[Cdt-l] Cdt-l Digest, Vol 38, Issue 11
Ellie Thomas
sidselliott at aol.com
Wed Nov 10 08:50:06 CST 2010
I have to agree with Jonathan, everyone's hike is different. The perception of the word "brutality" is obviously also diferent for many, regardless of how it may be defined.
I've had "brutal" days on every trail, and would not trade them for anything. They were all merely a result of tough experiences that often made me take a deep breath at the end of the day and grin at an accomplishment.
For me, a little brutality here and there was a good thing and simply enhanced already fantastic experiences.
Ellie
Ellie
sidselliott at aol.com
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Date: Tue, 09 Nov 2010 20:45:12
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Subject: Cdt-l Digest, Vol 38, Issue 11
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Women on the trail...me too! (dave gantz)
2. Re: Embrace the (Jim and_or Ginny Owen)
3. Re: Embrace the (Jonathan Ley)
4. Re: Embrace the (Jim and_or Ginny Owen)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 15:35:04 -0500
From: dave gantz <davegantz at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Cdt-l] Women on the trail...me too!
To: hetchhetchyman at aol.com
Cc: cdt-l at backcountry.net
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<AANLkTikNS5Q-0rbe2o=Cq4S3jOOdaaZ2uDN_qOxUHas=@mail.gmail.com>
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I'm trying to get out there in 2011 too. If I can make enough money this
winter I'll be heading SOBO!
-Gantz
On Tue, Nov 9, 2010 at 1:52 PM, <hetchhetchyman at aol.com> wrote:
> It is funny that I personally never made a plan to be strictly solo. I in
> fact began hiking from the Mexican border with Chief Chihuahua, Sarong, and
> Jack Beanstalk. I love those guys but by the time we reached South peak,
> just the second day, our paces were already different. I decided I had to be
> true to the pace that made me happy. This meant I did not see my friends
> again until the Gila. It was awesome to hike with them again if short lived.
> Once again we became separated in the Gila and I ended up a day ahead of
> them into Pie Town. That was so cool at Nita's Toaster house when all these
> NoBo hikers just showed up at the same time! Thirsty Boots, Doc, Jack
> beanstalk, Chief Chihuahua, Sarong, Lime Green JellyBean, Irish, Brit, and
> Damp Dan. After Pie town my pace became quicker cause I was just getting
> into the groove. I saw JellyBean and Company once on the road and Whitefish
> a bit further on around Mt Taylor, but then not another thru hiker until I
> ran into Southbounders- The Noodleheads near Mack's Inn Idaho. In all that
> time I never felt lonely. Maybe because of all the really great people I met
> in resupply towns along the way filled my need for socialization.
> Anyhow I know I am rambling here and you asked about the numbers of groups
> VS solo's. I just had to kinda run the whole trip through my mind a bit
> first.
> Although I can't speak for these people or be sure they were strictly solo
> or strictly in a group, the following is what met on trail:
> Groups of thru's in NM: 3+4
> Solos' in NM 1+1+1+1
> Groups of thru's in Idaho 2+2
> Groups of thru's in MT 2+2+5+2+2
> Solo's in MT 1+1+1
> *So I met 7 Solo thru hikers and 24 people hiking in groups when I met
> them.*
> **
> I can't speak for Sage or Hydro Heidi. I am a guy so I can't know what the
> differences are both psychological and real for women to hike the CDT solo.
> I do know there were times when I really wished I could talk to another long
> distance hiker. I also know there were some pretty awesome sublime moments
> when I was glad I was alone. Wow, I ain't making much sense, sorry. When I
> think back I remember being a little jealous when I met that big happy group
> of southbounders. It brought back memories of the great friends I spent time
> hiking with on the PCT. There are things that only another thru hiker can
> understand and when you are solo you don't have an outlet for those thoughts
> and feelings.
> Anyhow i am making a big 'ole mushy mess of this post now so I'll just let
> it be. I loved meeting other hikers on the trail. I loved the time we did
> spend hiking together. I also loved my solo time and that made me appreciate
> meeting folks all the more I suppose.
>
> Cheers-Matthew Edwards aka Iceaxe
>
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>
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 19:28:59 -0500
From: Jim and_or Ginny Owen <spiriteagle99 at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Cdt-l] Embrace the
To: <davidspangler at hotmail.com>, cdt-l <cdt-l at backcountry.net>
Message-ID: <SNT120-W21FB7C9E3D92FD0CEB9A05A0310 at phx.gbl>
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David -
We first heard the "brutality" expression AFTER our second CDT hike. And we laughed.
Because our 2006 hike was, without question, the easiest thruhike either of us had ever
done. We had few water problems, no bear problems, few thunderstorms, and got "lost"
only in a couple burn areas or in sections where we were following "pink ribbons".
We had very few snow problems because we started late and didn't try to hurry
through NM. Nor did we "hurry" through the Trail. We finished in mid-October and were
the last of the Nobo's, so we were completely alone on the northern part of the Trail for
over 3 weeks (except for the hunters and a few bears). We saw the Indian Summer in
Montana that the other hikers missed. And I could write a book about the trail magic.
And another book about the wildlife sightings, the scenery, the beauty.........
Damn, that was a good hike. When can I do it again?
Brutality? I don't think so.
BTW - if you think the Trail was obscure when you did it, you should have been there in 1999.
There was one 150 mile section with no/zero/nada/zip CDT markings. And we thought we were
lucky because less than 10 years prior, there had been a completely unmarked 600 mile section.
