[pct-l] Re: New On-Trail List?

[Bighummel@aol.com (Bighummel@aol.com)]

I'll probably start a war over this one, but here it goes.

The amount of communication that is available today on the PCT and related 
trail conditions is so overwhelming relative to what was available in past 
years that all of you hiking this year or in future years have it damn easy, 
IMHO.  

There is no need on the trail for pocket emails, separate trail conditions 
list, barometer, altimeter, GPS, cell phone, satelite phone, short wave 
radios, computers, magnamometers, gravitometers, or other well intentioned 
and inappropriately applied technical communication strategies in an apparent 
"wilderness" environment.  Not even a watch nor perhaps even a thermometer is 
necessary.  I can keep relative time of day from the sun and the day of the 
week is easily kept track in a journal if I need to get to a particular spot 
at a specific time for whatever reason.  If it is raining, snowing or foggy, 
then the amount of time that my estimate may be off adds to the flavor of the 
experience.  

Oh, sure, I find these gadgets just as fun as the next guy and even own a few 
of them myself for entertainment, business and personal communication 
purposes.  However, I find this phenomenal quest for collecting and access to 
more and more information is bewildering and completely antithetic to the 
"wilderness experience".

The hugh amount of information and advice avialable to you current and future 
hikers is entirely sufficient to get you there, IF, you have what it takes in 
the other necessary categories.

I put it to you; what is the fun of going out into the wilderness if you know 
what time it is to the second, what the weather will be for the next minute 
to week, what the trail conditions are over the next 100 miles updated every 
hour, and you never, ever come even close to getting lost?

IMHO,

Strider