[pct-l] Trevor's Eternal Trail

[gary at hbfun.org]

 It seems like there has almost been a sort of perfect storm on the
PCT. The long drought in California coincided with a big increase in
hikers and PCT vloggers. Newcomers research the PCT and all they see
are the unusually dry conditions of the drought years shown on
youtube. It ain't necessarily so.
 RIP to the fallen hiker.
 Gary
 On Mon 13/04/20 11:12 AM , "bobandshell97" bobandshell97 at verizon.net
sent:
 It's been so long since I have posted this may not even make it to
the list.
 All of us have memories of our own traverse(s) along Apache Peak.  I
think 
 I can visualize exactly where Trevor fell.  My 2nd time across there
was
 just 
 after the KO about 15 years ago and there were suddenly encountered 
 icy patches on the suddenly steeply-sloping treadway with a big
suddenly 
 noticed huge drop-off right there.  I was suddenly so scared I froze
for a 
 minute before slowly inching across. In short... a sudden lot of
 "suddenlys." 
 I had instep crampons with me, but the trail had been dry and I could
see 
 the trail was dry beyond.  Stop and put the insteps on for about 10
yards 
 and then remove them immediately?  Of course I should have... but
didn't.
 We all take calculated risks at times.  I was lucky... and
potentially
 stupid.
 But the main reason I'm posting is that on my first time across that
very 
 stretch on Apache Peak in 1985, my partner and I began smelling a
truly 
 horrible smell.  It filled the entire basin to the right and was so
foul you
 could hardly breathe.  No ice then and we hurried past.  A couple
days 
 later we ran into a ranger who told us a horse packer had crossed
there 
 several weeks earlier and one of his horses had slipped and fallen to
its 
 death far below.  Even a four-footed (4WD), otherwise sure-footed
animal
 had trouble at that very spot.
 Paint YW, forgive my quirky sense of humor:  Your suggested posted 
 admonition of " Warning to all who enter!" instantly reminded me of 
 Dante's "Lasciate Ogne Speranza, Voi Ch'intrate" (Abandon hope, ye 
 who enter here).  You know... something stronger, to really catch the

 hiker's attention!  :)   -  Dr. Bob