[pct-l] Echo Chalet no longer a resupply point / troublemakers on the trail

Sat Jan 9 14:04:23 CST 2016

Have you read Aspen's book about her recent hike of the PCT? I read it two months ago but couldn't talk about it until now. 
The monsters ( I won't call them hikers) who terrorized and killed a marmot in the Sierra are beyond any comment. Every time I think of it I feel ill. 
For those who are planning to hike the trail. Here are behaviors that I would have never thought would have to be addressed
•
1. You do not kill or harm in any way ANY of the animals
That includes finding it funny or something to be proud of,to do without a bear canister in the Sierra(you do  harm to the Bears by teaching them that they can get food from hikers ,just as all of the serious hikers have been trying to teach differently). That also includes rattlers--I don't care how stupid and scared you are. Walk around them. 
2. If you can't have a drink or two and stop ,when you get to town ,you need to stop drinking completely. You are screwing it up for everyone. You just don't remember how obnoxious you are. Drunks,stoners,immature idiots are just tiresome to everyone but themselves. 
3. You don't steal from anyone--- hikers, trail Angels,towns people.  
4. You don't "poor mouth" so that you can mooch food or stay at a hostel for free so that you can buy liquor or dope. I saw this over and over on my Myth from 2006 to 1213 and again last year when I went out again for the first 700 miles. Eventually those people get a reputation but it's unpleasant until the other hikers figure it out. 
If no one has taught you how to act around others it's time to learn. There have always been people on the long trails with different income levels. Hikers used to wash in creeks,camp out just short of town and come in to resupply if they could not afford to stay. On the PCT and the CDT ,the first time,I never had a pack that didn't have clothes drying on it.  It is one of thing that you learned how to do. I don't care if you are 16 or 90. You don't get to harm the trail. The trail includes everything  out there--trail tread,animals,people,towns
It's time to treat this behavior just it should be. Call it out. 
Marmot

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 9, 2016, at 10:23 AM, "jcil000-hiker at yahoo.com" <jcil000-hiker at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> The post by Tim Crum doesn't surprise me.
> The troublemakers of the world always find a way to ruin life for themajority of us just trying to enjoy life. 
> I live in San Francisco and observe the annual Bay To Breakers7.1 mile fun run each year. Its an annual event that has been goingon now for over 100 years. Each year corporate donations (sponsors)have allowed a good amount of operating cash and expertise to help keepit operating. In the 1980s, the participant numbers were over 100,000 joggersand a hundred or so actual seeded runners up front.
> About four years ago, the entire operation nearly ended as those corporatedonors decided they didn't want to be associated with the problems createdby the troublemakers including peeing in private residential driveways, leavingtheir beer cans along the streets, and just creating a drunk binge en mass. Thefamily atmosphere was poisoned as parents couldn't bring their little kids due tothe exhibitionists who were running around naked as if we all wanted to see that.
> It was only with the promise by the City of SF and its police department that they wouldclean it all up that new corporate donors stepped forward to help. As it now is,we have only the one yucky problem of some ELDERLY NAKED MAN standing everymile or so. The police are confronting the drunks, seizing their booze, and / or haulingthem off to the drunk tank.
> The PCT was / is a beautiful concept for everyone to enjoy. I'm not sure what mightbe done about the trouble makers. For every 100 hikers who simply wants to backpack, there is one who thinks its funny to cause trouble in any way possible. Eventhrough vandalism and theft. I've read more than a few cases where packers foundtheir gear stolen by other packers. 
> Day Early
> 
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