Adzpctko rip

[gwschenk]

Another casualty of the exploding popularity of the trail.

http://adzpctko.org/

They say all good things must come to an end, and so it is
with Annual Day Zero Pacific Crest Trail Kick Off. This year, as
we have for the past 17 years, the ADZPCTKO organizers will
gather at Lake Morena County Park to greet hikers passing
through, offer them a cold (or hot, depending on the weather)
beverage, and some advice from those who have been there before.



But we won't have the trappings that have come to define kick
off in recent years: hot meals served to hundreds, a vendor fair
of items uniquely suited to long-distance hiking, a full
schedule of informative seminars, nightly film presentations,
and reunions of previous PCT thru-hiker classes. Also missing:
overcrowded campsites, overflowing septic tanks, long lines for
registration and meals, and loud late-night parties.

[Dogwood]

Good article and pts to ponder. However, I differ from Strider's comment. I have regrets.

I regret the loss of camaraderie and influence of trail community building with less of a self absorbed self entitled character. No amount of 5 min YouTube vids or Trail Journaling reading or just getting PCT info on line can equal the GIVING BACK IMMERSION IN PERSON the PCT Kick Off provided to new PCTers. That's one of the greatest aspects I thought of the Kick Off. Needed now more than ever with the PCT usage numbers, character of those users, and threats to trails there needs to be trail communities of individuals that see themselves as part of a community where people are well aware their actions have major ripple effects. In the last several yrs I'm observing more PCTers existing more in their own little self absorbed bubbles.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

My $0.02

At the same time, FORCED comaraderie becomes clique-y and groupthink-y. Everyone does the same thing, everyone buys the same tent, because some bearded thruhiker or some book told them to, everyone goes to the same campsite because they read or heard there's view. Everyone goes to the same hostel because the previous class year did. People rush around defining success by the degree they do the "right" things, go through the motions, and focus less on the journey itself.

Support from a Trail Angel community is great; I'm not sure marching everyone though a series of seminars makes it better.

[AlpineKevin]

To be honest I'm not attracted to the PCT so I can have a festival with a thousand people in the wilderness. If I want to do that I will go to Burning Man or Wonderland. At the very least save it for Belden or Sierra City, not a campground.

[Dogwood]

The Kick Off was never forced upon any PCTer. NO Kick Off information, skills seminar, or gathering was EVER held with the intent that others should attend as given marching orders or setting a hiking agenda. The wide range of views and approaches shared there were not forced upon anyone. Individuality was promoted NOT group think! No one I've ever met there EVER pushed a/the "right way." If one had experienced the Kick Off BOTH as a current yr PCTer and a previous PCTer through many yrs one would have known that.

[gwschenk]

For me the kickoff was a free ride to the border so I could slackpack back to Lake Morena. Plus a free burrito and coffee before heading out Sunday morning. I was assigned camping in the Section Hiker Exclusion Zone so the scene was nothing.

The organizers had all the best intentions and it was fun gathering while it lasted.

[Miner]

I attended my first kickoff in 2007, 2 years before I hiked. It enabled me to learn a bit more about the trail, meet some great people, and to actually touch some of the cottage manufacturer's gear and talk to them about it so I didn't have to blindly purchase something based on just hearsay. When I hiked 2 years later in 2009, I was originally going to skip the kickoff. I ended up going because someone offered me a ride back to it from Warner Springs. It allowed my blisters to heal while being feed and able to take 2 zeros for free. It was fun, but I didn't learn anything I didn't already know. Been back several times since. Twice for the entire weekend, and most years for just a Saturday inorder to meet friends, look at gear, etc. In later years, they had to limit numbers of people showing up as there were too many thru-hikers and non-hikers just wanting a fun weekend.

Even if they don't have it for the thru-hikers, they need a ruck in Southern California so potential hikers can learn a bit about the trail, and other non-thru-hikers that year can hang out with like minded individuals and lie about previous hikes. Those who are members of ALDHA-West should push for them to help to set one up. PCT Days in Cascade locks is a good model. In 2009, when it was first starting, I described it as a kickoff in minature. Many who showed up were non-thru-hikers. For the thru-hikers just set up a trail angel booth in Lake Morena's campground as the hikers pass through, giving them a soda and encouragement. Its all they really need.

[colorado_rob]

Interesting how all of this has evolved, but it all makes sense, and Cest La Vie. We look forward in any case at a PCT attempt next year, though we might get a bit creative depending on how snow stacks up in 2018.

Also interesting how folks that have no interest in a particular thing, like the PCT (or UL hiking, speed hiking, etc), still feel a need to always comment in that activity's forum . Sigh.

[Scarf]

Gotta admit, this news bummed me out. As a first timer, was looking forward the stories and sage advice of those who had blazed the trail in previous years. And while much of the news and advice can be found online these days, would have been nice to be able to ask questions and get the latest, most up-to-date info. Seemed like a fun part of the whole PCT adventure. Seeing and meeting the gear manufacturers in person would have been a nice bonus. Starting early as I am, was looking forward to the zero(s) back to the event. Oh well, thanks to all those who contributed in previous years and helped several generations of hikers.

