[pct-l] Thoughts about ADZPCTKO

[cdrriess1 at cox.net (Robert E. Riess)]

In 1999 we had 75 attendees. Last year over 320.  Greg has spent enormous personal resources to establish and maintain goodwill with the Lake Morena officials, all of whom seem to have forgotten how to count about this time of year. Everything we have done to make the event better has also served to make it bigger. We must be at max capacity this year, but I do not favor limiting attendance.  I guess we all do this for the fun of it, and for me it just wouldn't be fun anymore if we turned people away.  

In each of the past 5 years I have been among the last to leave.  I have and will personally make sure the campsites are clean of trash, including hiker's box giveaways.  We have all asked for cooperation from hikers and campers.  We have all asked for the songs to stop at lights out. We are all responsible for keeping the rangers happy, and I think we have done a great job of it.  There is plenty of work to do, but there are plenty of good people to do it, and do it well.  

It was Napoleon, who lost a million men in the retreat from Moscow, who said, "the complexity of an expedition increases exponentially with its size." 

I congratulate and thank all who have made these first five years so pleasant, happy and successful.  Everyone appreciates your good work and creativity.
Three weeks and counting.  Hike on !!  Bob Riess at the Trailhead in San Diego