[pct-l] On "noobs"

[Junaid Dawud]

It's pretty easy to sit behind a computer and talk about "the noobs". How they are under or unprepared, viewing it romantically, biting off more than they can chew, etc, etc. And sure, there's some of that at work every year. But lay off and try offering a suggestion to help alleviate the situation rather than make lamentations that read like "these kids these days". The numbers on the trail have been increasing steadily for a several years now...it's a little silly to say that hikers getting in trouble is because of "Wild". Especially considering that hikers get in trouble in the first section every year. My friends and I helped two hikers that were in a bad way last night (I guess this morning), and they didn't seem like the "Wild type". Maybe there will be a few from the Oprah book club out there, but regardless more and more people are out there each year and that means every year there will be more and more hikers who get into a bad situation. 

When I first set out to hike the PCT in 2006 I had never hiked more than about 40 miles at a time. There were only so many miles I could do at one time when I lived in Hawaii and I tried my best to prepare. I did research, read articles and books about long distance hiking, participated in online discussion forums, including this (often childish and off topic) list serve. Nonetheless, I endured a knee injury, a few crops of blisters, running out of water once, and all sorts of pains. I ended up making it to halfway through Washington, more than 2,400 miles. I ended up getting off trail on October 30th, snowshoeing 23+ miles back to Snoqualmie Pass. I had spent 6 months on the trail. I had learned an incredible amount about hiking, and life. I returned the following summer and completed the trail. When I touched the Terminus, is wept and laughed. It was one of the happiest days of my life. 

In 2010, I set out north from the border again, a seasoned hiker. Five and a half months later I walked into that hallowed clearing, threw my trekking poles into the air, and screamed with pure overflowing joy. I spent a few hours celebrating with my friends and then took the victory stroll to Manning. 

Just remember a few things when you judge these hikers.

1. You didn't know anything once either. And you probably screwed up a time or two and maybe got yourself in over your head once. You learned, at least in part, by doing. 

2. "It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." Theodore Roosevelt 

3. Even experienced hikers occasionally get into trouble. Including, I'm sure, at least a few of the hikers who subscribe to the pct-l. Sh*t can happen to anyone. 



We should be starting a conversation about how to help those that need it.

-----Speshul 41 (aka Junaid Dawud)