[pct-l] a year off....

[Georgi Heitman]

Dear Friends,
This is a hard letter to write, but I can't put it off any longer.  I've
made the decision that I need a year off and so The Hideaway at Old Station
will not be open this coming season.  Last summer I had such fantastic
help...and I still came away tired at the end of the hiker year.  Maybe age
is finally creeping up on me, I dunno...but there's no excitement in my
heart for this coming summer.  Last year for a good portion of the season we
were the last of five trail angels between Bucks Lake and Old Station.  We
really aren't as badly needed as we were ten or even five years ago....this
seems like a good time to take a vacation.  I realize that before coming to
this decision, I've responded positively to some folks who've asked to come
stay.  Hopefully, they'll become aware that things have changed, and that
it's not too late for them to change their plans.  I'll do my best to help
them in any way possible.  I'll be at Kick Off, spreading the word...I'm
sending this to trail angels from the Saufleys to the Dinsmores, to ADZ, the
PCTA, the pct-l and to many of the folks who've helped here at The Hideaway
in the past.   At this point I plan to have the water cache near the Hwy 44
Trailhead up and running as usual.
As a nod to the weather, I'll mention that it's snowing as I write
this...and my daughter in the SF Bay Area sez it's snowing at her place in
Martinez as well.  This is looking to be another big snow year, tho last
year we saw flakes drifting down during the first week in June...something
that I'd be surprised to see again this year.
Even tho The Hideaway won't be open, I look forward to seeing lots of folks
on the trail...good luck and God bless you all!
Thanks
Georgi/FireFly