[pct-l] Hair-guys AND gals

[Janet Grossman]

I did the AT with long hair, just dealt with it, then got it cut short soon
after finishing. At that time I promptly asked myself why I'd been so stupid
as to keep it long for the hike, since it was hot, heavy, and impossible to
keep clean or detangled. When I started out on the PCT this year, I donated
my waist-length hair to Locks of Love and had my head shaved. I know I
didn't LOOK great with no hair, but it grew in reasonably quickly, and it
was the first time in my life I had straight hair, when it was too short to
curl, so I had a blast. I haven't shaved my legs or anything else in at
least 25 years, feel perfectly comfortable that way. When I return to do a
section hike in '08, I plan to get my hair cut short again, but probably not
shaved again, as I'll be returning to work too soon to deal with all my
clients thinking I've got cancer. (I did have people in stores urging this
obvious-to-them cancer victim to go in front of them in line.) I will almost
certainly shave it when I return to hike the whole rest of the trail,
hopefully, in '09. Just last week a hiking friend who hadn't seen me in
about a month greeted me with, "Janet, your head is growing hair like a chia
pet!"
Janet