[pct-l] The High Desert

[Eric Lee]

Jackass wrote:
>
If you want to enjoy the desert -show up ready to hike. The most important
thing that you can do to get you through those first miles is strengthen
your feet.
>

Excellent post, Jackass!

I'd like to echo the part about showing up ready to hike .  "Ready to hike"
is partly about overall fitness level but it's especially about having
recent practice at walking long distances.  I've seen a lot of very fit
people who trained by jogging, bicycling, and weight-lifting and still got
their butts kicked the first week on the trail because their feet and joints
weren't prepared for the all-day pounding of hiking with a loaded pack.
Ultimately the best way to train for hiking all day with a loaded pack is .
. . to hike with a loaded pack.  Even if you live in a big city and you have
to walk around the block a bunch of times with your pack on, it's worth
doing.  Get five or six soda bottles full of water and weight that sucker
down.

Sure, you can just show up at the border and break yourself in on the trail,
and many people do, but it's often not pleasant.

Eric