[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
[pct-l] hitching out of towns
I agree with Yogi's strategy, wholeheartedly. I'll offer an addition to "be
nice" - it's "try to clean up first." We have NO IDEA how bad we smell
until we're not thru-hiking and instead, we're back in our car, driving
somewhere on the trail route and pick up a thru-hiker. The b.o. is
positively overwhelming. It's a gift to others to wash occasionally ;-)
even on the trail. Being a bit cleaned up lowers the threshold of
resistance to an otherwise perfectly nice stranger who might think you're
just some transient scum looking for handouts and/or a ride.
Just my $.02, ymmv, etc, etc...
Christine "Ceanothus" Kudija
PCT partially '94
www.pcta.org
Join Now!
Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached its top. Then
you will know how low it was.
Dag
Hammarskjold
-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net
[mailto:pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net]On Behalf Of yogi
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 10:52 AM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] hitching out of towns
Agreed, and that ties in with the first thing in my
original post: BE NICE. When talking to locals, is
my main intent to score a ride? Of course not. I
genuinely like people. I like hearing other people's
stories. I like looking at other people's pictures.
In the scouts, we were taught to always leave our
campsite cleaner than we found it. I think the same
concept can be applied to hikers in towns. Setting a
good example is key, especially when you know which
hikers were in town before you. I can think of one
hiker in particular who simply was not kind. This
hiker was ahead of us, and we sometimes had to smooth
out the bad impression this hiker left in trail towns.
yogi
www.pcthandbook.com
--- Ryan Christensen <ryan_christensen@sbcglobal.net>
wrote:
> I think one important nuance to the hitching
> strategy Yogi is espousing is the importance of
> intention. While one may have the intention of
> looking for a ride when talking to people, it's also
> important to be genuinely respectful and engaged
> with other people. That people can feel instantly.
> When you have love and respect for other people you
> meet things just fall into place naturally.
> Including rides to town. Karma is funny that way.
>
>
> Ryan
>
>
> stillroaming <PCT@DelNorteResort.Com> wrote:
> Interesting post Yogi.
>
> Another method of hicthing is to stand on the side
> of the road with your
> thumb out. Simple and effective.
>
> The real benefit to this technique is it allows you
> to be 'genuinely'
> interested in folks that you meet, as opposed to
> walking around with the
> schmooze on pandering for a freebie.
>
> Hopefully, not all hikers employ Yogi's technique.
> Even us dumb 'ol
> backcountry folks will see right through it. This is
> *not* the type of
> impression you want to leave on the communities
> visit.
>
> Scott
>
> >>>>
> There is an art to getting FROM a trail town back TO
> the trail. It begins the very moment you arrive in
> that trail town. BE NICE. Say please and thank you.
> Tip big at restaurants and bars. That means 20-25%
> of
> your bill. It's usually only $1-$2 more than a 15%
> tip, and it builds karma. More importantly,
> restaurant servers and bartenders know a lot of
> people, especially in small towns. You treat them
> well, and they'll spread the word that hikers are
> good
> people.
>
> Talk to the locals. Smile and say hello when you
> pass
> people on the street and in the stores. If you have
> the opportunity to strike up a conversation, DO IT.
> Talk about the trail. Talk about how you needed to
> come into town to resupply and get cleaned up.
> Follow
> that with something like "we're not sure how we'll
> get
> back to the trail tomorrow. It's only 10 miles by
> car, but we don't have a car." By phrasing things
> this way, you give the other person the opportunity
> to
> help you, to do something nice. They like that. I've
> found that people are much more "willing" to drive
> me
> to the trail when it's THEIR idea, rather than when
> I
> blatantly ask for a ride. (but, of course, that was
> my plan all along).
>
> yogi
> <<<<
>
-----------------------------------------------------------------
> Home : http://DelNorteResort.Com
> PCTSnow :
> http://DelNorteResort.com/cgi-bin/postHoler
> CDTSnow :
> http://DelNorteResort.com/cgi-bin/cdtPostHoler
>
> _______________________________________________
> pct-l mailing list
> pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> unsubscribe or change options:
> http://mailman.hack.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> pct-l mailing list
> pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> unsubscribe or change options:
> http://mailman.hack.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
_______________________________________________
pct-l mailing list
pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
unsubscribe or change options:
http://mailman.hack.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l