[pct-l] PCT becoming less wilderness?

[pmags at yahoo.com (Paul Magnanti)]

Depends on when you hike. If you hike "with the pack"
you will not have as much a wilderness experience..or
more accurately, you will have more of a "social
experience".

If you start earlier/later, you will see less people.

Back in 2002, I went to the KOP not realizing exactly
what it entailed in terms of hikers.  Saw more
thru-hikers at once than when I did the AT. Was a bit
surprised!  I did have a great time, but again, it was
not quite what I was looking for as a thru-hiker.
Obviously I enjoyed the experience overall, because I
came back twice more. :) Just would probably skip the
KOP as a thru-hiker. 

By the Sierra, spent more time by myself. Due to my
hiking style (consistent mileage with few extended
town stays). pulled ahead of the pack. During one
memorable stretch in Oregon I went 3.5 days without
seeing ANYONE. The only sign of other people was when
a car passed by on a road crossing.

I loved the KOP more as an alumni than as a
thru-hiker..but I tend to be more of a soloist when
hiking than some. I'll quote what  I wrote in Yogi's
book:

Mags (2002): It should be noted that if you attend the
Kick Off party, it will mean that you will be hiking
with a large group of hikers from Mexico up until
Kennedy Meadows. For those who want somewhat of an AT
experience to ease them into the PCT environment, it
may be good to attend this weekend. If you want more
of a solo experience, plan on starting before or after
the Kick Off. Think of the Kick Off as the PCT?s very
low-key version of the AT?s Trail Days.

You can see other comments on the KOP page. See what
other people besides myself thought:
http://siechert.org/adz/yogi.htm


The PCT will always be a wilderness experience more so
than the AT due to its isolation.  However, it is
becoming more of a social experience as well due to
numbers. But let's keep the numbers in mind. 3000+ 
attempt to thruhike the AT every year! 300+ attempt
the PCT.  Big difference!

Seems like the PCT is what the AT was like in the
mid-80s. A close network of people doing the trail and
supporting it; starting to get more media attention.

My .05 worth: 

Perhaps moving the KOP up the trail a bit an slightly
later with more shuttle services may not be a bad
idea. Of course, the thing to keep in mind is that the
KOP (and indeed much of the PCT services) are done
through the hard work and dedication of volunteers.
There is a two part equation . Will any event help the
hikers? And the part we sometimes forget: Will the
volunteers be able to do it?  Easy for us to suggest
ideas when relatively few of us are putting in our
money (and more importantly) and time. Ulitimately it
us up to the people who invest some sweat equity in
how this event goes about. 

Finally, I'll echo what Radar said: Glad we can have a
discussion on a rational level. Disagreement is not
bad per se. It can be helpful. The PCT-L is an
extension of the community we all love. Glad we on
this list can discuss the trail and sometimes
disagree, but overall this discussion shows how
passionate we are all about this trail that has
impacted us on some level. 
Section hikers, day hikers, thru-hikers, trail angels,
dreamers. No matter..we are all part of this community
and we all love it so.





************************************************************
The true harvest of my life is intangible.... a little stardust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched
--Thoreau
http://www.magnanti.com