Goode (late april, after 23’rd)
jim and Dona (april 24)
Alexander asai (late april)
Bryan Cox < late April>
Jen N  (late april)
Gregory Wilson and his brother (last week april)
Dan K (April 27)
Sarah howard (ko)
Toby Maxwell (may 8-12)
Prizm and Goodness (mid may)
Dale P (late may)
Christa Wellman (late may)
Dale P (late may)
Dan Engleman (end of may)
Siesta Steve (UK,  Idyllwild may 23)
Lyndsey (lollygag) SOBO (june/july)

no dates for the following ppl...

Jonathon derecourt (jono) and his wife
Joshua pinedo ( JP) … questionable…?
Karl Jorgenson, Jorgy
Kylie skidmore  (skids)
Liechty, David and Rachel
Mike chapman
Neil P
Robert Henry

Goodluck all and i'll see you out there !~!~

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