[pct-l] Hiking the PCT

[ned at mountaineducation.org]

Phil,

There, really, is no better place to discover the important things in your 
life than on the long trail!

Right, everyone?

Before you get locked into a job you hate, a girlfriend you're not totally 
committed to, or debts that won't let you take the requisite time off, DO 
THE TRAIL NOW!

People come to the PCT or CDT from all aspects of life and with all manner 
of life's questions on their hearts. Some want to run away, some want to run 
to, and some wonder why they need to run at all any more. Some want to know 
the meaning of life, some want to know where they fit in, and some just want 
to know what they're supposed to do with their life.

The longer you can remain on the trail, the more these answers will come to 
you. Funny how short weekend trips into the woods don't usually give you 
enough time to divest yourself sufficiently of civilization's frenzy in 
order to hear what the mountains have to teach!

Start slow. Take your time to get your muscles, tendons, and joints 
thru-hiker strong. Keep going. Make lots of trail friends--they'll last a 
lifetime!

But, RUN, don't walk to make this happen for you. This listserve will 
encourage you, experienced voices will tell you what you need to learn, help 
you plan, and applaud you all along the way to your own self-discovery and 
empowerment. Ask any prior thru hiker whether the trail changed their lives. 
It can and does.

NOW, you need to get going!



"Just remember, Be Careful out there!"

Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education
South Lake Tahoe, Ca. 96150
    P: 888-996-8333
    F: 530-541-1456
    C: 530-721-1551
    http://www.mountaineducation.org
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Edward Anderson" <mendoridered at yahoo.com>
To: "Philip Williams" <theaardvarksong at gmail.com>; <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 8:04 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Hiking the PCT


Hello Phillip,

Don't overlook the Wilderness Press guide books to the PCT. They are 
available in three volumes and provide a lot of infromation and inspiration 
not found in other guide books. I am refering to information, trail 
descriptions, and the history and natural history - the flora and fauna and 
the geology that you will pass through on the PCT. This is information that 
is not covered in other guide books. While they are fairly large and heavy, 
hikers who use them, myself included, cut them up and just bring the pages 
and maps covering the Section that they will be hiking. Then send ahead, 
along with their resupplies, the pages covering the next section. You will 
learn a lot more about what you are hiking through.

MendoRider-Hiker



________________________________
 From: Philip Williams <theaardvarksong at gmail.com>
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 6:02 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Hiking the PCT

Hello all,

I am new to this list, but I wanted to get started at talking with everyone. 
I am (god willing) going to be hiking the trail this year. I realize that I 
don't have a lot of time to plan but I am started. I would appreciate any 
advice all of you have to give in regards to the trail. I realize there are 
different schools of thought, I open open to hearing from each of you.

Some background:

So I had this revelation. Since I was a sophomore in high school I have 
wanted to hike one of the continental trails. I always thought that it would 
be the AT simply because it is the closest to me. However, now I am thinking 
differently.
I have been working for a while at a job that I don't really enjoy. It pays 
the bills but what is that really worth to me? I don't really know what I 
want to do with my life and I know it isn't working in the industry I am 
working in now. I don't know what pushed me over the edge last week, but 
everything came to a head. I realized that if I continue dating the girl I 
am with we are probably going to get married. This may happen sooner than 
later and her moving close to me or vice versa would happen even sooner. I 
don't like my job, but I am just working at it for a pay check. If I don't 
make a decision to do something that I find fulfilling I might end up 
working at the same kind of Job the rest of my life. I have wanted to hike a 
continental trail, now seems to be the best time to do it. When else am I 
going to have the opportunity where I don't have the strings I have now?

So what are your thoughts?


Thanks

--phil
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