[pct-l] PCT Songs

[Ernie Castillo]

You asked for it.

3 songs are embedded in my brain from my 1980 hike.

The first is "Walking Slow" by Jackson Brown. I sang this as I took a side trip from Big Bear to Hesperia on the lower portions of the trail. I grew up in nearby Victorville and my brother had a home -- and you guessed it -- a family barbeque waiting for me.

"Walking slow down the avenue
Through my old neighborhood
Don't know why I'm happy
I've got no reason to feel this good
Maybe it's because I'm all alone
And I've got no place to go
And everywhere I look I see
Another person I'll never know"

 

The next song is "Find the Cost of Freedom" by Steven Stills.

"Find the cost of freedom buried in the ground
Mother Earth will swallow you, lay your body down
Find the cost of freedom buried in the ground
Mother Earth will swallow you, lay your body down."

 

This song carried me through a particular section of Northern California during which I was hiking solo. It's made for 3-part harmony but since there was only me, I would take turns singing the parts of Graham Nash, David Crosby, and Steven Stills.

 

As it turns out, I had an audience. I eventually caught up to Eli Ivey and Beth (Lindros?) and they told me over a campfire they could hear me from about a quarter mile away.

 

In a layover in Ashland, while staying in the backyard of a Trail Angel, Eli borrowed a guitar and shared her musical talent, particularly with James Taylor's "Sweet Baby James."

 

Inspired, I took voice lessons and sang in a variety of college choirs when I returned to civilization and "re-tooled." 

 

Today, I do more singing than hiking. I cantor at my hometown Catholic church and I toggle between a variety of Michigan community choruses. But every time I hear "Walking Slow", "Find the Cost of Freedom" or "Sweet Baby James" I think of life on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Ernie Castillo
erniec01 at hotmail.com
248 884 5201



 
> Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:04:48 -0800
> From: ki6asp at gmail.com
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: [pct-l] PCT Songs
> 
> We love lists of PCT related stuff, so, how about listing all of the
> PCT related songs? In fact, how about listing all backpacking related
> songs.
> 
> "Border to Border" by Crazyhorse and the Antero Reggae Band.
> 
> "Two Little Feet" by Greg Brown
> 
> These songs have been in my rotation for the last several years.
> 
> I know there are many more, so chime in with your lists.
> 
> There are lots of other songs that were on the Class DVDs that I have
> ID'd, but they don't belong on this list.
> 
> -- 
> Tom KI6ASP
> The Incredible Bulk
> pctaddict.blogspot.com
> facebook.com
> trailjournals/2009 jmt
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