[pct-l] Hiking and the Real World

[Mary Kwart]

Sasha:

I got into long distance backpacking in 1971 because I was just drawn to it--even tho single women into backpacking were rare at that time. I was just 19 years old. I was drawn to living a simple life in nature, paring down my needs to the minimum. I also enjoyed the physical exertion and had great endurance--something that the schools of that time did not value in physical education classes that graded kids on how many pull ups they could do.

At that time I could see no career path for me as a woman in backpacking. So I just did it as a hobby until I was hired as a wildland fire fighter in 1977. Being able to hike to fires in the backcountry and work long hours with a handtool cutting fire line while carrying a heavy pack was something that I could excel at. I actually put my backpacking experience on my first job application with the US Forest Service. I was told later by my boss that I landed the job because my backpacking experience showed I was strong and didn't mind living outdoors.

--Fireweed