[pct-l] sage advice

[Junaid Dawud]

Greetings!

I don't normally chime in on the list, but I would like to here. 

I totally agree. The "dangers" that people talk about on the PCT are rarely if ever encountered. The animals aren't anything to worry about, neither is how much snow there is, or how little water there may be on this stretch or that. Your daily concerns will be finding a great place for lunch and siesta, deciding what to cook for dinner, and whether to cowboy camp or put up a shelter "just in case".

Don't get me wrong, you'll have some crap days, face some scary moments, and freak yourself out with an almost or lightly twisted ankle a few times. Sh*t happens, but mostly its no big deal. 

As a 2 time finisher (2006/07 almost thru/completion, 2010 thru), my best advice is:

1 - Get a copy of the water report and then you can plan your water carrying pretty easily. That is one of the biggest things you'll be thinking about (logistically) for the first few weeks. Also get Halfmile maps if you don't already. And yogi's handbook. 

2 - Endeavour to enjoy every moment, keep your head up, your eyes open, your ears tuned, and your breath deep. 

3 - Be aware of each footfall to avoid the rolling ankle. Your gait will change, try to be in control of how it changes.

4 - Start slow, don't push too hard to soon. Try to let your body adjust to becoming an endurance athlete that weighs 20-30 pounds more than normal. It takes weeks not days.

5 - Ignore the naysayers, take the hype with a grain of salt. Be prepared, not paranoid. 

6 - Be open to learning new techniques and tricks and trying new ways of doing things. Be open to all the newness you can take. 

7 - Be wary of people on the Internet that want to give you advice, particularly if it comes in numbered lists.



GOOD LUCK CLASS OF 2013!!!!!!

----Speshul 41


On Apr 24, 2013, at 12:21 PM, Caballero Sin zapatos <caballerosinzapatos at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Now on the PCT at Warner Springs, I would join the former thru-hikers who help resolve the anxiety of those planning to start their hike this year by their reality based counsel.  If the contributors to this digest, and the advisors at ADZPCTKO this weekend would minimize the hype about the dangers, and instead emphasize that panic and anxiety disappears with the first step north at Campo, many pre-hike crises could be resolved.  I don't know much after 110 miles, but I do know that this is about the safest activity a person can do.  My panic about my preparedness and safety disappeared on April 18 when I stepped onto the trail.  To those like me with panic attacks and mental health issues, let me reassure that you should push yourself to start your hike against all the arguments of your mind, and hopefully you also will find the superb mental health benefits that PCT thru-hiking provides.  And please stop listening to the other hysterical
> voices about cougars, and rattlesnakes, and bears, and water and other sensationalist threads on this digest.  I am Bipolar, both a diagnosis and a trail name.  
>  
> Bipolar
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