[pct-l] Thoughts on the ADZPCTKO thread

[enyapjr at adelphia.net (enyapjr@adelphia.net)]

Ryan - Great post...  well put...

Water caches:  I, too, believe that the water caches are having a negative
impact - especially to the trail EXPERIENCE...  After all, aren't we supposed
to be traveling the trail upon the trail's and nature's terms?  If you're hiking
through the 'desert' should you honestly be expecting water every 5 to 10
miles?  In the 'early' years there were no water caches and I sincerely think
that necessitated the hikers being better prepared.  There is a little too much
false sense of security now that there are water caches - even though it is
said repeatedly NOT to RELY on them.  Each year there seems to be more
and more journal entries about having to share water because someone else
ran out and a cache was empty - and that puts more than the one person
that was ill prepared at risk.  As Sly said, "IMO, you'd have to be seriously
lacking upstairs not to carry enough to get you to the next natural or piped
source."  When I first saw the "Walk" DVD, I remember it made me cringe
when it showed someone pouring water from a cache over their head and
body...  I hope that wasn't the last jug at the cache!...  What about the
people behind you?!  Too many hikers (No, I didn't say all...  and at a small
cache, just one inconsiderate hiker could be "too many") look at a cache as
only their personal supply...  What if only 1 gallon remains?  Does one take
it all, or only half, or only a long drink?  It winds up an ethical issue.  What
would everyone of you out there each do?

ADZ:  This seems to be the touchy subject!  I've never been against it and
think it is run very well for a volunteer independent organization EXCEPT
that it does encourage too many hikers to start at exactly the same time.
I also believe that the timing of it is outdated.  With today's lighter weight
gear, hikers put in more miles per day from the outset.  Nobos get to Kennedy
Meadows too early in 'normal' years, even after taking many zero days.   If
ADZ is for the current year's hikers, considering the potential growth, it will
soon cease to also being an alumni gathering...  further growth will dictate
limiting even the number of current year hikers...  What then?
If Lake Morena will always be the ADZ site, then the timing needs to be later.
Transport angels, instead of water angels, are needed to haul hikers back to
the gathering.  But, seriously, the overwhelming popularity of ADZ and its
growth indicates that it is almost time for the organizers to find a bigger
venue or consider SPLITTING it to two locations - one being further North.

Whatever - keep discussing it and thinking about it.  Keep the communication
going!  "If you aren't part of the solution, then you're part of the problem."