Balls and Sunshine Ripped-off on the CDT!!

Wow. What a lame note for such a potentially serious act. It’s like saying, “I casually condemn you to death.”

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

I agree that robbing someones cache is really bad form. Taking all of it is worse, even despicable. Do we know that they took it all? In a real emergency, I'd forgive someone taking some water, but not taking it all.

I do wonder about all of the "condemning to death" talk. It is only 5 miles to the next water for the thief so they didn't need it, but Balls an Sunshine are going to die without it? It seems like folks like being a little overly dramatic.

Note that I am not condoning the theft, just questioning the hyperbole.

What have I learned from this account?

Don't leave a vital resource (water in the drought stricken desert!) to the mercy of the elements or chance. Also, don't expect people to care about whatever journey you may be on. No matter how important your trip may be to you there are those who neither understand or give a rat's ass about your well being, especially in remote and severed areas like southern NM. Should they?

Thru hiker culture doesnt permeate the southern NM region like that found along the AT and PCT, so plan accordingly and have a Plan B.

The conclusion to this thread will be enlightening…. but in the context of being forced to push a long water-poor route in the most drought affected state in the country, should or could (later resupply locations) they have diverted/rerouted to the closer water source?

They are trying to hike the "official" CDT. They don't want to divert from it at all.

In 2011, when Sunshine was 10, they did the PCT. That year the Sierras had one of the highest snow packs in history. A lot of thru hikers skipped the Sierras and came back later to finish it. Balls and Sunshine hiked through it, they didn't want to "cheat" the trail. Don't worry, Balls protects her and doesn't take unnecessary risks.

"I do wonder about all of the "condemning to death" talk. It is only 5 miles to the next water for the thief so they didn't need it, but Balls an Sunshine are going to die without it? It seems like folks like being a little overly dramatic."

+1 on that brother! I been finding myself disturbed by some of the tone here as much as the act itself. As you rightly point out, there was never any actual threat to their lives in this case. They could have themselves gone in the (albeit unplanned) direction they said they knew the others had gone, where there was a known water supply, then come back. I'm sure it would be a maddening detour, but not life-threatening – a 1/2 day delay for them. Also, as a bonus, they might have found the perpetrators and given them a piece of their minds.

More to the point I don't think it is at all obvious the mind-set or intent of the perpetrators, in spite of how sure many here seem to be, and I'm disturbed by all the repetition of how despicable and lowest-of-the-low they are. They did a bad thing, but I'd prefer to look on it as a mixture of ignorance and selfish narrow-sightedness rather than a bald-faced strike at all that is holy, at least until we know more. Whoever it was definitely deserves an education on this issue, but I'm not sure it would make the world a better place, or even the CDT a safer place if anyone out there that found them went straight to the yelling, threatening and shunning phase, as it seems many here would be more than willing to do, rather than just talk to them first, find out what they thought there were doing, and if they really even knew how potentially disruptive and even dangerous what they did could have been.

Balls pointed out later they where not actually in danger because they had other options. But whoever stole the water didn't know that. For all they knew Balls and Sunshine might have stumbled in too dehydrated to go farther. If they'd really been suffering they could have drank some left a note and got to the source 5 miles away. The fact they took it all indicates to me they weren't in an emergency they just didn't care.

His latest post indicates they know who did it:

A group of 5 hiker that left Silver City the same day as they did.

Sounds like Beacon left them water only an hour or so before they were to pass through.

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=411962

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

OK, if it was not idiot day hikers and in fact other thru-hikers then you officially have my permission to string'em up. LOL

in one of his posts this week he says they have a pretty good idea about which group it was that left a bit before them.

I'd love to see any followup, such as if he confronted them and what they said. They definitely need an education.

Even IF Balls is correct in his ID, a five to one confrontation is not apt to work out well for him.

I would suggest that it if he is prepared and able to prove it in court should a libel suit be filed, it would be better to publicly identify the perpetrators publically on all of the CDT forums and let nature take its course. I doubt they'll be welcomed by any trail angels or other hikers.

Didn't he pretty much identify them. His journals talks of five hikers who were in town t the same time, gives out the names. I doubt there are too many groups of five hikers going through at the same time.

Court? Libel suit?

Are you kidding me?!

Move on. I'm sure they have. This is all really petty and self important.

They didn't die, nor did the past transgression bring about an untimely end to their hike.

Some grace here would go far. The last thing the outdoor community needs is another divisive point of argument. There's already this "day hiker" vs. "thru hiker" mentality creeping into the thread, as if either should be shown preference.

Walk lightly, cause we are all visitors and stewards at best.

+1 Eugene.

Nuff Said.

Knowing their usual hiking speed they will probably pass the group and be done with them soon enough and can either tell their story to people they meet or not.

I'm uncomfortable with any "lynch those other hikers" mentality when, as far as I can tell, we don't even know it WAS other hikers. Balls wrote in his journal "While we hike the Gila, Beacon is going to cache food and water along our next section of CDT which is known to be dry including a 60 waterless stretch."

If someone wanted to mess with a hiker, seems like it would be pretty easy to check for water caches at each road crossing along the next stretch, then take any visible water and leave a note making it seem like it "had to be those other hikers."

I don't know that that's what happened. On the other hand I don't think we can be reasonably sure who DID take the water, and why. So while taking the water was a very bad thing to do regardless, I don't think anyone should insinuate that it was fellow hikers. It's a very small community out there and a rush to judgment might smear some very good people's reputations.

A good policy for caches is "out of sight, out of mind." At least Balls had wisely planned so they weren't down to their last option, depending on a single cache for their lives.

I'm with Eugene.

Who knows what happened and why. This thread is kinda arm-chair quarterbacking without a good view of the field. Even Balls seems loathe to condemn without proof, and he was the one wronged.

I know most of that group of 5 from the PCT last year and a few of them are contributing BPL members here. There are a few really cool cats among that group that would never disrespect thru-hiker code unless in dire circumstances. Maybe we should put down the pitchforks and chill till the facts are in focus.

Can't we compromise ? Chop off their right hand now, and later brand them across the forehead with a warning sign ?

In the old days, justice was swifter than it is now. I'm not saying it was right, but there was a sense of satisfaction in doing something that eased the frustration.

Just to save time, and not run up his post count, I'll just put it in my post.

I see the identity thief is back.
–B.G.–

If people carried ultra light pitchforks and torches, this might be over by now.

–G.B.–

"If people carried ultra light pitchforks and torches, this might be over by now. "

My UL pitchfork is here somewhere under all this crap. My heavyweight one is in the garage where I can find it, but I would never want to let anyone see me carrying such a heavyweight item. Its titanium or bust for me on all witch hunts from here on out.

Could an UL pitchfork have dual use as an ice axe? Or a weenie roaster? Or a trekking pole? Or a bear deterrent instrument? Or a cathode digger? Hmm, I think you may be on to something.

I say just "string um up" with a bear bag rope. Much lighter then a titanium pitchfork. Worked for cattle rustlers.

carbon fiber handled Ti pitchfork with swappable ends for a CF packraft paddle or spear tip for those who think Tenkara is too damn peaceful ;)

"carbon fiber handled Ti pitchfork with swappable ends for a CF packraft paddle or spear tip"

I like it Jake.

Titanium torches with removable handles that turn into alcohol burning stoves.

While we're at it titanium six shooters with carbon fiber handles and a cuben fiber cartridge belt for Balls to wear. With titanium bullets.