peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
I had seen numerous feel good news reports about the paralyzed hiker who claimed to have hiked the AT in 2016 and the PCT in 2017 with high tech electronic braces. I had my suspicions at the time as logistically the availability of power to recharge the electronics and her claimed rate of 1 mph didn't line up. Most photos were with standard hiking gear and barring a few sherpas along and out of sight I didn't see how a person could carry enough equipment and food to support the effort. The claims was that they were essentially unsupported hikes. I also heard she was attempting the PCT this summer and given the many reports of very experienced folks getting stranded and having to self rescue due to the snow pack being too deep with the trails impassable that raised even more suspicions when it was announced she had completed it. Many PCT folks have had to do flip flops to work around these issues and others postponed to another year. Unlike the AT, the PCT has very few good resupply points with multiple days between resupply points required. Despite the recent crowding its a very close knit community compared to the AT where there are enough hikers and options that conceivably someone could hike the entire trail and leave little trace. This has actually become a big issue with FKT folks which now have to submit very detailed back up to avoid their attempt being disqualified (as has happened a few times in 2016 and 2017) due to potential hitchhikes or skipping of sections.
It was quite odd that the hiker's progress tended to only be reported at generally accessible areas along the AT and that there was little "hiker buzz" about seeing this decidedly unusual sight along the AT or PCT. Even when events like FKTs are intentionally "stealth" there is inevitably someone who follows the hiker electronically picking up "breadcrumbs" when they appear to report. This again seemed to be missing for this attempt. Especially on the AT, there are almost daily hiker feeds down south that taper off along the way and usually hikers have to make an intentional effort to skip them. Even if the hiker wanted to skip them I expect their celebrity would have brought notice as many of those feeds employ well meaning folks to steer the true thru hikers to their dose of goodies (and inevitably religion).
Unfortunately like a well publicized FKT last year it looks like this effort is tarnished at best
http://claybonnymanevans.com/yes-stacey-kozels-pct-and-at-lies-matter/
I guess it comes down to like any self affirmed goal a person gets out of it what they put into it.
It was quite odd that the hiker's progress tended to only be reported at generally accessible areas along the AT and that there was little "hiker buzz" about seeing this decidedly unusual sight along the AT or PCT. Even when events like FKTs are intentionally "stealth" there is inevitably someone who follows the hiker electronically picking up "breadcrumbs" when they appear to report. This again seemed to be missing for this attempt. Especially on the AT, there are almost daily hiker feeds down south that taper off along the way and usually hikers have to make an intentional effort to skip them. Even if the hiker wanted to skip them I expect their celebrity would have brought notice as many of those feeds employ well meaning folks to steer the true thru hikers to their dose of goodies (and inevitably religion).
Unfortunately like a well publicized FKT last year it looks like this effort is tarnished at best
http://claybonnymanevans.com/yes-stacey-kozels-pct-and-at-lies-matter/
I guess it comes down to like any self affirmed goal a person gets out of it what they put into it.
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