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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Rich,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Thanks for the kind words. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I don't know what kind of hiking season the Divide had
this year, but out here on the PCT, if you wanted dry trail the whole way, you
had to wait too long to still make it to Canada before the first snow flies! Of
course, that wasn't practical, so most thrus had to deal with snow at some
point.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>And that is our "point," prepare yourself as an aspiring
thru hiker for the realities of the trail and not just hope for the idealistic
or what the "odds" may indicate. When you're talking about being on-trail and in
mountainous conditions for up to six months, you're bound to experience just
about every situation and circumstance that environment can throw at you, from
nasty creek crossings to violent hail storms to single-digit nights and long,
icy traverses. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Our advice? If all you have experience with is summer
hiking and you are hearing that there may be circumstances ahead of you on
either the Divide or Crest that you've never had to deal with before, consider
studying up and taking a lesson or course on the subject or skill in order to
better prepare your self. Knowledge is one thing, but experience and the skill
sets that go with it are empowering and eliminate any fears you may be
harboring. If you want to live in mountains for an extended time, put a
little "mountain man" in you and learn the knowledge and skills that will enable
you to have a safe and fun time. It is a beautiful place, this vast wilderness
we have the pleasure of hiking through. Don't go into it naive, under-prepared,
or most of all, not knowing yourself well enough to know how you're going to
react to changing mountainous circumstances.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV> </DIV></FONT></DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV><BR>"Just remember, Be Careful out there!"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Ned Tibbits, Director<BR>Mountain Education<BR>1106A Ski Run Blvd<BR>South
Lake Tahoe, Ca. 96150<BR> P:
888-996-8333<BR> F: 530-541-1456<BR> C:
530-721-1551<BR> <A
href="http://www.mountaineducation.org">http://www.mountaineducation.org</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>