[pct-l] A bit much

[dsaufley at sprynet.com (dsaufley@sprynet.com)]

Dear Judy,

I was deeply alarmed that there could be an interpretation of disparaging treatment of section hikers set off by the message entitled "a bit much",  but it couldn't be farther from the case.  Please know with certainty that section hikers are regarded with parity.  The fact is, there are more section hikers who use the Trail on an annual basis than there are thru-hikers.  Somehow, because I said that section hikers have a greater tendency to talk about their occupations, this has been taken as a criticism.  I don't know why.  It's okay to talk about what you do.  It's just that the thru-hikers seldom do; perhaps because they are out there for a longer duration, they identify with being unemployed (just a private theory).

My husband Jeff and I host the hikers as they pass through Agua Dulce, CA.  We take in EVERYONE, and their animals too.  Because I have people in our home, driving our cars, and staying literally as long as they need to, I try to be very careful in screening people as they arrive, and validating that they're really out hiking the trail.  I try to do this subtly, so as not to negate the hospitality being offered by outward suspicion, and have learned how to read things people say as clues to what they're doing.  

The following two paragraphs are an excerpt from my response to the post which insinuated some unfair treatment of section hikers:

>>>>As to section hikers, there was nothing untrue or ill-intended in what I said.  
I have learned how to discern a section hiker from a thru-hiker based on the things
they talk about.  Think about it -- it's only logical that people talk about what
they're immersed in, and it's consistently the case.  It is a skill that I've honed
not to be discriminatory, but to be safety-conscious.  There have been interlopers
from outside of the hiking community who have tried to take advantage of our hospitality.
I really listen to what people are saying when I meet them; they give away a lot
of clues about what they're doing.  I ask questions to verify whether someone is
really out hiking the trail or trying to squat at our place.  Through this process
I have learned that thru-hikers almost never identify themselves by their occupations,
but short-term section hikers will.  Just an observation, not a criticism.

We host and support section hikers just the same as we do thrus; we've never discriminated,
and enjoy being able to host everyone, regardless of destination or duration.  Every
section hiker out there who's stayed here knows that is true.  The fact is, we have
the utmost of respect for those who do the PCT in sections; in many ways it takes
more effort and commitment to cover the ground over a period of years than it does
to do it in five or so months.  I myself am a section and not a thru hiker!!!<<<<

I feel very bad that for even a moment you thought that section hikers are somehow second class citizens on the PCT.  It just ain't so.

-=Donna Saufley=-




-----Original Message-----
From: Glkroeker@aol.com
Sent: Jan 10, 2005 10:58 AM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] A bit much

Right on, be nice to the section hikers.

This is my first post, I have been lurking for about a year now, gleaning all 
sorts of info and ideas.  My husband and I (61 and 57) are section hikers.  
We hiked Oregon the summer of 2003, half of Washington last summer until 
sidelined by a knee injury and hope to finish Washington this summer and tackle 
California the summer of 2006. Our longest hikes are about 6 days, then I go back 
to work for a week, and then out we go again. We are very proud of what we 
have accomplished, and to my knowledge, have never told anyone what we "do" 
unless we are asked - and then we just say Gary is retired and I work.

This summer in Washington we met (actually, were passed) by some of the first 
thru hikers.  We were so excited to meet them, we are in awe of the 
tremendous dedication it must take to thru hike - and want to know all about them, how 
much weight they carry, how long they have been on the trail, how far do they 
go each day etc, etc, etc.

We were thinking about coming to the Kick Off this year, but when I read what 
I consider somewhat disaparaging remarks about section hikers, I wonder how 
welcomed section hikers really are into the PCT community. I think section 
hikers bring a lot of interest and support to the PCT and our experiences, though 
not the same as thru hikers', certainly bring us to the same place of awe and 
appreciation for the wilderness. Lots of people are wrapped up in their 
identity - and they aren't just the section hikers.

Respectfully,

Judy Kroeker
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