[pct-l] Yellow Blazing

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

"Yellow blazing" (the term originated along the AT, I believe) is skipping/not walking sections of the trail, usually by hitching (following the yellow highway lines)...
So, in the case of Seiad, if you WALK you're NOT "yellow blazing" (it is the designated trail in that location, after all), but if you accepted a ride or hitched from
Grider Creek Campground to Seiad Valley (or any part of it) - some could/would say that you "yellow blazed" (and that is what stirred the Eric Ryback 'controversy' back
in the early 70's - the mileage he made on some days 'probably' were 'vehicle assisted', or so the arguments go)...

As for always following the 'official' PCT route, I feel it would be somewhat foolish if a hiker didn't take at least two "alternate" routes - Crater Lake rim and Eagle Creek,
both in Oregon...  Also, in many years, there are 'closures' along the PCT due to wild fires (or fire 'danger', as in SoCal almost every year) or flooding (as in WA - where
there is now a Forest Service designated alternate route around the eastern side of Glacier Peak)...  What does one do in those cases?  Personally, I would find a way
to WALK around them - to satisfy my personal beliefs and desires, I must be able to see an uninterrupted trace of my WALK - a continuous line between the Mexican border
and Manning Park (but what about this year's flip-floppers? - as long as they walked back to where they flipped, they are good by me!)...  As for the Glacier Peak
"temporary" reroute, I would probably either try the 'permanent' route without the bridges or the High Pass route (see <http://www.phlumf.com/>)...  I will just have to wait
and see until I actually get there to make the decision at that time!  See Yogi's PCT Handbook for some further discussion/insight on this...  In short, each individual
must 'make' their own hike and get what they want out of that hike - so, HYOH! - but if I know you hitched and skipped a portion of the 'trail', don't let me hear you say that you walked from Mexico to Canada - because you didn't!...

Now, on a somewhat similar topic - what about "slack packing"?!

Happy trails!!!