[pct-l] Time line......

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning, 'MOM,

This probably won’t answer your question, but again, rules don’t
exist.  However,
if someone wants an absolute statement here it is:  Based upon the power
invested in me by no-one in particular, I hereby decree and proclaim that a
“thru-hike” is the completion of all 2,663 miles of the PCT within one
calendar year.  That’s my opinion, and it’s worth exactly what you paid for
it.

It seems many hikers get wrapped around their own axles worrying about
having failed if they don’t perform up to the “standard” thru-hike; and some
even say that if they can’t do so they won’t even begin.  They are welcome
to their opinion, but I believe some – any – hiking is better than none, and
any day on the trail is better than any day in an office or at a production
line.  Does anyone teach their kids that if they can’t be guaranteed to win
it’s not even worth trying?

I know people who thump their chest at having thru-hiked the PCT but freely
admit they took a road-walk along the Angeles Crest Highway and through the
tunnels to avoid that pain-in-the-ass hike up and across the skirts of Mount
Williamson. They also may admit they hiked about 17 miles of road to -- and
north of -- Carson, Washington to rejoin the PCT near Stabler.  They, as do
almost all hikers, probably took the alternate trails up to the rim of
Crater Lake and – later -- down Eagle Creek, neither of which is “official”
PCT.  Are they really thru-hikers?  You decide.

What is the “official” PCT?  It is whatever is sign-marked on the ground at
that instant, including detours and re-routes along a road to avoid trail
closures. The traditional routes at those points are no longer “official”
PCT.

I'm not a thru-hiker. In 1965 my objective was to hike the entirety of the
Oregon Skyline Trail (OST), but before that was accomplished the objective
was expanded in 1968 when OST was absorbed into what officially became the
Pacific Crest Trail.  Being then employed full-time to provide for a growing
family I had no aspiration to achieve that objective in any defined
time-frame or in any particular sequence. I merely wanted to see it all; and
as of 2010 I did, having completed the last section.

After I retired in ’07 I made a serious attempt at a thru-hike but
unfortunately it wasn’t to be: After only 1,219.4 miles I suffered a stress
fracture in my foot and had to leave the trail.  I was mightily disappointed
at having been fed that excrement sandwich, but I did have a wonderful trip
and managed to book a significant chunk of “new” miles toward my goal.

Steel-Eye

-Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

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

-http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09


On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 6:36 PM, Andrea Dinsmore <
andrea at dinsmoreshikerhaven.com> wrote:

> Oh Lord......I wasn't asking for me. It was a topic that has come up around
> here over the years of chatting with hikers. Our first SOBO this year
> brought it up again. He started June 26th from Manning Park. (Didn't see any
> cops) He's going to be bouncing around to try and miss most of the snow. We
> discussed him doing the southern part of the trail starting next May and
> going north to finish before June 26th, 2012. Is that acceptable in the
> hiker world ?
>
> PCT MOM
> On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 6:11 PM, CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net>wrote:
>
>> Good evening, 'MOM,
>>
>> Official rules don’t exist.  It is generally understood that a “thru
>> hike” is the completion of the trail, more-or-less continuously, within one
>> calendar year because that’s the way it’s done in 99.9% of the instances,
>> i.e. NoBo’s start in late spring and finish the following autumn, and SoBo’s
>> begin in June – depending upon the snow -- and finish in November.  Within
>> that profile there can be skip-arounds, flip-flops, etc. to book all the
>> miles.
>>
>> I suppose there could be an instance where someone managed to complete the
>> hike by spanning the turn of the year, but in practice that would probably
>> be back-to-back section hikes.  However again, official rules don’t exist
>> .
>>
>> Neither PCTA for their award medallion, nor ALDHA-West for the Triple
>> Crown award, specify how long a hiker may/must take to complete the hike(s).
>> A complete set of section hikes spanning 20+ years qualifies.
>>
>> So... relax and start hiking.  By the time you're my age you will have had
>> plenty of time to complete the trail.
>>
>>  Steel-Eye
>>
>> -Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965
>>
>> -http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
>>
>> -http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 5:49 PM, Scott Bryce <sbryce at scottbryce.com>wrote:
>>
>>> On 7/22/2011 6:35 PM, CHUCK CHELIN wrote:
>>> > Good afternoon, 'MOM,
>>> >
>>> > Best guess -- beginning late April, add 150 days.  Let the arguments
>>> > begin...
>>>
>>>
>>> Well, I was going to say 5 months. A little more if the weather
>>> cooperates.
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>>
>>
>