[pct-l] Fw: pct and memory (and age)

[Ron Smith]

I experienced the same phenomenon. Over a number of years I first hiked
Washington, then Oregon, then California. The Washington part is clearest in
my memory, as I can recall most of the places I camped in surprising detail.
Oregon is still fairly clear in my mind, but California is mostly fuzzy (no,
I wasn't smoking dope.) I finished the pct last year, but events and places
from that trip are already vague. 
I'm not a neurologist, but have always been interested in memory (at least I
think I have.) My theory is that as we repeat a similar experience over and
over, our minds, for efficiency sake, start generalizing and recording less
and less detail. Same thing with my job. I sat in a cubicle for 23 years,
but can't remember any one day clearly except the first couple of days I was
at work. For that I'm glad!
Ron Smith

-----Original Message-----
From: JoAnn M. Michael [mailto:jomike at cot.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 11:46 AM
To: pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] Fw: pct and memory (and age)

For some 
strange reason, I am getting these lucid flashbacks from points much earlier

in my hike, rather than later. I can remember some stretches of southern and

northern Cali much more easily than I can Oregon, even though I visited the 
latter more recently. Maybe one of the neurologists on the trail can explain

this phenomenon. Maybe I'll get around to Washington in a couple of months
------------------------------------------------------

Short term memory is the first to go  :)   lol

are we there yet