[pct-l] reaffirmation in humanity

[judson at jeffnet.org (Judson Brown)]

I recently did a dumbass thing on my trip from ELR to Quincy: while staying
the night in the apartment above the Buckhorn in Sierra City, I plugged my
iPod in to charge it up. Being incredibly absent-minded, I left it there
when I hiked out the next day. Didn't realize it until the top of the climb
over Sierra Buttes. Do I hike back 7 mi. and regain the 2800' to save $300
worth of electronics? I quickly decided no. Perhaps one of the other hikers
who stayed there had seen it and grabbed it? If not, maybe the owner of the
apartment would find it during the clean up? Sadly, neither happened. As a
last glimmer of hope, I left a note at the A-Tree (what the hell is that,
anyway?) saying what had happened and how to contact me.  In the days since
the trip, I had sadly resigned myself to the loss of one of my favorite
toys. I was pretty pissed at myself.

But today, a package arrived in the mail, and I immediately knew what it
was. The outside said it had been posted from Belden, and inside was my
precious iPod! I am grateful for the honesty and the effort and the money it
took for a complete stranger to get it back to me.

So if anyone know who Donny Stevens is, let him know that he has a dinner
and a pitcher of beer coming his way when he gets to Ashland! I am
continuously amazed at the kindness and decency of the people who hike this
beautiful trail!

OK, now y'all can go back to arguin' 'bout bears and such.

Judson
Ashland