[pct-l] Fw: RE.8cy VS 4cy and seeing the light.htm

[Reinhold Metzger]

For some reason this did not go through the first time, so here we go again.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Reinhold Metzger" <reinholdmetzger at cox.net>
To: "'PCT-L'" <pct-l at backcountry.net>; "joseph kisner"
<lostonthecrest at hotmail.com>
Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 4:56 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] RE.8cy VS 4cy and seeing the light.htm



> JOE,
> You must be my twin brother......I evolved into speed hiking the same way.

> When my boys first joyned the Boy Scouts I resisted requests to
participate
> in the troops backpacking activities.....my thinking was after 4 years in
the
> Marine Corps Infantry I did enough backpacking to last me a life time.
> Besides, Marine infantry training was not all that much fun.
> So when I finally agreed to participate in the troops back packing
activities,
> I figured I would participate in only a few outings and did not want to
spend
> a lot of money on camping equipment.
> So like you, I started hiking wearing combat boots and even my old Marine
> Corps pack, cartridge belt & canteens.
> Then for 25 years I hauled a 60-65 lb  ''A -16'' pack making sure I had
> everything we could possibly need and my wife's pack was not to heavy.
> Like you, even though the heavy pack was a struggle, we had a great time.
>
> I did not know any better..... I had not yet ''SEEN  THE  LIGHT''.
>
> Then in 1996, while hiking the JMT for the first time with the Scouts
> hauling a 75-85 lb pack, I started  ''SEEING  THE  LIGHT''.
>
> Now on my speed hikes, like you, I can not pass a hiker without stopping
for
> a little chat or pass a lake or Mt. range without stopping to admire the
view.
> And yes, walking swiftly and silently early in the morning and in the
evening
> I see much more wildlife.
> Also, hiking at night is exiting and challenging.......it arouses the
hunter or
> stalker instinct I remember so well from the night patrols & ambushes in
> Vietnam....except now you are on the alert against bear encounters.
> I know, night hiking is not for everyone and I am not advocating it.
>
> A speed hike becomes so much more spectacular & panoramic because
> you see so much more terrain on any given day.
>
> Just because you are moving fast (remember what is fast for a turtle or a
> 4 cylinder may not be fast for the rabbit or 8 cylinder) does not mean you
> are missing out on something or not enjoying the hike....to the contrary
it
> adds the element of ''challenge'' and the satisfaction of meeting that
> challenge.
>
> I hope this will help those who have not yet  ''seen the light, see the
light''
> and appreciate the merits of speed hiking.
>
> JMT Reinhold
> The one who has seen the light
>
> -------------------------------------------------------
>
> > Joe wrote:
>
> > I love this topic! Mainly because it is so misunderstood, and so far
from
> > being true.
> >
> > When I was a child, my father and I would pack our heavy gear up into
the
> > high sierras. We would struggle and exhaust ourselves till we reached
our
> > destination, and then camp and fish the high altitude lakes and streams.
> > Those times were grand and I will always remember them with great
> > appreciation. We would chose a different trail most every time and
explore
> > hidden lakes, and other remote places.
> >
> > After many years of torturing ourselves with oversized packs, we began
to
> > realize we did not need a lot of things that we always brought. We began
> > lightening our loads, traded our levi's and combat boots for nylon,
> > polyester and running shoes.
> >
> > This was also about the time we began walking long distances, and
finding
> > pleasure in covering more ground in less time. In fact we were not
> > struggling anymore, but making last minute changes to our plans and
> > exploring the next lake or climbing another peak. Our summer's backpack
> trip
> > had evolved.
> >
> > 25 years later, When I took off from campo, I did not run, nor did I
walk
> in
> > some form of tunnel vision, without taking notice to the world around
me.
> If
> > it was the work out that I long for, I would simply go down to the high
> > school track and spin circles till I dropped.
> >
> > I walked a simple 2.5 miles per hour, I took breaks on almost every high
> > point and water source. I stopped to watch deer, bear, elk, goats, a
lion,
> > marmots, and even the cows. I witnessed eagles, hawks and owls, as well
as
> > trout and salmon. I took notice to many animals that people with hiking
> > poles or who walked in packs would have never saw.
> >
> > I stayed out of towns, and slept right on the trail nearly every night.
I
> > walked early and watched the crack of dawn turn into a beautiful
sunrise,
> > only to watch the sun turn into the most gorgeous sunset. I walked into
> the
> > silence of the night, and felt the forest change its character. I was
> never
> > in such a hurry, that I would not sit down and talk, or walk a while
with
> > another hiker. I became comfortable, relaxed, and at home. For the trail
> and
> > I had became one, as we made our way through the west.
> >
> > I long for next year where I plan to lower the unassisted record another
> 7-9
> > days, and if you ask why, I'll tell you, because "seeing the light" is
> what
> > it's all about. tattoo-joe
>
>