[pct-l] Worst parts of the trail and ways to get though them

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good afternoon, Taylor,

I will offer some advice which you probably will not like to hear, and
which you are very unlikely to heed:  Assuming that the love of your life
-- the “she” to which you refer -- isn’t the furry, four-legged type, I
recommend that you each carry complete, stand-alone gear and food.

Partners regularly become separated on the trail -- separated in any regard.
It’s rare that a couple hikes in exact, close-proximity lockstep the entire
way.  One wants to take some photos and the other wants to push ahead to
select a campsite.  One wants to linger at creek or lake for something more
than a spit-bath while the other needs to get to town before the store
closes.  Hiking only a quarter-mile apart, one can take a wrong turn
instantly turning both of you into lame-ducks for a day and a half.  One
wants Mac-’N-Cheese again while the other really just wants to chew some
jerky then crash in the sack.

Separate gear creates self-reliance and self-respect.  There’s every reason
to expect you will substantially stay together, but attitudinally “can”
stay together is much easier to deal with than “must” stay together.  On
the trail it’s difficult to rip the tent in half; decide who gets the pot
and who gets the stove; and somehow divvy-up the wad of map, guidebook
pages, and the compass.

A significant disparity in trail expertise can also cause dependency, but
PCT hiking isn’t really technologically difficult, so the less-informed
and/or less-experienced partner can and should learn and become
independently competent.

Enjoy your planning,

Steel-Eye

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

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

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