[pct-l] Beginner experience level

[Tortoise]

Ned,

I agree totally. The journey is the main destination. Just like life.

Tortoise

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On Mar 11, 2013, at 18:50, <ned at mountaineducation.org> wrote:

> The kind of experience you have while thru hiking depends why you're out 
> there in the first place. Diane paints a lovely picture of backpacking back 
> in the day and contrasts it to her experience hiking the PCT.
> 
> They need not be different.
> 
> When I hiked the PCT and CDT, the emphasis was on getting the most out of 
> the experience, and that included, at least for me:
> hiking a shorter day (trip averages of 17mpd),
> finding a spot to camp with a nice view and frequently plenty of water,
> maybe a campfire (where allowed),
> having a nice, leisurely, hot dinner to pig-out on while reading my guide 
> book and maps ahead,
> going to sleep with the sun, and
> enjoying a nice, long, hot breakfast in the morning while reading a good 
> book.
> 
> I still made it to Canada before the first snows.
> I took lots of pictures, explored side trails, canyons, and peaks.
> 
> For me, hiking is still backpacking with lots of leisurely exploration and 
> discovery (the miles happen along the way, but are not the emphasis of the 
> journey).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ned Tibbits, Director
> Mountain Education
> www.mountaineducation.org
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes
> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 5:21 PM
> To: gary_schenk at verizon.net
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Beginner experience level
> 
> There's that whole "freeway" thing, and also before I ever hiked the
> PCT, a backpack trip meant I hiked from maybe 10am to about 2pm or
> so. Set up camp at a nice location with a lake or stream and
> sometimes a picnic table and fire ring. Lolled about. Lingered over a
> campfire at night and breakfast in the morning.
> 
> On the PCT, I usually started hiking before the sun was up. I ate
> wherever I was whenever I was hungry. I sometimes ate dinner before
> finding a campsite. Sometimes I found a campsite so late I went to
> sleep as soon as I set up my tent. I rarely cared whether my campsite
> was in some great location. What really mattered was if the location
> would be warm at night and not be in a sinkhole of cold air. I didn't
> care if my campsite had any water in it. I would sometimes carry an
> extra liter just for the freedom to not care whether there was water
> near my campsite. My campsite was for sleeping. The entire rest of
> the time on trail was for hiking and eating and looking at the
> beauty. My whole focus was on hiking and making lots of miles and
> seeing everything around the next corner. In fact, I felt so greedy
> about seeing what was around the next corner. It was like the next
> corners were never going to end.
> 
> It's all about the hiking, not the camping.
> 
> 
> On Mar 11, 2013, at 10:52 AM, gary_schenk at verizon.net wrote:
> 
>> When backpacking, you're out on your own left to your own devices.
>> You're traveling to places few folks ever get to, you'll be at high
>> lakes and crossing passes with little or no trail. You'll not see
>> anyone. You will see wildlife.
>> 
>> On the PCT, you're on a backcountry freeway. You'll run into dozens
>> of people each day. Some on motorbikes. When you get to your
>> planned camp site, you might even think you're at Tuolumne Meadows,
>> there's so many camped there. Every few days you're eating
>> hamburgers and drinking beer and sleeping in a bed. Etc.
>> 
>> Gary
>> 
>> 
>> On 03/11/13, JPL wrote:
>> 
>> what's the difference between "backpacking" and "hiking with some
>> sleeping
>> thrown in"?
> 
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