[pct-l] Beginner experience level

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

There's that whole "freeway" thing, and also before I ever hiked the  
PCT, a backpack trip meant I hiked from maybe 10am to about 2pm or  
so. Set up camp at a nice location with a lake or stream and  
sometimes a picnic table and fire ring. Lolled about. Lingered over a  
campfire at night and breakfast in the morning.

On the PCT, I usually started hiking before the sun was up. I ate  
wherever I was whenever I was hungry. I sometimes ate dinner before  
finding a campsite. Sometimes I found a campsite so late I went to  
sleep as soon as I set up my tent. I rarely cared whether my campsite  
was in some great location. What really mattered was if the location  
would be warm at night and not be in a sinkhole of cold air. I didn't  
care if my campsite had any water in it. I would sometimes carry an  
extra liter just for the freedom to not care whether there was water  
near my campsite. My campsite was for sleeping. The entire rest of  
the time on trail was for hiking and eating and looking at the  
beauty. My whole focus was on hiking and making lots of miles and  
seeing everything around the next corner. In fact, I felt so greedy  
about seeing what was around the next corner. It was like the next  
corners were never going to end.

It's all about the hiking, not the camping.


On Mar 11, 2013, at 10:52 AM, gary_schenk at verizon.net wrote:

> When backpacking, you're out on your own left to your own devices.  
> You're traveling to places few folks ever get to, you'll be at high  
> lakes and crossing passes with little or no trail. You'll not see  
> anyone. You will see wildlife.
>
> On the PCT, you're on a backcountry freeway. You'll run into dozens  
> of people each day. Some on motorbikes. When you get to your  
> planned camp site, you might even think you're at Tuolumne Meadows,  
> there's so many camped there. Every few days you're eating  
> hamburgers and drinking beer and sleeping in a bed. Etc.
>
> Gary
>
>
> On 03/11/13, JPL wrote:
>
> what's the difference between "backpacking" and "hiking with some  
> sleeping
> thrown in"?