[pct-l] Is WILD good for the PCT?

[Diane Soini]

Ha ha I gave up and quit several times in the first 800 miles. A few  
times more in the next 200 miles and one more time, reluctantly, in  
the next 500 miles. Then I fought quitting daily during the final 700  
miles. Quitting was part of my experience.

And even though I had backpacked a lot, I hardly considered myself  
"experienced". At least not in the way of having expert orienteering  
skills or knowing how to use every kind of backcountry equipment or  
even knowing what it looks like when snow falls from the sky let  
alone how to walk on the god-forsaken stuff. I gained a little more  
on the PCT but I still am lacking in many skills.

A good way to have hiked this year would have been to start in Sierra  
City or South Lake Tahoe, go north, then return and go south. Autumn  
in So Cal is a nicer season for hiking. The weather is more gentle  
and the trees have more color. You do miss the wildflowers, though  
and water would be more scarce, but still available in the  
trustworthy creeks/springs, especially if you can time the final  
couple hundred miles after the first storm of the season. We like to  
backpack locally on Thanksgiving weekend, which is always after the  
first storm of the season. The creeks are back, the weather is nice,  
the trees have some color, the days are warm and the nights are cool.

On Jun 9, 2013, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> From: Eric Lee <saintgimp at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Is WILD good for the PCT?
>
> Yes, every year some people start without much (or any!) hiking  
> experience.
> Some of those people learn from others, adapt quickly, and become  
> old pros
> faster than you'd believe possible.  Others give up and go home  
> after the
> first 100 miles, or the first 50, or the first 20.  That's just the  
> way it
> is.  Of course I think it's smart to be prepared and experienced  
> before
> jumping into a thru-hike but there's no one checking certifications  
> at the
> Campo monument and I'm glad that's the case.
>
> Eric