[Wyoming]

I guess I am a curmudgeon at this point in life.

I have never thought these kinds of events should be happening either on the AT (though at least Damascus is a town with some capability to handle the crowd) nor the PCT as I think they are bad for the trails and also create bad publicity. They create a herd of hikers and that is always bad in terms of its effect on the trail and the services along the trail for some distance from the location of the events.

The only reason they exist is for businesses to market their gear and that is better done away from the trails. The manufacturers could jointly create events in different locations around the country to show off their equipment much better just like the RV manufacturers do. And they could do it at a time when folks are actually buying gear. A hiker attending one of these events already has their kit put together so they are sort of pointless. But that is just me.

I also don't think Trail Angels are good for the trail as they teach people to be dependent on others and not themselves. This results in a host of people being on the trail who are not really ready to take care of themselves as they should be. And I think they result in many more people on the trail than would be there if everyone knew that all these people were not out there helping them. Eliminate water caches on the PCT and you would probably eliminate 25% of the hikers right there.

Anyway I am old and crabby I guess.

[Dogwood]

I guess I am a curmudgeon at this point in life.

C'mon you're located in Prescott a 700 mile radius area for infinite outdoor adventuring.

I have never thought these kinds of events should be happening either on the AT (though at least Damascus is a town with some capability to handle the crowd) nor the PCT as I think they are bad for the trails and also create bad publicity. They create a herd of hikers and that is always bad in terms of its effect on the trail and the services along the trail for some distance from the location of the events.


That was being somewhat mitigated in the 1990-2000 and 2000 decades before the sharp arise in PCT usage stemming in some part(large part?) to the internet and Strayed book and movie in the 2010-2020 decade. PCTA initiated a quota to also help spread the usage out and limit it. The quota has resulted in more PCTers going SOBO. It was a problem for folks like the Saufleys given their situation so close to the Kick Off for more than decade thou. With the exponential rise in PCT usage it still overwhelms folks like the Saufleys so doing away with the Kick Off just kicked the can down the road for them. Even after instituting the PCT permit quota system the sheer usage for the PCT has them on their heels, so much so they are politely asking/requesting to consider staying elsewhere when stopping in Agua Dulce.

The only reason they exist is for businesses to market their gear and that is better done away from the trails. The manufacturers could jointly create events in different locations around the country to show off their equipment much better just like the RV manufacturers do. And they could do it at a time when folks are actually buying gear. A hiker attending one of these events already has their kit put together so they are sort of pointless. But that is just me.

Gatherings like these build a hiking community. It can cut down on lone wolf I'll do as only I want and only I need hiking behavior...probably needed more than ever before. There're many, mostly very aware responsible behaving people, of all generations at these gatherings that influence others with perhaps not so much this behavior. These events are much more than marketing and vending gear. Even for somewhat evolved/evolving LD hikers PCT Kick Off venders always had people there, PCTers or not, demoing, asking about, and purchasing gear. The presentations from gear manufacturers, highly evolved widely experienced hikers, serving of current PCTers by previous PCTers, helped build trail stewardship, a contribution aimed mentality, and promoted backpacking community accountability.

I also don't think Trail Angels are good for the trail as they teach people to be dependent on others and not themselves. This results in a host of people being on the trail who are not really ready to take care of themselves as they should be. And I think they result in many more people on the trail than would be there if everyone knew that all these people were not out there helping them. Eliminate water caches on the PCT and you would probably eliminate 25% of the hikers right there.


Trail Angels or not the masses are not going to avoid the AT or PCT. Too much hoopla surrounding these well know trails. It's getting very much like that on the JMT.. being loved to death?

[MuddyWaters]

I guess I am a curmudgeon at this point in life.

I have never thought these kinds of events should be happening either on the AT (though at least Damascus is a town with some capability to handle the crowd) nor the PCT as I think they are bad for the trails and also create bad publicity. They create a herd of hikers and that is always bad in terms of its effect on the trail and the services along the trail for some distance from the location of the events.

The only reason they exist is for businesses to market their gear and that is better done away from the trails. The manufacturers could jointly create events in different locations around the country to show off their equipment much better just like the RV manufacturers do. And they could do it at a time when folks are actually buying gear. A hiker attending one of these events already has their kit put together so they are sort of pointless. But that is just me.

I also don't think Trail Angels are good for the trail as they teach people to be dependent on others and not themselves. This results in a host of people being on the trail who are not really ready to take care of themselves as they should be. And I think they result in many more people on the trail than would be there if everyone knew that all these people were not out there helping them. Eliminate water caches on the PCT and you would probably eliminate 25% of the hikers right there.

Anyway I am old and crabby I guess.

+

None of these things are about hiking
They are about shopping and socializing and partying
Everything thats wrong with trails today
Kudos to those that realized it

ATC should take notes
Another instance of PCT...doing the right thing as times have changed.

While ATC still looks like.......

[Venchka]

I guess I am a curmudgeon at this point in life.
...
Anyway I am old and crabby I guess.

It's a select club with a lengthy apprentice period. Welcome aboard.
Wayne


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