[pct-l] PCT Completion

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning, all,

Thank you one and all for your gracious comments congratulating me – and
Piper – upon our recent completions of the PCT.  As gratifying as completion
certainly was I apparently made a strategic error in making the
announcement.  Through the many long years I’ve contributed, pontificated,
harangued, and preached in PCT-L discussions, readers may have been lead to
believe that I’m an experienced thru-hiker, a repeat thru-hiker, or even a
triple-crowner.  With my recent *mea maxima culpa* that the trip required 45
years I must have totally blown my cover.  Now the truth is out:  It took me
45 years to accomplish what reasonable thru-hikers achieve in 4.5 months.
Grim….  Mine is a rate of less than 60 miles per year; 856 feet per day.  Not
only did I have time to “smell the flowers”, I had sufficient time to
observe how fast the grass was growing.



Compared to me, Piper’s average speed was simply astounding.  Considering
that I began the hike probably before Piper was born, and she finished –
slightly – before me she’s a real piker in the slow-walk world.  Regardless,
congratulations to Piper – AKA “Piper’s Mom’s Daughter” – on her eminently
faster progress.



Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09


On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 2:22 PM, james green <jagwrightwoodpct at gmail.com>wrote:

> Congratulations! That must be a phenomenal feeling of accomplishment! One I
> hope to have one day.
>
> On Sat, Aug 14, 2010 at 9:06 AM, CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net>wrote:
>
>> Good morning, all,
>>
>>
>>
>> I am very pleased to announce that I completed my section hike of the
>> entire
>> PCT at approximately 07:30A, 10 August 2010, when I reached the
>> California/Oregon border northbound.  This completed two portions of the
>> trail that had eluded me: the two fire closures from the ’08 season – one
>> in
>> the vicinity of Quincy and Chester, and the other between Etna Summit and
>> the Oregon border.
>>
>>
>>
>> The kindness of Piper’s Mom significantly facilitated my hike of the
>> Quincy/Chester section, both at the beginning and the end.
>>
>>
>>
>> With me at the Cal/Or finish line was So-Jo (Sojourner) with whom I had
>> hiked since Etna Summit, and who’s thoughtful and considerate nature I
>> came
>> to greatly appreciate.  After the obligatory Yee-Haahs were spouted and
>> the
>> photos were snapped I backtracked to Seiad Valley to catch the bus, while
>> So-Jo continued her NoBo journey.
>>
>>
>>
>> This adventure began in 1965 when, during a 20-mile hike of a section of
>> the
>> old Oregon Skyline Trail (OST) north of Crater Lake, I decided to –
>> eventually -- hike its entire length.  Subsequently, the OST was
>> officially
>> absorbed into the PCT so I expanded the scope of my aspirations
>> accordingly.
>> I have now hiked every mile of the official PCT at least once.  A few
>> sections I’ve hiked only once; some major sections I’ve hiked 2-3 times;
>> some shorter sections nearer to home I’ve hiked literally hundreds of
>> times.
>>
>>
>>
>> The scenery of the PCT is significant, but available: I can view my
>> photos,
>> I can watch the “Class-of” DVDs, I can watch travelogues, and I can even
>> revisit features or sections if I wish.  What is ephemeral and can’t ever
>> be
>> recaptured is the camaraderie of the fellow hikers that I encountered; the
>> amazing support of Trail Angels; and the help of considerate citizens whom
>> I
>> didn’t know – and will likely never meet again.  That I can't relive or
>> revisit.  I can’t begin to repay them for the benefits I’ve received -- I
>> can only pass on the goodwill to hikers who follow after.
>>
>>
>>
>> “Life is just a collection of memories, and memories are like starlight –
>> they go on forever.”
>>
>> Lyrics by John Denver
>>
>>
>>
>> Steel-Eye
>>
>> Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965
>>
>> http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
>>
>> http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09
>>
>>
>>
>> <Pct-l at backcountry.net>
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>
>