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

[Carol]

Required beacons. Or cow bells. How about cans of neon Silly String? That would be helpful but hardly LNT. 
Carol

Sent from my iPhone

> On Oct 21, 2013, at 11:03 PM, Jackie McDonnell <yogihikes at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 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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