[pct-l] Monkey (9yrs old) is YOUNGEST to complete PCT

[Amanda Timeoni]

We're not holding these kids to a high standard, their parents are and they
themselves are. Can a 7 year old hold themselves to such a standard? In
Sparrow's Sept. 2011 post entitled "The Pacific Crest Trail" she writes "While
hiking the Timberline Trail this summer, The Barracuda made his intentions
clear. Next year he wanted to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail. He would
be 7 then, a full three years before Mary Chambers (the record holder
currently). He wanted to be the youngest and he thought he could do it."

And then we hear from Barracuda himself "I think that breaking the record
will be exciting and I feel like I've accomplished something. It will be
fun to be able to say that I broke the record."

So, Sparrow tells us through her blog that he intends to break a record.

I came across Sparrow and Barracuda on trail at the Urich Cabin this year,
and the child said to me "I'm going to be the youngest to hike the WHOLE
trail."  At that point I knew they had skipped, but because he is a child I
never questioned it. At the Canadian monument register Sparrow wrote that
"the record has been broken!"  Which is false (unless they went back and
hiked the sections they missed).

Barracuda is still a remarkable boy, but he is not the youngest to hike the
PCT.

Not a Chance




On Fri, Nov 9, 2012 at 7:34 PM, Melanie Clarke <melaniekclarke at gmail.com>wrote:

> I have not followed this thread but I want to comment on the few postings
> that I have read:
>
> Please be aware that this thread is a discussion involving children!  These
> postings can get personal and angry sometimes but most of us are adults and
> we can get past this.  Please be mindful of the unique sensibilities of a
> child.  I understand that people are trying to figure out who the oldest,
> youngest, slowest, fastest etc. as humans can be competitive by nature but
> let us not pollute the experience for a child.  I just feel bad that no one
> seems to ask anyone else to "prove" they hiked the complete trail, it's
> kind of on an "honor system" and we leave it up to the person to define
> their own experience.  Yet, I perceive a degree of cynicism in this thread.
>  Are we holding these children to a higher standard?
>
> I read the book, *Wild, (*Strayed) and *A Walk in The Woods*, (Bryson).
>  Neither claims to have hiked the entire trail but at the end of his book,
> Bryson and his partner, Katz; come to the mutual agreement that "in the
> spirit of the experience, they feel like they indeed hiked the trail".
>  This is an experience unique to every person.  We allow adults to define
> their experience so maybe we should give this deference to children.  Let
> us respect the joy and experience that these children walked away with.
>  Also understand that parents like to brag (excessively sometimes) while
> the children hate this and are just rolling their eyes about the whole
> thing anyway.
>
> I don't want the perceived threat of ridicule or "losing face" to force
> parents into making bad decisions on the trail regarding their children.
>  Let's not turn this into a "pissing contest".  This is an experience!  We
> need to be extra judicious in our discussions about children!
>
> Toga
>
> On Fri, Nov 9, 2012 at 10:22 AM, Nathan Miller <erccmacfitheal at yahoo.com
> >wrote:
>
> > Do these young folks...or their parental units...have online trail
> > journals?  (I looked on trailjournals.com and found one for Balls and
> > Sunshine [seem to be the pair mentioned elsewhere on this thread].)
> >
> > -Nate the Trail Zombie
> > Newberg, OR
> >
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