[pct-l] AZDPCTKO

[sierra_marmot at yahoo.com (John Randall)]

I think everyone will soon wish for the good old days, whatever days those might have been, because one year soon a thousand hikers are going to show up in late April ready to hike north, AZDPCTKO or not; permits or not.  I'm guessing three years.  AZDPCTKO will have to be a webcast.   The PCTA will have to ration permits--which won't do any good because people will hike anyway.   Then the only way to fix the problem will be to eliminate the water caches in sections A, B, E and F.    Without them, the hiker is on his/her own.   If it means in certain years some sections are unhikeable, well so be it.  
 
I thought Jonathan Ley's summary comments on his CDT hike (www.phlump.com) were right on.  It wasn't that he hiked every step of the way; which he did; he hiked the trail not to "do something" but to "become someone," which is the elusive reason we start stuff like this.
 
You might consider a week-long event in Idllywild instead of Lake Morena.   After their first really tough section along the Desert Divide and 178 miles under their belts, I think most would really welcome a hiker-fest in a hiker-friendly town.  It's a spot where you need rest and an emotional boost, especially facing Fuller Ridge and a huge up and down to Big Bear City.  More so now with the demise of the pink motel.   
 
Good luck to the class of '05!   The snow is going to be a bugger.  
 
john


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