[pct-l] Off Trail

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

Thank you for posting your honest reflection. It is helpful for people.

It can be easy to get caught up in the whole thing. You don't want to  
make friends with people only to never see them again. So you get  
swept away whether it's what you really want or not so you don't lose  
these people you've met.

I hiked outside the pack on my 2nd section, about a month ahead.  
There was no pressure to keep up or keep track of other people. It  
was lonelier, though. Since I only knew people from the previous  
year, I would see their old posts in the trail registers and feel  
lonely for these ghosts that weren't here with me. I would often be  
the first or second hiker to sign the register for the year. The  
first was the mythical Eric D. who I never met.

I met a lot of interesting section hikers and people out doing their  
own backpack trips that had nothing to do with an attempt to complete  
the PCT. It was really liberating to meet them. There are so many  
ways to hike the PCT.

Since my two big sections I have returned at least twice each year to  
hike a section. I enjoy hiking within the herd and not being a part  
of them. On the outside looking in is kind of fun for me. I'm glad to  
have the freedom to meet them, enjoy them for a few hours, and let  
them melt away into the distance ahead of me.

I hiked lots of big mile days and still do sometimes. I thrill in the  
ability. I never would have thought that at my age and with my long  
history of being fat and not an athlete that I could do what young  
men can do. When I was doing my long hikes, I wanted to hike 30 mile  
days and felt damn proud of my ability to do it. I couldn't help it  
anyway. Every corner up ahead made me want to see what was around  
that corner. There were as many corners up ahead as I could eat up  
all day every day. I truly felt I would never run out. I also did big  
miles because I'm a wuss. I hated hardship. When it got hard, I ran  
for warmth and comfort.

Mark, if you are able, go do some section hikes. Go see a few of  
those places on the trail you looked forward to. You carved out all  
that time, you may as well. Go out there and do it your way. If you  
ever want to do a thru-hike again, it'll be soooo much easier when  
you already know where all the water is and what it's like. Believe  
me! The freedom not to worry about the water is the best part of  
section hiking.


On Jun 9, 2012, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
>
> Hello all,
>
>    Sad to say, I left the trail at Idyllwild after 2 weeks out of  
> Campo. I
> was reluctant to post, but after reading today's pct-l, I thought  
> it might
> be a good thing. My feet held up pretty good, my body was strong, but
> mentally and emotionally the trail beat me. It did become a bit of  
> a grind,
> day in day out. It seemed to me that the mentally of most if not  
> all of the
> thru-hikers I met was to hike as far and as fast as you can  
> everyday. I
> even met a thru-hiker that RAN down switchbacks! My knees hurt  
> watching
> him.  Everyone I met at Campo ( about 12 or 15 on 5/2 ) was  
> determined to
> get to Lake Morena the first day. I made it to Hauser Creek. My  
> feet were a
> little sore, but I was exhausted. The stretch between Paradise Cafe  
> and
> Idyllwild discouraged me. I was beat. I learned a lot about hiking  
> and what
> to do and not do next time ( I hope there will be a next time ).  
> HYOH went
> out the window for me. I tried to keep up with the pack ahead of  
> me. Big
> mistake. I was also carrying about 40 pounds average. Another  
> mistake. I
> hardly ate dinner, I was too tired by the time I made camp, and I only
> snacked a little as I hiked, hence the low morale I experienced on the
> trail. The first week was hard physically, then the second week  
> became hard
> mentally. By then I just wasn't enjoying the hike anymore. I have  
> been an
> avid backpacker for many years, but there is a huge difference between
> hiking for 2 or 3 days at a time and hiking for weeks at a time.  
> Now that I
> am off the trail, I am a lot disappointed in myself. I knew this  
> thru-hike
> attempt would be hard, and the challenge of persevering was why I  
> wanted to
> do it in the first place. I am very melancholy now. No doubt, a few  
> can
> relate to me. Lessons learned: Hike your own hike. Time and  
> distance don't
> matter. Whether you make it 100 miles or 1000 miles, enjoy every step.
> Thinking of the entire distance (2700 miles) can be overwhelming.  
> Take it
> one day at a time, and don't quit, you will regret it. I do. Carry  
> a light
> load, as light as is reasonable for you. A heavy load will drain you
> physically and mentally. It is also more dangerous to carry a heavy  
> pack.
> EAT. EAT. EAT. You need energy to hike, and energy comes from  
> calories, and
> calories come from food, a lot of it. Take the time to stop, rest,  
> take
> your shoes off, and eat. Do it often. If your morale is low, it is  
> probably
> because you are not eating enough. Hydrate yourself. Drink water  
> often,
> every 15 minutes or so. and drink a lot. Don't skimp on water. I  
> had no
> problems finding water . And last, something I didn't do: If you  
> want to
> quit, don't. Hike another 50 miles. Take a zero day or two, or  
> three. ( I
> took none until I got to Idyllwild). And if you do decide to leave the
> trail, do it on an up note. Be comfortable with your decision. I  
> had BIG
> mixed feelings about quitting. Thanks for listening.  Mark  aka   
> Tumbler