[pct-l] Differences between thru-hikes and section hikes

[joph at piedmontbsa.org]

As a section hiker who just completed the PCT--I think, respectfully, that
you don't know what a committed section hiker's experience is like. It
certainly is not about breaking in your feet each trip. It's an incredible
journey and you don't need to be a thru hiker to "get it".

Jo

Message: 4
Date: Wed, 3 Dec 2008 15:31:05 -0800
From: Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com
	<diane at santabarbarahikes.com>
Subject: [pct-l] Differences between thru-hikes and section hikes
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Message-ID:
	<939635C6-B603-4B07-9A2C-01CED05B0907 at santabarbarahikes.com>
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There was some kind of topic going around about some of the  
differences between a thru-hike and section hike experience, one of  
them being having to break in your feet all over again each time. Ouch!

Anyway, I got to thinking about it. You know what was a big  
difference for me? On a short hike you get to pick your hiking date.  
You pick the best days to go that you can. If it rains, you postpone  
your trip. You bring everything you think you are going to need for  
that section. You're aware of everything that can go wrong and you  
are prepared. At the end, it is successful when nothing bad has  
happened.

On the thru-hike it wasn't like that. I had to carry enough to handle  
most circumstances but not every possibility because that was  
impossible. I could only pick a window to begin, but could not choose  
the best days for every section. Everything I carried had to have a  
dual purpose at minimum. It rains and my rain coat is in my bounce  
bucket? I have a poly-cro ground sheet that'll work in a pinch. I  
strain my quadricep? I have safety pins and can wrap my leg with  
socks pinned tightly together. I get cold? I have a jacket. Really  
cold? I have a sleeping bag. Also, Ray Jardine says to just keep  
moving. It seemed to be the answer to everything.

No matter what the trail had in store for me each day, I had to take  
it. It didn't matter if I was tired or hot or thirsty or sleepy. I  
kept walking through whatever came my way, hills, mountains, snow, 35  
mile waterless stretches, freezing cold stream crossings at 6AM,  
whatever. I stopped caring so much about the difficulties (even if I  
did curse them sometimes). It was successful when I woke up to hike  
another day, no matter what happened the day before.

I ended up with a deep feeling of acceptance and freedom. It was a  
wonderful feeling. Without a serious, months-long commitment to the  
trail, I don't know that you can get the same sense that no matter  
what happens you'll be ok. That you can handle the cold, the rain,  
the heat, the ants, the never knowing where exactly you are going,  
the never knowing where you'll sleep tonight. It's like you learn the  
difference between discomfort and true danger and you learn that you  
really are a strong person. A resourceful person who doesn't need a  
lot of gear to get from here to there.

Does that make any sense? Or am I just oblivious?

~Piper




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