[pct-l] Water Caches?????????

[waynekraft at verizon.net (Wayne Kraft)]

As a potential, future wannabe thru-hiker who has, so far, hiked mostly 
north of Crater Lake and dealt mostly with too much water rather than too 
little, I am confused about this water cache deal.

I understand fully why an earthbound angel would maintain one.  A fellow 
human being, due to injury or unpreparedness or whatever, might find 
themselves in need of this emergency water supply.  The cache might give 
comfort to the suffering or even save a life.  This is among the highest of 
human callings and I salute all of you who provide this service.  What I 
can't figure out is why the water in the caches is so heavily used. Do we 
have large numbers of sick, injured and/or unprepared hikers wandering 
around out there in the desert?  If not, why is such a volume of water 
needed?

Personally, I plan to do everything I can to avoid being sick,  injured or 
unprepared.  Confronted with a 30 mile stretch between known reliable water 
sources, I will dutifully shoulder a pack weighed down with at least 8 
liters of water.  Should I happen upon a cache half way through the stretch 
and half way through my water supply, what do I do with the cached water.? 
I can imagine sitting in the shade and having a nice long drink.  Maybe, if 
there's lots of water, wetting my bandana and wiping off my face and neck. 
But I am not about to fill my empty water bottles and carry an extra 8 lbs 
of apparently unnecessary water to the next known water source.  If all goes 
well, I want to arrive there empty and light.

I recently did a very short solo overnight trip in Joshua Tree.  I knew 
there would be no water source and I had little experience with desert 
hiking, so I loaded up with 8 liters, partly to be safe and partly for the 
experience of hiking with so much water in my pack.  On the morning of the 
second day, with the trailhead destination near at hand and almost literally 
in view across the open desert, I dumped 2 1/2 liters of the three I still 
carried, leaving only enough to make coffee at the trailhead while I awaited 
my ride home.  What would I have done if I'd encountered a cache on this 
hike?  Walked on by.

Can anybody explain to me why so many seem to be using so much cached water?


Wayne Krafrt