[pct-l] Thru-hiking in 3 months?

[be hope]

Hi Magda,

Concerned about falling behind in graduation units by missing spring term?
Perhaps you have thought about finding a prof willing to do, say, 6 units of
independent study in the spring about some issue related to the PCT or long
distance hiking.  And ask if they would give you an incomplete at the end of
spring term with the plan to complete the units when you're back on campus.
Anther prof (or the same prof) might allow you to do summer school units the
same way. The bottom line:  it is possible for you to complete Spring term
units and still leave Campo in April.  It could create a different set of
financial problems, but if those financial problems are manageable, it is
something to think about.

Myself and a selection of my colleagues are more than willing to work with
students doing something special.  Seat time in a class room is not always
learning time.  And my university is more than willing to let us faculty
types do it as long as we supervise it and make sure that it is academically
grounded. I could easily conceptually a number of projects to generate units
for a student interested in a PCT thru.  And, wow, you should see a worried
student light up when I suggest a path that allows her to reach for her
dreams -- and complete some very innovative units as well.

Best wishes for making your dream of a PCT thru a reality!

be hope

Prof Hope, Cal St U, Chico

On Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 5:29 PM, Magda <himagda at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi, I'm a long-time list-lurker but first-time poster, and a class of
> 2009 hopeful.
>
> I'm also trying to figure out how to plan a thru-hike around my summer
> break from college. The school I go to is on a quarter schedule and
> doesn't get out until mid-June. I had originally been thinking that I
> might just not take any classes during spring term at all, which would
> give me more time to plan and to work up the cash, and also more
> flexibility as to when I can start my hike (so that I could start and
> hike with everyone else). But lately I've been thinking about trying to
> go for it without skipping any school, which means that I wouldn't have
> much more than three months to complete the trail, so I'd definitely
> have to power through it. I realize that it's going to mean a lot of
> training before I get out there, much, much longer days, no zeros, and
> mostly hiking solo, but it's either that or just taking it easy and
> hiking the Oregon section this year, and I really don't want to compromise.
>
> It doesn't seem like very many thru-hikers finish in under four months
> (except the honorable record-holders, of course), but I'm wondering if
> there are any other hopefuls out there trying to work around a similar
> schedule or looking to thru-hike at a faster pace, or if there's anybody
> who's already done a 3-month thru-hike who has any good advice to share.
>
> Also, if I want to start as late as mid-June, is a northbound hike still
> feasible? I know that it's been done before, but I'm mostly concerned
> about the heat and water availability in the desert sections in the
> middle of summer... If it's going to be drastically less bearable than a
> southbound hike, it may not be worth it.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Magda
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