[pct-l] PCT article in the Ashland Daily Tidings: "They're Coming!

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

Thank you for that, Steel-Eye. That was so true and funny.

I am packing up my stuff for a week in the Wind River Range and have  
had to resort to using my PCT pack. I have washed that pack and then  
let it sit in the sun for a long time and it has sat in a box for a  
couple of years. The thing still stinks of my underarm sweat. I am  
going to have to wear the shirt I wore on the PCT because my PCT pack  
stains my shirts. My PCT shirt is already stained. I intend to wear  
my PCT pants, too, because they zip off.

I know it's totally cheating, but if I wear the full "costume", it  
seems to open doors, makes people (hikers and non-hikers) more  
friendly toward me. I try not to take advantage of free food and  
stuff like that. I'm not that hungry anyway. But once a trail angel  
handed out hot chocolate and I was in need so I took it. I felt bad  
for that, but  I had accidentally hiked 28 miles that day (I couldn't  
figure out why 18 miles was taking me so long) and I was in such pain  
and so cold and at such a low place that hot chocolate probably meant  
more to me at that moment than most of the caches and things I  
experienced as a long haul hiker. I hope the trail angel accepted my  
apology for taking the hot chocolate.

I did a day hike today and I still feel like fainting at the smell of  
some day hikers. I think drier sheets should be outlawed.