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Re: [at-l] I've always relied on the kindness of strangers...

Jeff Mosenkis wrote:

> PS - so as not to demonize myself, I should note that I was using felix
> and myself as examples, of course, I would probably stop to help most
> people, but that doesn't invalidate the question - with so many people
> around to help, is it still a valid criticism to say that "your screw-up  will ruin my hike"

Jeff, I think a lot of it depends on the seriousness of the situation
and who it is.  An illustration - when I was in the Smokies three
weekenders came into the shelter fairly late at night. They saw all the
bodies, and though there was room, they decided to tent outside. That
night it poured.  In the morning they came staggering in, very
hypothermic. Evidently their tent leaked, it was freezing cold, so they
sat up shivering and drinking. In the morning they were totally
disoriented - not from the drink, though that probably didn't help, but
from the cold. Everyone was busy packing up - and though I helped nudge
them into changing clothes and eating and we showed them on the map
where the trail out was, there was not a lot of concern because 1. they
weren't thruhikers, 2. they brought it on themselves by being ill
prepared and making bad choices (i.e to stay in a leaky tent and drink
the night away).  3. there were three of them. On the other hand - if
they had been thruhikers, we probably would have done a lot more to take
care of them because they would have been part of the trail family.  I
don't know if anyone made sure that they made it out safely. I didn't.
Similarly, there was a young man who took off on the trail on a whim,
with very little money.  He knew he couldn't go the distance, but he
wanted to see how far he could get on $100.  Thanks to the kindness of
the other hikers, he made it into the Smokies. (He came back two years
later and hiked the whole trail.) At the same time, there was a homeless
man hiking and hitchhiking the trail - begging food off the thruhikers -
he received little sympathy because it was felt he was taking advantage
of our generosity. Also he was not a cute kid, but an adult who had made
choices that led him out there. He was not part of the community in the
same way that the other was, so got a lot less help. Some of the
thruhikers who decide that they will come on the trail with little money
and live off what is in the hiker boxes don't always get much sympathy
from those who spend years saving up for their thruhike. But if someone
is genuinely in need - pack stolen, bear got their food, wallet lost -
the other hikers will usually come through.  I did notice though, that
people who fall ill on the trail are often pretty much on their own
unless they have a partner.  It has to be pretty serious before the
other hikers will interupt their trip to help someone get into town. 
But it usually isn't expected either. There is a sense on the trail that
we are all self-sufficient. That independence can be mighty lonely when
you're rolling on the floor with stomach pains though.  Memories :-(

Ginny

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