[pct-l] Adjusting after the hike, missing trail life

[greg mushial]

> Message: 5
> Date: Sun, 06 Mar 2011 14:03:23 -0800
> From: Jessica Winters <jessicawinters at mac.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Adjusting after the hike, missing trail life
> To: Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com <diane at santabarbarahikes.com>
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Message-ID: <5D4BDCE1-9BB3-4AB8-A468-BDD4D2D476E2 at mac.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
>
> I want to comment on your post because it's so true and I've been
> feeling the severe thru hiker anxiety lately by just wanting to get
> back out there - so I really connected to your post.
>
> My first thru hike was in 2002 on the PCT.  Life has NEVER been the
> same since.  I live in Washington, I get to hike all the time.  I
> even have July and some of August off being a teacher and get to do
> nice long hikes pretty much where ever and hike whatever I want
> without limitations in the summer.  But even when I'm hiking and
> backpacking I have this longing for a thru hike.

>>>  Wildflower:  Firstly - I have not done the PCT as a thru (I'm still 
>>> nibbling away section by section), but I have done multi-month 
>>> committing endeavors. When I read Diane's posting I felt like I could 
>>> sympathize with the feeling, but not really connect with it. But when I 
>>> read your posting there was one sentence that hit home...  "longing for 
>>> a thru hike"...  longing for the full experience again, not some 
>>> shrunken subset. After coming back from 4 months on a very big mtn, I 
>>> had a bad itch to climb again, or so I thought. To try to satisfy the 
>>> itch, I did a couple 1 day, 2 day mtns, and yes it was climbing, but it 
>>> wasn't the same. After trying to scratch the itch, I simply walked away 
>>> from climbing for a couple of years - I found that the memories were 
>>> more satisfying than the little mtns - I just wasn't finding what I was 
>>> looking for. On the big mtns, it was totally committing - one ate, 
>>> slept, lived to climb, and to stay alive, ie, not get munched. The 
>>> little mtns had the technical aspects, but not the committment, nor 
>>> focus. The other time this happened was after doing a long cross country 
>>> bike ride. I had done two before, but shorter more civilized ones: 
>>> Portland to Boston and SF to WashDC. These were 4-5 wk rides; with a 
>>> third of the nights motelling it. The one that got me was Vancouver to 
>>> StJohns NFL - that was a 4 month ride, 5600 miles all said and done, and 
>>> probably more importantly, really living off the bike. (we [a school 
>>> friend road with me as far as Montreal before he had to give up because 
>>> of his knees] went north from Van up to Jasper and across the northern 
>>> planes)...  where there were times where food was 200 miles apart; and 
>>> didn't do a single motel (unless a tube tent counts as a motel). After 
>>> getting back from that trip I still had the itch to ride, but found that 
>>> riding around the bay area, just wasn't the same. I did several double 
>>> centuries afterwards, thinking the miles would make the difference - 
>>> nope. I did a couple SJ to Yosemite rides, even managed one in under 24 
>>> hrs....  but again, the itch was going unscratched. Like after the big 
>>> mtns, the answer was simply the memories, and to hang the bike up for 5 
>>> years. I found I was happier that way.

Just a thought...  though maybe when I finally get the time/chance to do a 
thru the aftermath will be different from the expeditions and long bike 
rides....  we shall see in the fullnes of time, as they say.  :-)

TheDuck

nb. last year I did buy/put together another touring bike with the thought 
of re-doing the Van-SJNFL ride again on the 40th anniversary in 2015... we 
shall see. Maybe one can never go home, likewise, never re-live an 
experience.

> I'm pretty sure and
> have decided that this feeling will never go away.  Nobody that
> hasn't thru hiked understands this in my "normal" life.
>
> I am grateful for all experiences and adventures I have. I am always
> looking forward to that next thing but a thru hike is very special.
> I get the feeling of being a part of the wilderness system.  It is
> such a simple life that just makes sense.  I do get this feeling on
> shorter trips too, oh but just to thru hike again....  one day!!!
>
> I remember coming off the PCT and thinking I am SO happy to be done!
> I'll never do that again...  how funny I had that thought.  In fact
> after I got done hiking, with in just a few weeks a massive
> depression set in so I took off again 6 months later to do it again
> but on the AT this time.
>
> When completing the AT this time I knew exactly what I was in store
> for and the depression was more manageable because I knew what to
> expect.  Returning home from a long hike is a rough transition.
>
> So, how exciting it is to plan for the hike ahead of  you, oh thru
> hikers of the PCT class of 2011!  Enjoy!  I hope your transition back
> into the after hiking life is not so rough as it was on me and many
> others.
>
> And these  are just a few of my thoughts as I am dreaming about the
> next thru hike.
>
> Love,
> Wildflower