[pct-l] kick off time

[Eric Lee]

Jonathon wrote:
>
Hike to Morena and sleep there Sat night and use Sunday to see everything
that's left at the KO. Is this a normal plan? Do we need to spend as much
time as possible at the party?
>

Other people have correctly said that ADZPCTKO really runs Friday and
Saturday, and Sunday is pretty much just breakfast and teardown, so if you
actually want to participate at all you should really plan to be there all
day Saturday.  On the other hand, there's no particular reason that you
*have* to be there at all.  ADZPCTKO offers a lot of opportunities to gather
information about the trail experience that's ahead of you, and a chance to
meet and mingle with your fellow thru-hikers, and it's just a really great
all-around vibe, but it's not mandatory or necessary.  Plenty of people
thru-hike without experiencing ADZPCTKO and if large groups of people isn't
really your speed, you can skip it.  It's entirely up to you.

Hiking in from the border on Saturday and being there just Saturday night
and Sunday morning might be a good compromise, giving you just enough of a
taste of it without having to indulge in the full-meal-deal.  Just be aware
that after about 8:00 am on Sunday, it's pretty much over.  The thru-hikers
will all be gone and the folks still there will be packing and cleaning.

Eric