Maybe a few overnights first

Posted by: Rick_D

Maybe a few overnights first - 05/05/15 05:07 PM

THEN, the thruhike?

Sounds like somebody saw a movie, went to REI and launched an adventure, skipping a few intermediary steps. At least he'll live to hike another day, perhaps. Or, maybe watch Craig's List for some lightly used backpacking equipment.

CHP rescues hiker 12 hours into PCT thruhike.
Posted by: topshot

Re: Maybe a few overnights first - 05/05/15 11:00 PM

Hope he has to pay for his recovery.

Not sure what he was expecting in a bad drought with obviously poor planning on his part.
Posted by: bluefish

Re: Maybe a few overnights first - 05/06/15 06:40 AM

Can't wait for him to star in the "documentary". See if he can act thirsty. Arrogant and dumb should be easy.
Posted by: BrianLe

Re: Maybe a few overnights first - 05/06/15 11:08 AM

Quote:
"Can't wait for him to star in the "documentary". See if he can act thirsty. Arrogant and dumb should be easy."

Maybe he could write a best selling book.

To be a little kind and understanding, I imagine that it is difficult to know for sure about water sources this year in particular. He had jumped to northern CA, where I don't recall any water caches --- the real problems have always been in southern CA, at least in the past (in "normal years").

It's interesting to me that he found SoCal "too dry" so that his parents moved him up to NorCal. He started at a very typical start time (and I wonder if he had one of the new limited per-day permits to do so ...); while I'm sure it's challenging this year, I've not heard of other thru-hikers flipping due to dry conditions. I suspect he would have been better off staying with the herd and learning from more experienced hikers along the way.

I have to wonder if he even knew about that most critical of SoCal PCT hiker documents, the water report? http://pctwater.com/
Posted by: billstephenson

Re: Maybe a few overnights first - 05/06/15 05:09 PM

Quote:
Driscoll said he decided to hike the trail at the urging of his father.

“It seemed like a fun experience,” Driscoll said. “To my surprise, this trail was very rugged and difficult.”


Hmmm...

There may be a movie in this for him.

It sounds to me like the parents had to drive their 18 year old kid though a few hundred miles of desert that was experiencing a long term drought of epic proportions to drop him off in a wilderness area twice. There's got to be more to that than meets the eye. Rather comedic or diabolical, there's a story behind that for darn sure.

And the kid being surprised that it was a "very rugged" trail. That one leads me to wonder what he actually envisioned for this trip. If anything, that vision (which I have to assume includes Reese Witherspoon) needs to be included in the movie because it has to be "absolutely fabulous".

Posted by: the-gr8t-waldo

Re: Maybe a few overnights first - 05/07/15 10:57 AM

Four days and he hits the "easy button"? ( thinking it was 2>3days in s.cal, before the cell call to his support team) This, after leap froging the pack?? Yeah, he's got the makings of a great actor! Guess it wasn't a total loss, at least he got the obligatory , "selfie" before departing the trail