[pct-l] Have had a hard time convincing my hiking partner...

[Wes Rose]

One of the 2009 Thru-hikers who decided to leave the trail 

on the 101st day of the journey wrote, "I walked and thought about 

my decision, and then I came to this amazing overlook- high up 

on a ridge. I'm know I'm lucky. (sic)  I know it's beautiful out here. 

But it feels so empty when I don't have anyone to share it with."

 

Because of an ill-considered response to a perceived threat, the 

author of this quote was beaten up on the PCT-L, perhaps 

deservedly so.  Even still, her comment is beautiful, poignant and

brutally transparent - and worth consideration by any potential thru 

hiker.



 

From: Marcello Cerniglia

Sender: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net

To: pct-l at backcountry.net

Subject: [pct-l] Have had a hard time convincing my hiking partner...

Sent: Nov 29, 2009 4:34 PM

 

Hey everyone...

 

We are planning a northbound trip for 2010....and I have had a hard time

convincing my hiking partner about how to go about a thruhike on the PCT.

She has one trail under her belt, the Colorado Trail, which she did this 

past summer.  She loves the high country, wildflowers, and lush green alpine

tundra.  She has been very weary of entering the Sierra's when it is not the

best time to be there.  To her, the best time to be there is when its fully

melted, with the flowers and bunnies and butterflies.

 

She thinks entering the Sierra's anytime before mid July is doing a

dis-service to it.  She wants to hike the Sierras in late July-August after

the snow melt.  Her plan would be to hike to Kennedy Meadows from Campo, 

and then skip around past the Sierra's (she is not sure where to, Sierra City

maybe?) and hike north to Canada.  Then return to do the Sierras last in

September.  Or, skip the Sierras in mid June and hike to Ashland.  The

return to hike the Sierras.  Then get back to Ashland and hike north to

Canada.

 

I cant say she is wrong, because everyone should hike their own hike.  But,

when I even mention beginning with the intention of doing a straight thru

northbound hike I can see the tension fill the room.  It spells disaster.  I

am all for adjusting as you go, with the circumstances presented to you at

the time.  I am not the speculative type, who plans around unknowns.  If I

get to KM, and its June 10, and it was a high snow year, I am either taking

some time off or skipping ahead.  But, I cant justify trying to piece the

trail together in one year based on the optimal time to be in each different

section.

 

To make the matters worse, she is a vegan and needs to plan all her

maildrops up till Ashland.  I am not worried about it, but she sure is.

 

Another complication is the perceived section D closures, which put hikers

at KM even earlier.  Without wanting to start in mid-May, she thinks there

is no way for us to slow down enough to leave KM by June 20-25, which is my

preference....

 

I know thats a lot, so sorry about that....but any talking points or

opinions of how to convice her that the Sierra's are beautiful from the end

of June through July, would help out immensely!

 

Catch Up

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