[pct-l] attitude shift?

[dave at livebythepark.com (David Davis)]

I don't think that we need to worry about whether today's hikers are hiking
for the trail experience or the town experience.  Both are vali experiences.
Let them have fun.  I did one hike where the trail was nothing but a
miserable obstacle between food and water points.  I did another where I
scarcely left the trail for anything and spent not a night in town (except
at the Sauffleys).  Both were exceptional experiences.  I probably have more
fond memories from the town oriented trip even though it was shorter.  The
encounters with kind people shaped my whole life perspective.  Again, on the
trail oriented trip, that one night at the Sauffleys was a highlight.  It
also reshaped my perspective on life.  (And motivated me to set up a guest
house for climbers here in Joshua Tree.)

 One comment I would make with regard to trail angels is that I don't think
that water caches are a good idea.  Sure, they make the journey easier, but
I think that they rob the hikers of one of the most remarkable desert
experiences to be had.  That is, finding a life giving trickle of water
seeping from a barren dry mountainside in the desert.  Springs are such a
miracle.  To bypass the desert springs is to miss one of the highlights of
the trail.  You just can't know or understand the desert or chaparral lands
without seeking out the springs.  I would guess that only a tiny fraction of
today's hikers visit Live Oak, Cedar, Lost Valley, Storm Canyon, Chariot
Canyon or any of the other amazing springs.

Another negative of water caches is that you can never be 100% sure it will
be full, so you still need to carry water.  I think a far more useful aid to
hikers would be a network of spring checkers who could verify the flows in
their area and then phone the info to someone who could post it in an
appropriate location.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "jape" <jape@nethere.com>
> To: "PCT" <pct-l@backcountry.net>
> Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2003 9:54 AM
> Subject: [pct-l] attitude shift?
>
>
> > It might be that my advancing years have triggered
> > the onset of curmudgion hormones.  Or I might be
> > suffering from an ever-intensifying case of
> > thru-hiker wannabe.  Regardless, I think I detect
> > a different timbre to the overall hiker attitude
> > as reflected in the journal writings of this year.
> >
> >     http://www.trailjournals.com/journals.cfm
> >
> > IMO, humble,  ignorant or otherwise, and based
> > solely on the journals, the trail seems to have
> > become a nuisance which must be endured until the
> > real goal of a Rest Day has been reached.  And,
> > this year, there seems to be a greater lack of
> > style in how one attains that goal than in past
> > years. I've snipped a three quotes from three
> > different journals, and posted them below.  It
> > isn't pertinant to my point to identify the
> > authors in this public forum, but if you've a real
> > need to know, I'll be glad to post the specific
> > journal to your private EMail.
> >
> > "...We have been sleeping/resting under a bush for
> > a few hours. (A, B & C) came by. They are
> > slackpacking ..."
> >         This is the first time I"ve heard of slack
> > packing the San Felipe hills by thru hikers.
> >
> > "If we're not on the trail -- we don't want to
> > walk"
> >
> > "(they) were very sympathetic to our problem but
> > no one offered us a ride. It was- in my opinion-
> > disgraceful of them. ...Not one of the many people
> > in this restaurant offered us real help, not one!"
> >
> > (Of course these quotes were plucked from the rest
> > of the text, and it would be proper to question
> > the context in which they were written.)
> > Off-trail hiker assistance seems to have expanded
> > exponentially this year as well, with water caches
> > being mentioned on Hauser mountain (although I
> > wonder if perhaps the journal writers were
> > mistakenly writing about empties that had dropped
> > by passing illegals), Pioneer Mail, Lucky 5,
> > Scissors Crossing, Chihuahua Valley Rd, and Anza.
> > One journal speaks of hikers passing the
> > opportunity of getting needed water at Lost Valley
> > Springs because it was a "trickle that didn't look
> > particularly appetizing", and they did without
> > until they were forced to filter enough water to
> > get them to the next cache from a trailside
> > rivulet. Other journals speak of angels offering
> > trailside breakfasts, buckets of granola bars
> > placed beside water caches, offerings of fruit and
> > ice cream and hot dogs.
> >
> > Heck, I don't begrudge the hikers the opportunity
> > to yogi, and I applaud the efforts angels go
> > through to provide treats for hikers.  But I am
> > beginning to wonder if perhaps the attitude and
> > the drive of thru hikers on the PCT is being
> > modified by the generosity of the angels.
> > Something along the lines of "let's feed the cute
> > bear" in Yosemite (circa 1955) creating the
> > problem bear of today.  In addition, many of the
> > PCT hikers have previously hiked the AT, a trail
> > synonomous with shelter-to-shelter walking,
> > frequent town stops and the birthplace of the
> > yogi.
> >
> > I suppose I ought to conclude my rambling
> > thoughts, but as the guy said in "Platoon",
> > "I've got a bad feeling about this". <g>
> >
> > This note is intended to be a bit of a troll, and
> > not a well reasoned presentation.  I'd be
> > interested to read if anybody else is seeing an
> > attitude shift this year, I'm not interested in
> > debate, or making a defense of my observations.
> >
> > Eckert
> >
> >
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