[pct-l] Trail Running Shoes so great?

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

On Feb 20, 2009, at 8:23 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
> ned at pacificcrestcustombuilders.com wrote:
>> I guess I'm still trying to figure out how come about 75% of thru  
>> hikers
>> leave the trail....
You think it's trail runners?

People who leave the trail in the first couple of hundred miles  
probably were not prepared physically or mentally or both. People who  
have made it through the Sierra are probably feeling lonely for  
family and home and overwhelmed with how much distance is left to go.

The PCT is more a mental game than a physical one. As soon as home  
starts calling you, if you can't find a reason to continue, you'll  
just go home.

But don't think going home is a bad thing or a failure. Many of us go  
on the trail seeking a spiritual experience and once it has been had,  
we know the right time to go home.