[pct-l] Kickoff experiences

[Wayne Smith]

The Kickoff is not everyone's cup of tea.  Some people will love it while
others will find it just too overwhelming.  In my personal opinion I feel
it is too soon to be having a party because I don't feel like I have done
anything yet to deserve a party thrown in my honor.  I would avoid it
if/when I hike the PCT again, but that's just me.  Also I'm going out there
to get away from the crowds and would much rather meet people one or two at
a time, rather than all at once.
I also feel that the Kickoff takes away some the mystery of what to expect
once out on the trail.  Hikers have the chance to meet and hear about many
of the different trail angels they can expect to meet along the way, so it
is no longer a surprise to meet a trail angel, but more of an expectation.
I think the biggest downside to the Kickoff is that for some hikers,
in particular the younger ones, it really inflates their sense of
entitlement to being treated special.  The Kickoff does a very good job of
making hikers feel special.  The volunteers do so much for them.  Feeding
them, praising them, telling them over and over how much they envy
them, and for some hikers it sets up a sense that they deserve to be
treated special going forward.  I have personally witnessed hikers getting
annoyed because some business along the way doesn't offer a "hiker
discount" or because they arrived in a town and there wasn't some
established trail angel waiting to take care of them.  Of course most
hikers are not like this, but for the ones who are, the Kickoff just amps
up these feelings of entitlement.