[pct-l] A two minute survey about hikers

[Paint Your Wagon]

I would be glad to participate in your survey, 
but you’ve limited it to folks that have completed the entire trail, border to border.
Not that there is anything wrong with that parameter, after all, it is your survey.
I tip my hat to this most auspicious accomplishment. 
Someday, in a galaxy far far away, I hope to don the coveted crown. 
The Burger King King’s Crown of crowns, the Triple Crown. 
But one step at a time (pun intended.) Insert loud and sustained booing here >>> <<<.   
While I haven’t completed the entire trail, I have spent two seasons in the saddle. 
April to October, covering 775 miles in 2012, and May to October, covering 520 miles in 2013. Huh? 
I did the first 210 miles twice, and made it through the big mountains reaching mile 1,018, 
exiting at Sonora Pass. What’s the deal-ee-o you ask? 
Why... I’m training to break the record for taking the most days to reach Canada. 
I’m pretty sure I can do it! I think I have the lead in the number of zero days taken on the trail, 
and especially the lead in the number of zero days taken off the trail. It’s truly sublime. 
FWIW: I hiked the nearly 1,300 miles in total, with a torn tibial posterior tendon (unbeknownst at the time.) 
I thought it was supposed to hurt all the way to Canada, so I embraced the brutality. 
I’m thinking about a new strategy. 
Oh yeah, I made just about every rookie mistake one can make in their long distance hiking debut, 
and, made all new mistakes this past year, in my sophomore attempt. 
The highlight? There’s so many to pick from, but slack packing up Mt. Whitney, 
only to find myself lost on a granite slab, yes lost, then sleeping (if you can call it that) on the ground sans tent and sleeping bag, 
in a makeshift shelter made up of branches off of a recently fallen conifer, 
somewhere between Crabtree Meadow and Guitar Lake, at 11,000’ in October, was (in hindsight) magnificent! 
Any who, there’s a lot of experience on this list serve, and some of it is actually quite helpful, unlike my post. Ha! Just sayin’.

If your survey participants are few in number, and you want more feedback, just widen the criteria a bit. ;0)

At your service,
PaintYW
Gotta’ dream boy, gotta’ song, paint your wagon and come along.

Happy New Year!