[pct-l] Hosting

[Trekker4 at aol.com (Trekker4@aol.com)]

DP,
I'll just give you a few things that come to mind:
1. Decide what's the maximum # of hikers you can hold, inside and/or  outside.
2. Decide exactly what you're going to offer, ie: beds, floor space, tent  
space, a shower, washer & dryer; in town rides, shuttles to/fm the PCT,  maximum 
# of nights a given hiker will stay, etc.
3. Do you have a job? If so, that will interfere or influence everything in  
this post; in other words, are you willing to leave your house open without 
you  there, allowing grubby strangers to have the run of your house. Think about 
your  neighbors and/or your landlord or lady. Will they put up with it? If 
you don't  own your place, something like this you'd better at least talk to 
your owner  about; technically, he/she can't control you too much, but I wouldn't 
 risk making them angry. If you live in a regular neighborhood, your  
neighbors make be upset if a bunch of tents suddenly show up in your yard, or if  
your formerly quiet place gets noisier. 
4. Get everything written down and think about it; get your ground rules in  
writing; get everything little in writing, ie if you furnish a washer &  
dryer, are you going to furnish detergent? Do you have a clothesline  only or a 
dryer? These little things need to be in writing. 
5. You'll have to get a flyer out, for this year especially; it's too late  
to get into Yogi's book, and she'll probably wait for feedback from this year's 
 hikers, before giving you her triple crown seal of approval (there's one 
place,  for instance, she hasn't - and if you don't make Yogi's book, you ain't  
s__t!) On the flyer you'll need your name, address, phone number(s), email  
addy, website url (if any), etc, along with enough of a map (get a free one off  
the Inet, that shows street names) to make finding your place easy. If you  
live out of town, or a long ways from the businesses hikers need, that'll be a  
negative factor - ie they may not want to walk 3 miles to your place, when 
they  can split a motel in the center of town near the PO for $15.
6. The hikers, if you get established and blessed, will come in droves  for 
about a month; then they'll mostly go away for 11 months. Will you have  
withdrawal pains, like the Saufley's?
7. You've only got 2.5 months to get ready for this year. I believe someone  
already said it, but you need to get your flyer to this year's ADZ, and 
yourself  if possible.
8. Are you going to ask for, or accept donations?  Do you want hikers  
drinking inside or outside of your house? What are you going to do if a  hiker needs 
to be booted out? You'll have to be in charge and in control,  because there 
is always that 10% of the public; maybe only 1% of long distance  hikers abuse 
their privileges (I don't know), but you need to think about  it.
9. I'm sure I've overlooked things to think about and do.  
 
Bob 
Big  Bend Desert Denizen
(Naturalized Citizen, Republic of  Texas)