[pct-l] bummer list

[lukeahoy@yahoo.com (Luke Snyder)]

Well folks, after reading that last little submission
from you all, I am a bit bummed.  From bitching about
prices, to death, to separation of family, that wasn't
much good.  
>From most important to least, I little to say about
the man who died on Whitney, for it is a powerful
mountain.  Secondly, Butch, my prayers are with you. 
VVR stands for very, very relaxing to me, and I will
never forget the warmth I felt around there.
Finally, I am grumbling myself to hear you all
bitching about the services offered along the trail. 
>From Red's to MTR, to all those #$%@ing people who
wouldn't pick me up when I was hitchhiking, what a
disgrace!  Yeah...and what about those suckers who
didn't keep that water cache full out there just past
scissors crossing.  I'm still trying to figure out why
those border patrol boys were staring me down with
their binoculars.  I wanted to scream "What the %#$@
are you looking at!"  And remember that one waitress
who didn't offer you an extra large portion of biscuts
when you came in real hungry? 

I sure hope you see the sarcasm, and slap yourself in
the face if you don't.  

The trip is what you make of it.  I, myself didn't
want to pay the $25 at Red's, so I SIMPLY decided not
to resupply by package there.  As for myself, I
strongly reccommend, and would like to dissect the
cost comparison of those who "shopped as they went"
vs. packed their own corn pasta and malt-o-meal and
imagine pudding and beef jerkey and GOT SICK OF IT,
and decided to make a run to safeway with me. 'nuff
said.

Point being, you make your own trip.  If you walk into
Red's asking them "why do you charge such a steep fee
for..." they are probably not going to treat you with
the magic they did I.  I was given the remnants of a
free meal, and quite content.  The same goes for MTR,
where they invited me into their home, and fed me a
sandwich, salad, potato salad, carrots, another
sandwich, milk and sent me off with some oranges, and
some hefty "hiker box" kind of goods.  It was a time
when I was in need, and the unexpected trail angels
found me.  

In recollecting my 1700 miles, I cannot remember a
single soul who treated me wrong.  Yeah...think about
that.  I talked to millions of folks with my stinky
shirt on, eating and taking up more than my "share" of
 room, all while carrying the brash hiker attitude of
"I going to walk all the way from Mexico to Oregon,"
and somehow, I was treated as a king. 

So, in doing your planning, go ahead and get all
worked up about the stinkin package fees and
misleading directions and bummer water caches and
freakin heat of the sun and pissy rattlers and.... 
good luck.  With an attitude like that, you might not
make it to the lake morena campground, let alone Red's
meadow.

Sorry to go off on those that I don't know, but I am
really just trying to help you out.  In a single
sentence, The fresher your attitude, the more miles
your little feets will take you.

Rock on!
-Amigo

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