[pct-l] Will we really do anything?

[Ezperanza]

On Apr 21, 2008, at 12:34 PM, Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes wrote:
>
> The last thing bothering me is this fear of the desert. I imagine we
> all fear what we're not used to. I fear the snow and raging rivers
> myself. However, this dread of the "desert" section, as if it's an
> ugly hell on earth one has to endure to get to the good stuff, kind
> of baffles me. The desert is beautiful. I'm sure you'll see more
> variety of life there than anywhere else.
>
> Most of this so-called "desert" people are dreading isn't desert at
> all. Chaparral isn't desert. It's an elfin forest. I promise if you
> go in to the desert -- even the real desert -- with an attitude of
> gratitude you'll see the beauty.
>
> And if it is heat you're fearing, you can survive the heat. 100
> degrees really isn't that bad when you are in good physical shape.
>
> I sometimes hike in hot, waterless conditions and the key (for me) is
> not to stop too much -- especially not in the sun, to sip (not chug)
> water all the time so I don't dehydrate (at least not too much),
> protect myself from the sun, and take advantage of any breeze and any
> shade. The reason I don't stop very much is because sometimes it
> feels hotter to stop than to keep going if there's no breeze. But
> when I do take a break it's somewhere breezy and shady if at all
> possible.
>

Hi all,

I don't feel able to comment on the "anything" issue because all my  
hiking has been on trips of less than 10 days, not (yet) on the epic  
scale of the PCT.

But I did want to talk about the desert issue.  As a fellow Southern  
Cal person, I grew up and have done most of my hiking in the Southern  
Sierras and Mojove deserts.  Whether it's the heat or the emptiness,  
I don't fear it -- just love its beauty.  However, last year I went  
on a late Spring Joshua Tree weekend backpacking trip with a friend  
from Ohio.  She's in MUCH better shape than me, having recently  
competed the New Zealand ironman and section hiked at the rate of  
about 17 miles a day, most of the AT.  Having hiked with her  
throughout West Virgina, I expected her to, as usual, totally  
outclass me in speed and distance and for me to struggle to keep pace.

Quite the opposite ended up being true.  My friend is used to hiking  
in warm but humid weather (weather which lays me out) and the dryness  
at 90+ degrees in Joshua Tree flattened her so much we ended up  
cutting our milage down.  Though she was staying hydrated and  
drinking more than our other friend and me combined, the first day  
she was flushed so red I thought she was severely sunburned only to  
discover that evening her body had just been reacting to the heat.

She also was totally impressed by the beauty (who wouldn't be) but  
kept saying how exposed the landscape made her feel and how anxious  
she felt about our water situation even though we were never very far  
away from a hike out point, something she also knew.

On the other hand, I know that when I lived in Louisiana, the first  
year I could barely walk a mile once the heat and humidity set in.  I  
marveled at people who could garden in it.

My point is that I believe we're all used to different conditions and  
for people who live most of their lives in climates where heat =  
humidity, the desert can be an alien experience that some find it  
hard to prepare for and takes some time to adapt to.

Pax,

Ezpy