[pct-l] rescues, toilet paper, and questions

[Jackie McDonnell]

Required beacons!!!   That's a FANTASTIC idea!

;-)

Yogi
www.pcthandbook.com


On Mon, Oct 21, 2013 at 1:15 PM, Will Stenzel <willstenzel at hotmail.com>wrote:

> Yet another post on preparedness/rescues from a longtime
> PCT-L-er, as well as some discussion questions on the general direction
> for the
> PCT:
>
>
> I don't have much info., but were there any fatalities on the trail this
> year?  As far as I know (and I don’t know much, at
> least in the way of hard numbers), road walking and heart problems remain
> the
> biggest hazards on the PCT, at least in terms of actually dying out there.
>  True?  False?  I honestly don't know.
>
>
> Despite the relative explosion in information available
> about the PCT, to me it seems very little has changed regarding storm
> preparedness since I set out NoBo in 1998.
> I don’t know that there’s an answer – the PCT features a large number of
> fast-moving, often highly-fatigued (and sometimes ill) hikers, who are
> actively
> encouraged by numerous sources (including this one) to leave most
> cold-weather/snow/rain gear at home, attempting a trail that wends among
> the
> highest and most exposed ridges in the country.
> What is the reasonable outcome?  I
> think it’s an annual series of rescues whenever storms hit WA early -
> unless some changes were made....
>
>
> Which leads to a question(s) for the group – does the PCT need changes,
> and if
> so, what?  More education?  Maybe some kind of test prior to getting a
> long-distance permit?  Required beacons?  Maybe a few shelters in isolated
> areas?  Designated campsites/toilets?  Other?
> Or is it fine the way it is?  For
> example, last year I spent a month hiking from central Oregon to Donner
> Summit,
> and was amazed by how much more trash and general impact there was
> compared to
> when I first hiked in 1998.  (I was also amazed by the sheer grumpiness of
> many NoBo-ers, but that's another story.)  What to do?
> -Will
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