[at-l] (Guest Post) Williams Winans Murder

[greyowl@xxxxxxx (greyowl@xxxxxxx)]

Let us put this in a slightly different perspective.
Depending upon the source of the numbers there are between
1.5 and 4 million people who use the trail each year.  It is
jsut that thru hikers make better targets, they don't hike in
large groups, they tend shun the places that the day and
section hikers hang out and they would not be missed for long
periods of time.  I personally have felt save on the trail
(6'5" male, combat veteran), but I can see were a woman or
some of the smaller males may feel insecure.

While hiking in MD a friend and I stopped at a shelter to
read the journal.  The shelter was a few hundred yards from
the road.  A female section hiker had stopped there with
intentions of spending the night.  She did not feel safe
after checking out the scene.  This was a smart move on her
part.  Unfortunately she stated her destination and direction
she was hiking, not a smart move.  The bottom line is to hike
smart.

Grey Owl