[pct-l] Thoughts on the ADZPCTKO thread

[yogihikes at sbcglobal.net (yogi)]

I?ve told myself over and over for the last two days to NOT get involved in this thread. BIG SURPRISE ? I couldn?t hold back.

I?ll start by stating that Donna is a good friend. Greg, Carl, AsABat, Ron, Squeak, and all the other ADZ organizers are good friends. I am NOT taking sides.

It bothers me that after returning home from such an amazing weekend, we were all blasted by this thread. The 2005 Kick Off was by far the most relaxed and welcoming Kick Off I?ve attended. The smile on Greg?s face said it all. 

And then this thread appears. It?s a big let-down at the end of a fantastic weekend. And now I?ve been sucked into it. Here?s my scattered thoughts, for what it?s worth. 

GOING BACK ? A Trail Days type event would not work on the PCT. The PCT is not the AT. The northward pull of the PCT is much stronger than the northward pull of the AT. I simply would not interrupt my PCT hike to hitch ahead or back to attend an event. I DEFINITELY would not hitch BACK for it. PCT thru-hikers do not go BACK. I?ll walk 5 miles farther to get water when I?m dry rather than walk back ½ mile to the source which I should have used. We don?t go back.

MOVE UP THE TRAIL ? If the Kick Off was moved up the trail, that would not correct the issue of overcrowding in the towns. Instead, the overcrowding would simply start after the new Kick Off location. This may help towns/angels south of the new Kick Off location. Good for them, but it doesn?t solve the crowding issue for the northern towns.

AN EVENT IN THE WINTER ? Someone proposed moving the Kick Off to the winter. Great idea for learning how to use an ice axe. But this would not really help hikers. Most of us don?t have the extra money to attend yet another event. If I?m hiking, I?m purchasing ONE plane ticket. With the Kick Off being at the beginning of the hike, I can attend. If it was earlier or in the winter, I personally wouldn?t have the money to go.

HIKER PLANNING ? Someone posted that picking a starting date a year in advance makes no sense because we don?t know what the snow will be like. True. BUT, when you?re having to quit your job, move into storage, purchase an airline ticket, you have to pick a starting date ANYWAY. You pick that date way before the snow situation is understood. Hikers have to pick a date no matter if there is a Kick Off or not.

KICK OFF PLANNING ? I can?t even imagine the logistics involved in planning the Kick Off. Perhaps many of you do not realize that this event is NOT a PCTA event. The organizers are former PCT hikers and current hiking enthusiasts. That?s it. They have full-time jobs. They have families. The Kick Off is something extra which they do. They spend a lot of time and their own money to put on this event for us.  One organizer missed his wedding anniversary so he could attend this year. Until you are willing to devote a similar amount of time to helping so many unknown people, don?t criticize what the organizers do. 

It?s very easy to sit here at our computers and say what should happen. I challenge EVERYONE who has an idea or thought for how to make the Kick Off better to not simply voice it on the list. Instead, contact the organizers, and then follow through. Ask how you can help. Then actually put in your time and HELP.

SMELLY SOCKS ? One person today volunteered to relieve Donna for a day so she could sit back and enjoy the hikers. I?ll go out on a limb and speak for Donna by saying that she LOVES what she does. I?d be very surprised if she let anyone take over for a day. We are her extended family. She gets a silly pleasure from smelling our socks [something I will never understand :) ]

WHO BENEFITS? ? Discussion is always good, and that?s what PCT-L is for. I haven?t seen any suggestion in this thread which would actually benefit the hikers.  All the suggestions for changing/moving the Kick Off would benefit others ? towns, angels, etc. Yes, the towns and angels are important and I?m not minimizing their contribution to our hikes. But who really benefits from the changes proposed? Overall, it?s not the hikers. As a thru-hiker, the only change I see which could benefit hikers would be to move the Kick Off ahead one or two weeks. Keep it at Lake Morena, but move it ahead. 

Finally, if you?re not a thru-hiker, you don?t get to tell thru-hikers what is best for them. 

yogi