[pct-l] Fwd: Water Stashes

[Bighummel@aol.com]

The southern California PCT support team is awed by the experiences this 
year.  The response to the ADZPCTKO was beyond what any of us had anticipated 
or thought would be in the realm of possibility.  The demand for the water at 
the stashes has also been far beyond our expectations.  However, we are a 
little concerned about the amount of water consumed this year and wish to get 
some feedback from the hikers and make some points for future years.
 
It appears that about twice the amount of water was used than the number of 
hikers, that we understand went through, should have needed.  Is this because:
1) It was so damned hot that water consumption per person increased 
substantially?
2) Hikers over estimated the amount that they would require and took more? 
(some evidence of this recently noted)
3) Water was wasted?
4) There were more hikers than we counted on?
 
We wish to humbly emphasize that the effort to purchase, drive out to, hike 
into, place the water and retrieve the empties and clean up trash is a huge 
task performed by a very small group of volunteers.  All of the supporters 
have agreed on the importance of the stashes and stand by to continue the 
effort in coming years, however, in some more limited ways to be determined.
 
In order to maximize the efforts that these kind people are contributing, it 
needs to be emphasized that the purpose of the water stashes is to avoid an 
unfortunate situation where circumstances catch a (perhaps poor planning) 
hiker in an emergency.   Although it looks like there is copious amounts of 
water at each of the stashes at times, recognize that it may have just been 
re-supplied and that it is for necessary use and only the minimum required to 
provide sustenance to the next water source should be taken.
 
 Feed back from this year's through and section hikers will enable the "Water 
People" to plan next year more efficiently.  Please contribute your thoughts.
 
 Best regards,
 
 The southern California PCT support team


We, like so many of you, find that we have gained so much and received so 
much kindness from our experiences on the PCT that we wish to give something 
back to encourage and support those that have dreamed of the PCT and find 
themselves there . . . 

PS: The water stashes are officially no longer being re-supplied for this 
year.  DO NOT COUNT ON WATER BEING AT ANY OF THE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED SITES 
THIS YEAR.

Return-path: <Bighummel@aol.com>
From: Bighummel@aol.com
Full-name: Bighummel
Message-ID: <65.456e08c.2652e166@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 16 May 2000 13:37:42 EDT
Subject: Water Stashes