[pct-l] Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

[Susan Alcorn]

As one who has worried about every conceivable danger of the trail -- mt. lions, bears, snakes, river crossings, and so forth, my advice is to live more in the moment. 99% of the things that I have worried about have not happened. The only injuries that I have suffered on the PCT were from falling
on my face (with only my pride wounded) after tripping on a root and
that wouldn't have happened if I had been looking where I was going.
Oh, yeah, blisters before I learned what works for me to prevent them! 
Go prepared (bear canister, DEET, etc.) and armed with some common sense (how to avoid rattlesnakes) and save your energy for hiking this incredible trail. Yes, unfortunate things happen, but then many more people suffer injuries falling in their bathtub than they do falling on trails. 
Cheers,
Susan "Backpack45" Alcorn

Shepherd Canyon Books, Oakland, CA 
www.backpack45.com and backpack45.blogspot.com
http://www.examiner.com/x-11423-SF-Hiking-Examiner
Publishers of two award-winning books: Camino Chronicle: Walking to Santiago and We're in the Mountains Not
 over the Hill: Tales and Tips from Seasoned Women Backpackers.