The people swimming in Reese lake I do not believe were thru-hikers. I mean, one of them had a friggin folding lawn chair! That's not something that thru-hikers would carry.keithcomess wrote: ↑September 23rd, 2022, 7:58 amI have a different take on the PCT situation described in this report. While the resilience and optimism of the OP are really commendable, the conditions encountered on the trail are depressing: a needlessly and heedlessly polluted lake, abandoned fishing line, disruptive and disrespectful behavior by (large) numbers of hikers/campers and trashing a hotel (to the detriment of all). These are depressing and sad commentaries on the "wilderness ethic" a significant section of the public seems to have adopted.
Also it's pretty uncommon for thru-hikers to bother carrying a fishing pole and trying to fish. I certainly didn't encounter any. I'm as avid as they come in terms of fishing, and I could not justify the extra weight. I think this was left by a careless weekender.
It is very sad about what is happening at Timberline Lodge. Maybe I am being overly optimistic, but like I said, most of the people I met were doing the right things and were very considerate. I never actually observed any of these misdeeds at Timberline, just heard about them from an employee.