[pct-l] Ray Jardine's New Book

[ed faubert]

We were told by his Golite partner that Ray had dug a Hogan in his back yard in Oregon a few years ago and he even had an exact date where God was coming to take him and Jenny directly to heaven.... I guess if hes still writting books God renigged on that promise to him...... I can remember sitting around the PCTA meeting that night up in Old Station and Jonestown came to our minds about a PCT Cult and we all chuckled.
Meadow Ed
--- On Sun, 12/21/08, Ryan Christensen <yosemiteryan at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Ryan Christensen <yosemiteryan at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Ray Jardine's New Book
To: "Sean Nordeen" <sean at lifesadventures.net>, pct-l at backcountry.net
Date: Sunday, December 21, 2008, 2:35 PM

Sean,

Thanks for bringing this up. I own and have read both editions of Rays PCT
Hiker's Handbook. I feel like he did tone down his evangelical fervor from
the first edition to the second edition. To me, the first edition felt more
abrasive because in it he seems certain that he thinks his way to hike the PCT
is THE way to hike the trail. All others are, well in his own words,
"Hapless." To me, he comes across as arrogant and highly judgmental. 

Now I am a ex-Mormon, so I was once a Mormon missionary. I know what if feels
like to think my way is the 'right' way. Other, well, they just
don't know. They are hapless, I am here to help lead them to the light. 

For me a line is crossed when my view of the 'right' way starts to make
value judgments on how other people choose to lead their lives, or how they
choose to hike the PCT. Who am I to say what is the 'right' way to hike
the PCT? There is no right or wrong way. The 'Ray Way" is not the right
way. Nor is is the wrong way. There is only our ways. The way each one of us
chooses to experience the PCT. 

So, yea for me the first edition is more abrasive. Even so, the second edition
is not exactly filled with equanimity. He is still certain that the 'Ray
Way' is THE way. 

Ryan



----- Original Message ----
From: Sean Nordeen <sean at lifesadventures.net>
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2008 12:19:02 PM
Subject: [pct-l]   Ray Jardine's New Book

After several years of being out of print, Ray Jardine has updated his Beyond
Backpacking and is calling it Trail Life.  Currently, it is only available on
his website ( http://www.rayjardine.com ) as Amazon doesn't seem to list it.
 I ordered one and should have it sometime this week.  I'll read it over the
Christmas break and see how it is.  Currently, I think "Lightweight
Backpacking and Camping" by Ryan Jordan (of backpackinglight.com fame) is
the best UL backpacking manual out there,  so I'm curious if Ray Jardine can
recapture that crown.  Hopefully he has come up with something new yet again
that will lighten my backpack and it isn't just a rehash of things
previously said.

Not long ago, I picked up a copy of Ray's original PCT Hiker's Handbook
(the 1992 edition) at a used bookstore in Venice.  I had been curious about the
creation of Ray Day and was looking for his reasoning which isn't talked
about in Beyond Backpacking (as I intend to violate the whole must wait til June
thing).  I had heard that the early edition of his book was abrasive (Ray's
Way or the highway) but I'm not seeing that.  Then again, I'm not
someone who has 20+ years of carrying 60lb backpacks and whose way of hiking
feels threatened.  Perhaps it was the '96 edition that was more abrassive,
as the Ray Way doesn't seem to be clearly defined in the '92 edition as
some of his ideas haven't been completed.  Still an interesting read even
though most the techniques have been talked about since then for years.

-Sean



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