[pct-l] damage at Hat Creek RV resort

[Susan Virnig]

Dear All,

The folks at Hat Creek RV resort kindly let us park our car there with no charge while we hiked up from Belden, BUT when we returned I got an earful from the resort manager, Joyce. I was saddened to hear what had happened to them, cuz it gives all PCT hikers a bad name, but I promised her I would post what she told me, and let her know if anyone stepped up to admit causing the damage.  She very much appreciated my listening to her and doing what I could to help.

On Father’s Day, June 18, a woman was driving back in the RV part of the resort looking for some PCT hikers she was picking up.  According to witnesses, the hikers saw her and hollered at her, she looked their way, not down at the road and ran over a green covered box in the ground that contained a bunch of pipes and valves that supplied water to the back half of the resort, including cabins and campsites.  Not sure if she stopped on top of the box or just continued forward over the box.   Don’t know if she knew the damage she caused, but the hikers climbed in and she drove away.  The pipes and valves were all broken from the weight of her vehicle and that part of the resort was without water until they could get it all fixed.  Bummer.

If this sounds familiar to anyone, please contact Joyce at Hat Creek RV resort or let me know and I’ll contact her.  The resort folks have been very hiker-friendly, and they are planning — in spite of this incident — to put up a white awning and picnic table for hikers to sort their boxes.  (They are right next to the Hat Creek Post Office.)  So, on behalf of all of us who have benefitted from their kindness, I hope something can be done about this.

—Sunshine (Susan from Spokane)