[pct-l] The Selling of our Wilderness to the highest bidder

[csiechert@hotmail.com (Carl Siechert)]

> You are correct about the guides on Rainier being jerks Dave. Anytime the
> government gives special rights to any one group in the name of the all
> mighty dollar, you will have problems. Just as Rainier has become a cash
cow

Implicit in your statement is that the government should step aside and let
all comers attack places in high demand. Yeah, that'll be a good solution.
At least grumpy guides won't be your biggest problem anymore.

> to the guide service in the park, the rivers are dollar signs to the pro
> river runner crowd. The park service gives most white water permits in the
> Grand Canyon and Idaho's better rivers to guide services with only a token
> few  remaining for private river runners. The park service should go 50-50
on
> the permits and alternate weeks on the rivers between the guide service
folks
> and privite runners. Just as the Rainier Guides think they own the
mountain,
> river services hog most the good campsites and push private river runners
out
> of the way. At least, the PCT is free of this type of conflict. Guides do

I went through the Grand Canyon last September (awesome trip, highly
recommended) on a guided trip. Though there was some discussion about the
allocation of permits, I didn't see any conflict between guides and private
runners on the river. Rather, there was plenty of cooperation about camp
sites, lunch stops, and so on. In fact, there seemed to be a tight bond
between the guides and the private runners, many of whom were vacationing
guides. And even though the guides (and all the clients) looked upon the
motorized trips with some disdain, there was still total cooperation between
the groups. Maybe our guides were special (I think they were), but the other
guides we met on the river also seemed to have the highest respect for the
Canyon itself and for anyone else who had the desire to be there.

> provide a good service for less skilled climbers and white water fans, but
> shouldn't take 80% of permits. Rainier is climbed 11,000 times each year
now
> days with 6,500 going through a guide service for 465.00 a head. Even if
300

Check your math. That's under 60%.