[pct-l] New speed records & the crazy ones

[Reinhold Metzger]

This has been a banner year for speed records on the JMT  & PCT.
Tattoo Joe set a new record of 79 days, 21 hrs, 42 minutes for the PCT.
Michael Popov set a new record of 4 days, 5 hrs, 25 minutes for the
unsupported JMT.
Sue Johnson (Stinky Feet)  just set a new record for the supported with
support team JMT.
She did it in the amazing time of 3 days 15 hrs, 32 minutes Mt. Whitney -
Happy Isles  and
3 days, 20 hrs Whitney  Portal  - Happy Isles.

I met Sue on top of Mt. Whitney during her attempt....Just in case you guys
are interested, Sue
is a nice girl with a great set of legs.

I know.......I know..... the Purists are going to be howling    '' I can't
understand why anybody in
his or her right mind would want to speed through a pristine wilderness like
this''.
I say.........HYOH........there is something to be said about setting high
goals and then achieving them.......the pain & suffering will soon be
forgotten, but the memories, they will last a life time.

I think Brian said it best when he once told me......."Reinhold, many folks
do not understand us,
they  do not understand the crazy things we do, It is the crazy ones like us
that understand each other''.

So I say to all the crazy ones be proud you are one of the crazy ones for we
truly understand
each other and our accomplishments, it is the other folks who don't really
understand what they
are missing.

JMT Reinhold
The crazy one and proud of it.