[pct-l] End of Earth in 2012

[Patrick Beggan]

Fearmongering happens on the PCT. It doesn't matter if there's a few  
grains of truth in the details, it is nonetheless still fearmongering.  
When you get out there and hike the PCT instead of "planning" all the  
time, you come to realize that it is not a big deal and everything  
you've ever heard about trail conditions is a gross exaggeration.

Should you be aware of danger and try and be safe? Of course. Should  
you have a 50-stage plan and let fear run your hike? No way. Not once  
on the PCT either time did I concern myself when people started  
worrying about conditions and it always worked out.

I entered the Sierras June 3rd of this year, in the midst of the  
"terrifying" weather that had people waiting at kennedy meadows for up  
to 2 weeks and you know what? It wasn't bad at all. Sure, it was a  
little chilly, yeah we had some snow (6-12 inches at one point) but  
that just made it more fun. Stick together with other hikers in  
sketchy situations and make sane decisions and you'll be fine.  
Otherwise, don't worry about it.


On Nov 5, 2009, at 4:51 PM, Len Glassner wrote:

> Diane, your journal shows that you skipped much of the Sierra because
> you were afraid of hiking in the conditions that prevailed.   Why were
> you afraid?
>
> On Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 4:30 PM, Brick Robbins  
> <brick at brickrobbins.com> wrote:
>> On Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 9:39 PM, Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com
>> <diane at santabarbarahikes.com> wrote:
>>> Here's an example of how all the fear mongering ends up being mostly
>>> hype:
>>
>> "mostly?"
>>
>> Yes, most fears don't realize themselves. Some do. If you are not
>> prepared, you can die.
>>
>> You don't wear a seatbelt out of fear mongering. You wear one because
>> sometimes accidents happen, even if you drive safely.
>>
>> While I agree that the hazards in the wilderness are often less than
>> the hazards of civilization, they are different than most of us are
>> used to, and they are still hazards.
>>
>> The year I did the PCT was pretty harsh (1995) so maybe I saw more
>> danger than some, but there is still danger even in an "easy year."
>> Much of the danger can be mitigated by proper planning and
>> preparation. If you don't carry a little fear, then you have no
>> motivation to prepare and plan.
>>
>> And though "plans are worthless, planning is everything. There is a
>> very great distinction because when you are planning for an emergency
>> you must start with this one thing: the very definition of  
>> 'emergency'
>> is that it is unexpected, therefore it is not going to happen the way
>> you are planning." (yes that is a quote)
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