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RumiDude
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RumiDude
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PostSun Oct 27, 2019 8:47 am 
Malachai Constant wrote:
Rumi who the hell are you to tell others how to hike their hike huh.gif
I ain't telling others how to hike their own hike ... unless of course you mean the usual "I think ... blah blah blah ..." opinionating that we all do here on NWHikers. #1 Trail angels are not needed. As much as some of the trail angels like to think of themselves as mother-hens, semi-helicopter-parents, and necessary, they just aren't. #2 Trail angels have good motives but the overall results are often negative for the individual hikers and the PCT experience in general. #3 When "everything" is magic, nothing is magic. An unexpected occassional treat at a road crossing is magical. "Come pick me up at trailhead XYZ and take me to town ABC and I'll pay you a donation" is a business transaction. #4 Trail angels are not needed. It bears repeating in case some feel like they are making a great sacrifice. Rumi

"This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
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Brucester
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PostSun Oct 27, 2019 12:26 pm 
I'm with Rumi. Magic can come in many forms though. Kindness maybe the greatest magic of all! Someone carries your sleeping pad hundreds of miles to find the owner (me) or a weather station lady who makes tea for hikers headed towards Snoqualmie Pass. Special sh*t like that, that warms your heart. "Trail magic is best when it's completely unexpected" says this triple crown thruhiker. Otherwise hide Skittles in the bottom of your pack..... And pack for the unexpected!

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zephyr
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zephyr
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PostSun Oct 27, 2019 9:30 pm 
RumiDude wrote:
#3 When "everything" is magic, nothing is magic. An unexpected occassional treat at a road crossing is magical.
Yes! ~z

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Pahoehoe
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PostMon Oct 28, 2019 12:42 am 
Meanwhile everyone can still say no.

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RumiDude
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PostMon Oct 28, 2019 8:56 am 
Looks like most of the NoBo thru-hikers are done, either off the trail or made it to Monument 78. There are still some people down in California that flipped or are traditional SoBo. As far as I recall, the only thru-hiker death this year was a freakish accident when a tree fell on a man from Germany in Southern Washington. A characteristic which is needed for backcountry travel is what I call "backcountry aptitude". Similar to an aptitude for cooking or mechanics, a backcountry aptitude is simply an almost subconscious understanding how things are done in the backcountry, a feel for it. That doesn't mean a person doesn't have to learn some things, sometimes by trial and error, it simply means they pick up the skills fairly easily and build on that. Most people have at least a little "backcountry aptitude" and quickly become comfortable traveling/living in the backcountry. For many who start the PCT, this is actually their first experience in the backcountry. But they pick up the skills and knowledge fairly quickly. And so, most NoBos by the time they reach Washington are actually good decision makers and adept at figuring things out. The can adapt to the changing weather quite well and navigate safely to the end. But there are still some who use atrocious judgement and seem to lack understanding of the situation. They do pose a risk of getting themselves in over their heads, especially solo. I am not sure how we can protect those from themselves. I do know of one guy from NZ who seemed to have good backcountry aptitude that bailed at Seven's Pass back in late September. It is just a guess on my part, but I think he was scared into quiting because of a lot of the fear mongering done by others. I feel badly for him because he is likely never to come back to complete that last bit. I think if he had just hunkered down a bit longer he would have easily made it to Monument 78 like so many did after him. But that's just my opinion. Rumi

"This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
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Pahoehoe
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PostMon Oct 28, 2019 9:19 am 
Free will.

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rocknclimb
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PostMon Oct 28, 2019 3:39 pm 
A friend of mine was climbing McGregor on Labor Day weekend and ran into a PCT hiker who planned on taking The Lady of the Lake to Chelan to get a down coat to prep for the coming cold. He immediately offered the puffy he brought on the trip so she could continue her journey without interruption. Saturday he received a care package from the thru hiker thanking him saying how helpful and kind his offer was.

When asked "Why do you climb"? Simply respond "Why don't you"?
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Pahoehoe
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PostMon Oct 28, 2019 4:07 pm 
rocknclimb wrote:
A friend of mine was climbing McGregor on Labor Day weekend and ran into a PCT hiker who planned on taking The Lady of the Lake to Chelan to get a down coat to prep for the coming cold. He immediately offered the puffy he brought on the trip so she could continue her journey without interruption. Saturday he received a care package from the thru hiker thanking him saying how helpful and kind his offer was.
What a dick. He ruined her hike.

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rocknclimb
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PostMon Oct 28, 2019 4:27 pm 
Pahoehoe wrote:
What a dick. He ruined her hike.
How dare he save trail time and help with comfort / safety from the cold. Some people just want to see the world burn angel.gif

When asked "Why do you climb"? Simply respond "Why don't you"?
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Pahoehoe
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PostMon Oct 28, 2019 8:02 pm 
rocknclimb wrote:
Pahoehoe wrote:
What a dick. He ruined her hike.
How dare he save trail time and help with comfort / safety from the cold. Some people just want to see the world burn angel.gif
Sarcasm meter is broken, apparently.

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RumiDude
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PostMon Oct 28, 2019 8:08 pm 
Spoke too soon. Looks like there is a small NoBo group out on the trail going north. They seem to have stopped around Milk Creek tonight according to their inReach track. Rumi

"This is my Indian summer ... I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
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rocknclimb
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PostMon Oct 28, 2019 8:39 pm 
Pahoehoe wrote:
Sarcasm meter is broken, apparently.
Ditto, apparently smile.gif

When asked "Why do you climb"? Simply respond "Why don't you"?
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Pahoehoe
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PostMon Oct 28, 2019 9:13 pm 
rocknclimb wrote:
Pahoehoe wrote:
Sarcasm meter is broken, apparently.
Ditto, apparently smile.gif
Lol

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Kim Brown
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PostTue Oct 29, 2019 8:03 pm 
This article oughta piss off some people. wink.gif. It will warm the cockles of the heart of others, whatever a heart cockle is. Congrats to ALDHA-West's Trail Angel of the Year, Carolyn "Ravensong" Burkhart.

"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area." Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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Pahoehoe
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PostTue Oct 29, 2019 10:03 pm 
Kim Brown wrote:
This article oughta piss off some people. wink.gif. It will warm the cockles of the heart of others, whatever a heart cockle is. Congrats to ALDHA-West's Trail Angel of the Year, Carolyn "Ravensong" Burkhart.
Interesting, seems some longtime, sccomplished thru hikers have a different opinion on "trail magic" than some here...

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