Jim
http://www.spiriteaglehome.com/
From: davidspangler at hotmail.com
To: cdt-l at backcountry.net
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 12:13:21 -0800
Subject: [Cdt-l] Embrace the
Thanks for bringing up the annoying "Embrace the Brutality" which is emblazoned across the Yogi Guide. All trails are tough in their own way but the CDT is very doable. We often Embraced, not the brutality, but the beauty, solitude, lack of trail, new friends and kindness of strangers.
The "Embrace the Brutality" was a running joke for us because the saying is such a joke. We came up with "Embrace the Stupidity" to deal with the random signs, trail junctions etc. Although this or any pithy saying doesn't do a trail justice.
The Yogi guide is great but at times it makes the trail seem like something unattainable--if your planning consider this basis.
Dave
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 09 Nov 2010 16:44:38 -0800
From: Jonathan Ley <jonathan at phlumf.com>
Subject: Re: [Cdt-l] Embrace the
To: cdt-l at backcountry.net
Message-ID: <4CD9EAF6.4090901 at phlumf.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I think everyone has their own experience... & it's so hard to compare
one hike to another. If you get caught in a white-out in the San Juans,
it can be pretty brutal indeed. But, you could breeze-through a few days
earlier, and have a downright pleasant stroll. These kinds of random
things can really make all the difference in one's perception of the
CDT. I think it's best not to read too deeply into these catch phrases.
It's just something fun to say & good motivation in case the going does
happen to get rough.
-Jonathan
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> From: davidspangler at hotmail.com
> To: cdt-l at backcountry.net
> Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 12:13:21 -0800
> Subject: [Cdt-l] Embrace the
>
> Thanks for bringing up the annoying "Embrace the Brutality" which is
> emblazoned across the Yogi Guide. All trails are tough in their own
> way but the CDT is very doable. We often Embraced, not the brutality,
> but the beauty, solitude, lack of trail, new friends and kindness of
> strangers.
>
> The "Embrace the Brutality" was a running joke for us because the
> saying is such a joke. We came up with "Embrace the Stupidity" to
> deal with the random signs, trail junctions etc. Although this or any
> pithy saying doesn't do a trail justice.
>
> The Yogi guide is great but at times it makes the trail seem like
> something unattainable--if your planning consider this basis.
> Dave
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Cdt-l mailing list
> Cdt-l at backcountry.net
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/cdt-l
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 21:45:12 -0500
From: Jim and_or Ginny Owen <spiriteagle99 at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Cdt-l] Embrace the
To: <jonathan at phlumf.com>, cdt-l <cdt-l at backcountry.net>
Message-ID: <SNT120-W44FF0FC5EBF4467AB5212CA0310 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
lol - we had our whiteout on Black Mt in Montana. We had our snow in Glacier. We had NO water
information for the bootheel (we were the first to hike that route - as the "official" route into Lordsburg).
And I was doing it on a knee that needed replacement - my knee mechanic told me he didn't think I
could make the distance, but he thought I should try it anyway. Good man. And he was "almost"
right. At least we didn't have to deal with another rock slide like the one in '99 that took off the end
of one of Ginny's fingers. But even that had a positive effect - it saved "my" life. I know - not everyone
thinks that's a positive :-))
Still no "brutality" - not from my point of view. The positives far outweighed the negatives for
both hikes.
We've watched people do the Trail for over 15 years now. And read the registers from 20, 30
years ago. And talked to the people who did it before and after us. And the "brutality" is always
related to either their attitude or their actions. Has nothing to do with the Trail. Yeah - the Trail
is harder some years than others. Snow, thunderstorms, drought, maintenance, marking...whatever.
And it was a whole lot harder 10, 20, 30 years ago. But in 2006, it was comparable - and in some
places, better marked, than the PCT.
It still all comes down to attitude and actions. It's not the problems you encounter that matter -
it's how you handle them. And if you're encountering "brutality", then you need to change what
you're doing - or the way you're doing it. Just like everything else in life.
I know you learned that - you wrote it in your journal. :-)
Have a good night,
Jim
http://www.spiriteaglehome.com/
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 16:44:38 -0800
From: jonathan at phlumf.com
To: cdt-l at backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [Cdt-l] Embrace the
I think everyone has their own experience... & it's so hard to compare one hike to another. If you get caught in a white-out in the San Juans, it can be pretty brutal indeed. But, you could breeze-through a few days earlier, and have a downright pleasant stroll. These kinds of random things can really make all the difference in one's perception of the CDT. I think it's best not to read too deeply into these catch phrases. It's just something fun to say & good motivation in case the going does happen to get rough.
-Jonathan
From: davidspangler at hotmail.com
To: cdt-l at backcountry.net
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 12:13:21 -0800
Subject: [Cdt-l] Embrace the
Thanks for bringing up the annoying "Embrace the Brutality" which is emblazoned across the Yogi Guide. All trails are tough in their own way but the CDT is very doable. We often Embraced, not the brutality, but the beauty, solitude, lack of trail, new friends and kindness of strangers.
The "Embrace the Brutality" was a running joke for us because the saying is such a joke. We came up with "Embrace the Stupidity" to deal with the random signs, trail junctions etc. Although this or any pithy saying doesn't do a trail justice.
The Yogi guide is great but at times it makes the trail seem like something unattainable--if your planning consider this basis.
Dave
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