[pct-l] Why I Boycotted the ADZPCTKO . . .

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

The number of hikers will increase; that is a fact.  

The ADZ has definitely affected the concentration, and altered the natural flow of starters; that is also a fact.

It's BECAUSE the number of hikers will increase that I'm sounding a warning about creating a problem by concentrating the start dates.

Greg, there continues to be an unwillingness to acknowledge that the ADZ is creating a horde, or that creating a horde of hikers may eventually cause issues along the trail.  I brought this up to you months ago, with the exact same reaction:  denial.  

Sly & Yogi, you'd have to have seen what happened last year to appreciate where I'm coming from.  It's nothing like what we'd experienced prior to wild popularity and large attendance of the ADZ.  I wouldn't be so adamant about this if we weren't genuinely concerned.  There was always a peak to the seasons in years past, but the pack caused by last year's ADZ was unbelievable.  And, it will only get worse unless some changes are made.  

Ironically, I've chosen to raise this issue in a year where the snow will stagger everyone out.  But the facts remain, and need to be considered for the future.  

-=Donna Saufley=-

-----Original Message-----
From: Bighummel@aol.com
Sent: Apr 26, 2005 9:43 AM
To: Slyatpct@aol.com, pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Why I Boycotted the ADZPCTKO . . .

Sly, this is my point perfectly.  Take away the ADZ and the numbers of hikers 
and the concentration are still there and will increase.  When and where we 
hold the ADZ is irrelevent to the issue of the increase in popularity of hiking 
the PCT.

Greg

Sly writes:
Key word being "growth".   

It's not just the ADZ that has grown but the popularity of the PCT as well.  
On the AT they call it, "loving the trail to death.  

In my opinion, regardless of if there is a Kick Off or not, on the PCT, the 
window of opportunity is short and in any given year "hiker crunch" is going 
to 
cause an impact.  How do you lessen it?  You don't, you live with it.  

In normal snow years, the best timed start is the last (full) weekend in 
April.  Timed to hit KM for Ray Day and/or the High Sierra for the earliest 
possible safe passage.  This year is different, your best date would be two 
weeks 
from now.  If there were no ADZ that's when the crunch would be.  While the 
hikers wouldn't have to linger for the majority of snow to melt, there's a 
very 
good possibility they wouldn't make it to Canada on time.  

Sly
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