[pct-l] AL SHAVERS jmt record attempt up-date

[Reinhold Metzger]

AL  SHAVER  called me earlier today and informed me that he abandoned his
third attempt for the  ''unsupported  JMT  record''  and bailed out at Wood
Creek.

Therefore the  ''unsupported''  record still stands at.....5 days....7
hrs....45 minutes.

I never envisioned that the record would stand that long, I always assumed
it would fall soon to a young & capable backpacker or trail runner yet,
after several attempts, over the last three years,
by several hot shot trail runners, the record still
stands..................WHY???

     ''MAYBE  THEY  DON'T  MAKE  THEM  LIKE  THEY  USED  TO  ANYMORE???''

Boy, I bet that comment will set off a stampede next year to break the
record, to prove that they  not only still make them like they used to, but
that they make them better now a days.

JMT Reinhold
Your limping and hobbling Sr. Citizen trail companion

------------------------------------------------------------

----- Original Message -----
From: "Reinhold Metzger" <reinholdmetzger at cox.net>
To: <pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net>; "Deems" <losthiker at sisqtel.net>; "Monte
Dodge" <montedodge at msn.com>; <Hiker97 at aol.com>; "henry shires"
<hshires at jps.net>; "John Stamstad" <JOHN_STAMSTAD at patagonia.com>; "Rex
Spaith" <adventuresierra at yahoo.com>; "Robert Ellinwood"
<rellinwood at worldnet.att.net>; "mat masterson" <lsmbam at netzero.net>;
<clair234 at cox.net>; <archer1933 at sbcglobal.net>; <donm48 at att.net>
Cc: "Reinhold Metzger" <reinholdmetzger at cox.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2006 10:20 PM
Subject: AL SHAVERS jmt record attempt up-date


> Al called me from Lone Pine to inform me he is going in for the third time
> to attempt to set a new unsupported record for the JMT.
> He first went in Sept. 7 but had to bail out because animals got most his
> food.
> He went back in Sept. 20 but had to bail out again because of foot
problems.
> He went back in yesterday evening to try a third time.
> I'm sure he will be successful the third time around, he is a tremendous
> athlete, and after 20 days of acclimation he may very well be the most
> acclimated hiker the JMT has ever seen.
> Al is a great & likable guy and I am a little concerned about him.
> We backpackers go into the Sierra prepared to live in the wilderness with
> everything we need no matter what the weather condition.
> Trail runners have support teams and therefore don't carry tents, sleeping
> bags or sufficient cold weather gear for snow or extreme cold weather
> conditions which is always a potential, especially this late in the year.
> They have their support teams to lean on.
> Al is running it like a trail runner but without a support team.
> I tried to reason with him he will not be able to sleep at night without a
> sleeping bag and hypothermia
> is a real possibility if he encounters stormy weather.
> But, Al's mind is programmed like a trail runner.....he is not planing on
> sleeping much at all....he will run all night and only cat nap in the day
> time at lower elevations so he does not need a tent ,sleeping bag, or as
> much cold weather gear.
> I ask,  AL,  what if you fall and break your leg or suffer some other
> disabling injury at 12000 ft and you get trapped in snow or freezing
> rain?.......SILENCE.
> The weather forecast is good, but it can turn on a dime in the Sierra.
> Like I said I am CONCERNED about AL.
>
> JMT Reinhold
>