[pct-l] encouragement

[Marcia]

Linda Bakkar wrote:

> I need some encouragement from my trail friends on the PCT-list.  Is age
> really a factor in whether one should try to hike long distance?  I don't
> want to buy my rocking chair just yet!
>
> Lindy
> North of Seattle

Hi Lindy,

Age really is not a factor for your thru. If you are healthy without back, 
knee, etc issues and carry a light pack you can hike and enjoy the miles I 
think youngsters may not have the mental endurance that mature people have 
gotten just by living through several decades. A more mature hiker (these 
are generalizations, of course) is more consistant, spending less time on 
distractions in town. Older hikers may not recover as fast as a younger 
hiker after a 30 mile day but tends to hike their goal day after day.

One of my first personal realizations on my PCT thru was that hikers were 
not divided by gender, age or former occupation; we all just hiked up the 
trail. We all had a new life style in common and were Hikers!

Ken retired just before our PCT hike. I was very worried that we would 
stagnate like seniors that I saw around us. Our PCT hike was going to be a 
time to figure out what we wanted to do in retirement. The answer was 
obvious by the time we reached Kennedy Meadows!

The AT was out third l-d hike. We met a couple of recent college grads as we 
passed by them north bound. Then they flipped and we saw them again in Maine 
as they headed south. One of them asked if hiking was easier for us since we 
were moving right along! We all just walk and enjoy the scenery and 
adventure.

Go for it!
Marcia
...GottaWalk