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    For hiking a partner is not necessary...ever. --it can happen
    anywhere anytime. I prefer to hike and scramble alone for the reason
    of self reliance. Something that I feel is in short supply in all
    facets of life these days. In fact it can be safer to be alone.<br>
    Cheers,<br>
    Mtnrat<br>
    <br>
    On 01/12/10 9:01 AM, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:ks1007@aol.com">ks1007@aol.com</a> wrote:
    <blockquote
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        <div>yes, I'm not a hiker but I feel that I must weigh in on
          this thread - I'm sure that hiking alone has its' merits but I
          think there are times when a partner is necessary - case in
          point - "goatman" dan johnson slips and fractures his ankle
          and leg in the gila's - he is the second to last nobo and the
          last nobo aussie dave isn't taking that route - goatman was
          lucky that he had a SPOT with him and that's what saved his
          life - if he would of had a partner they could have gone for
          help - I know that hikers are doing the trail because of the
          solitude and not having to keep a schedule - even though you
          may not like it, &nbsp;when you get to NM the trail angels keep
          track of you - one of the other things that may have saved
          goatman was that he called julie the night before - if he
          wasn't there in 3 days from emory pass we would have discussed
          what to do which most likely would have been to call out SAR </div>
        <div>you never know when something may happen<br>
          <br>
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                <div><strong><font size="3">el coyote</font></strong></div>
                <div><strong><font size="3">Keith and Mary</font></strong></div>
                <div><strong><font size="3">Trail Angels</font></strong></div>
                <div><strong><font size="3">Deming, NM</font></strong></div>
              </font></font></font></div>
        <br>
        <br>
        <div style="font-family: arial,helvetica; color: black;
          font-size: 10pt;">-----Original Message-----<br>
          From: Jim and_or Ginny Owen <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:spiriteagle99@hotmail.com">&lt;spiriteagle99@hotmail.com&gt;</a><br>
          To: brianle <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:brianle@nwlink.com">&lt;brianle@nwlink.com&gt;</a>; cdt-l
          <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:cdt-l@backcountry.net">&lt;cdt-l@backcountry.net&gt;</a><br>
          Sent: Tue, Nov 30, 2010 5:17 pm<br>
          Subject: Re: [Cdt-l] trail partnership: all or nothing?<br>
          <br>
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            Brian - <br>
            The main reasons for hiking together&nbsp;are for safety in bear
            country or because you just like <br>
            hiking together or for navigation purposes (4 eyes are
            better than 2 eyes).&nbsp; Being joined at the <br>
            hip is a good idea if you're a married couple or looking for
            "safety" in "bear country" or partners <br>
            who want to hike together, because there are a number of
            places where a wrong turn could <br>
            send you in different directions and leave one or both of
            you kinda "floating in never-never land".&nbsp; <br>
            &nbsp;<br>
            Note please that hiking "together" in bear country means
            EXACTLY that.&nbsp; It doesn't mean hiking <br>
            5 minutes - or even 30 seconds apart.&nbsp; If you're that far
            apart, the bear considers you to be alone.&nbsp; <br>
            And you are. <img moz-do-not-send="true"
              style="border-style: none; vertical-align: text-bottom;"
              title="Smile" alt="Smile"
              src="http://gfx1.hotmail.com/mail/w4/pr04/ltr/emo/smile.gif"
              height="19" width="19"><br>
            &nbsp;<br>
            Truth is that "bear country" generally isn't nearly as
            dangerous as most people think.&nbsp; But I don't <br>
            try to convince people of that - they have&nbsp;to discover it
            for themselves.&nbsp; Just keep in mind the rules <br>
            for not irritating (or attracting) the bears and don't get
            overconfident.&nbsp; <br>
            &nbsp;<br>
            But if you want to hike together sometimes,&nbsp;and apart other
            times, I'd suggest hiking out of <br>
            town together, separating at some point on the trail and
            then meeting at the next town.&nbsp;You'd <br>
            probably want to decide on a specific motel or restaurant
            for your rally point in that next town.&nbsp; <br>
            Our website generally doesn't give that kind of information,
            but Yogi's book probably does. <br>
            &nbsp;<br>
