[pct-l] PCT becoming less wilderness?

[CWillett at pierce.ctc.edu (Chris Willett)]

In 2003, once I cleared South Lake Tahoe, I met something like 5 new thruhikers (Rye Dog, Tutu, Graham, Falcor, Stone). From Ashland north, I saw exactly one thruhiker (Birdie) and I had been hiking on and off with her for some time. I did run into a couple of section hikers, though.  As I started behind the main group (2 weeks afte ADZ) and passed most in the Sierra, I never felt crowded out.  It was only in rare, and peculiar to me, circumstances that I felt a lack of wildness on the PCT.

Suge

---------------------------
Christopher Willett
cwillett@pierce.ctc.edu
www.pierce.ctc.edu/faculty/cwillett
Pierce College
9401 Farwest Drive SW.
Lakewood, WA. 98498-1999

> ----------
> From: 	pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net on behalf of Paul Magnanti
> Reply To: 	pmags@yahoo.com
> Sent: 	Wednesday, April 27, 2005 9:12 AM
> To: 	PCT MailingList
> Subject: 	[pct-l] PCT becoming less wilderness?
> 
> 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
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