[pct-l] Section hiker vs. thru

[Eric Lee (GAMES)]

Diane wrote:
>
Still, I think the experience is different to be out there months at
a time. It seems that the difference may have something to do with
how much concern people have over gear and the possibility that
something "bad" might happen. Maybe even has something to do with
some of the ardent criticisms over whether people follow all the
rules or not or carry certain items or not. I don't know. I no longer
worry so much about any of that anymore. In life or on the trail. I
did not feel that way before.
>

I agree that there are definitely large differences in the experiences of section hiking and thru-hiking.  I've never had the opportunity to go hiking for weeks or months at a time, but I've heard lots of people say that they experience a mental shift after a couple of weeks where they "settle into" the trail and all of the noise that typically runs through their heads in normal life finally recedes.  I'm looking forward to experiencing that someday.

On the other hand, I think some of what Diane talked about (concern over gear and unspecified bad things happening) is just a function of experience, regardless of whether that experience is gathered all in one shot or in pieces over several years.

I've never been on the trail continuously for more than six days at a time; family obligations limit what's possible right now.  But I've hiked a 100+ mile section every year for the past seven years and I've finished all of Washington and more than half of Oregon.  I've noticed a huge decrease in my level of anxiety and a huge increase in my acceptance of the trail and what it brings as the years go by.

When I first started section-hiking I would pore over the guidebooks before I got on the trail, calculating exactly where each water source was and exactly where I would spend each night.  Now I'm quite comfortable just walking until it gets dark and crashing wherever I happen to find myself.  I used to obsess over my gear, but now I'm very familiar with everything that I use and I've reached the point where I know what I carry, I know how to use it in various situations, and I don't have to think about it that much.

These days I can roll with whatever the trail hands out.  Oh, look, I'm in the middle of a snowstorm in the Sisters Wilderness in August!  No worries, just bust out the bad-weather gear and keep walking.

Now, I'm still a big believer in taking personal responsibility for my own safety, not taking stupid risks, and in doing what's right, as anyone can tell from the theme of many of my pct-l posts.  But I don't think that's a reflection of my lack of multi-month hiking experience, it's just who I am.  I've made peace with the trail in the ~800 miles I've already hiked it, and I look forward to experiencing it in a whole new way when I thru-hike it someday.

Eric