            You could, of course, hike part of the day together and part
            alone.&nbsp; Just don't count on sharing <br>
            gear or food in that case&nbsp;because then getting separated
            leaves on of you a little short of ....<br>
            something, be it food, water, shelter,
            fire.....whatever.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Keep in mind the words to the song - <br>
            God bless the child who's got his own.&nbsp; <br>
            &nbsp;<br>
            Have a great hike,<br>
            Jim<br>
            <br>
            <a moz-do-not-send="true"
              href="http://www.spiriteaglehome.com/" target="_blank">http://www.spiriteaglehome.com/</a><br>
            <br>
            <br>
            <br>
            &nbsp;<br>
            &gt; From: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
              href="mailto:brianle@nwlink.com">brianle@nwlink.com</a><br>
            &gt; To: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
              href="mailto:Cdt-l@backcountry.net">Cdt-l@backcountry.net</a><br>
            &gt; Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2010 13:41:29 -0800<br>
            &gt; Subject: [Cdt-l] trail partnership: all or nothing?<br>
            &gt; <br>
            &gt; Consensus is that if you don't want to hike the CDT
            literally alone, you<br>
            &gt; start with one or more partners and you stay close
            together the whole time.<br>
            &gt; I like the fellow that I plan to hike with a lot, but
            I've also quite<br>
            &gt; enjoyed weeks of hiking alone on both PCT and AT, and
            even when hiking with<br>
            &gt; one or more partners I've often hiked much of a given
            day alone, joining<br>
            &gt; back up at lunch and at night. I realize that the CDT
            is different in this<br>
            &gt; way, that you have to stay close to stay together at
            all, but the idea of<br>
            &gt; being joined at the hip to anyone for months of hiking
            concerns me a little.<br>
            &gt; <br>
            &gt; What I've not seen anyone suggest is the idea of
            periodically splitting up<br>
            &gt; for a while and agreeing to meet back up at or near a
            particular trail town.<br>
            &gt; This seems like it would be a good compromise on the
            CDT to me, i.e., have a<br>
            &gt; trail partnership, but have some significant "alone
            time" stretches. I<br>
            &gt; suspect that both of us would appreciate some time
            apart, and enjoy each<br>
            &gt; other's company that much more when we reconnected.<br>
            &gt; <br>
            &gt; The only downside I can see would be if one person
            ended up waiting quite a<br>
            &gt; while for the other, and perhaps not being 100% certain
            that (for whatever<br>
            &gt; reason) they're actually going to show up. I suppose
            another downside is<br>
            &gt; the risk that, for whatever reason, the designated
            reunion spot wouldn't be<br>
            &gt; a good/pleasant/safe/whatever place to hang out for the
            needed amount of<br>
            &gt; time. Have any past CDT thru-hikers tried this approach
            ("meet you at<br>
            &gt; this particular motel in a week or so"), and any
            observations if so?<br>
            &gt; <br>
            &gt; TIA ---<br>
            &gt; <br>
            &gt; <br>
            &gt; Brian Lewis / Gadget<br>
            &gt; <a moz-do-not-send="true"
              href="http://www.postholer.com/brianle" target="_blank">http://www.postholer.com/brianle</a><br>
            &gt; <br>
            &gt; <br>
            &gt; <br>
            &gt; _______________________________________________<br>
            &gt; Cdt-l mailing list<br>
            &gt; <a moz-do-not-send="true"
              href="mailto:Cdt-l@backcountry.net">Cdt-l@backcountry.net</a><br>
            &gt; <a moz-do-not-send="true"
              href="http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/cdt-l"
              target="_blank">http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/cdt-l</a><br>
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            <pre style="font-size: 9pt;"><tt>_______________________________________________
Cdt-l mailing list
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:Cdt-l@backcountry.net">Cdt-l@backcountry.net</a>
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_______________________________________________
Cdt-l mailing list
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Cdt-l@backcountry.net">Cdt-l@backcountry.net</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/cdt-l">http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/cdt-l</a>
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