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

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

I wrote this yesterday, but somehow I sense it's not being heard:

>It's funny how things get misconstrued.  We have not (yet) reached capacity at Hiker
>Heaven, we're not (yet) even near being overburdened, and truthfully, this is not
>about us or what we do.  

>I believe there's a bigger picture here, and it's the consideration of all of the
>ramifications of an ever-increasing number of hikers starting near simultaneously
>from Campo.  It affects everything -- water caches/sources, hosts, small towns, 
>the PCT thru-hiking experience, and some have said even the environment itself. 

We'll buy or lease the land next door to us to get more space if we have to (in fact, we're planning on adding onto our house to make a better hiker palace in near future -- including the HOT TUB!!!).  I'll never turn a hiker away unless I'm too sick or too old to be a good host.  We handled 50+ last year, and didn't feel like we were at or near our limit.  

-=Donna Saufley=-

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Courtway <scourtway@bpa-arch.com>
Sent: Apr 26, 2005 11:29 AM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Why I Boycotted the ADZPCTKO . . .

It seems since the value of the kick off is so great, those hospitable souls
impacted uptrail due to hiker packs may have to simply fashion NO VACANCY
signs......I mean sure it maybe nice to stop at the saufleys and get your
laundry done and meet up and all, but thru hikers are all about
flexibility - if the word gets out it's overcrowded in agua dulce, I can't
see it being a problem for some folks to not get stop and get their laundry
done there.....

Morena campground is nearing capacity as it is isn't it ?  It seems as if
that alone would put a finite cap on the number of people leaving San Diego
at the same time and attending the kick off........

just some thoughts,
s.c.


----- Original Message -----
From: <dsaufley@sprynet.com>
To: <Bighummel@aol.com>; <Slyatpct@aol.com>; <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 10:54 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Why I Boycotted the ADZPCTKO . . .


> 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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