[pct-l] For the Noob

[Ernie Castillo]

Shroomer said it quite well. Let me top it off with my 2 centavos worth.
 
We are all newbies when we embark on a new adventure. Nobody was born with a backpack strapped to them.
The observations that started this discussion were triggered by news that there were cases of dehydration on day 1. I am thousands of miles away from Campo but I can only speculate on the causes. Speculation includes too much consumption of alcohol the night before, which would leave hikers dehydrated before they left, more hikers than the water caches could support, a change in weather from mile to hot and, of course, lack of preparedness. The commentators, in my humble opinion, were not trying to be derogatory; they were shocked, as I was, by how soon failures occurred.
 
Before I embarked on my 1980 hike, my backpacking experience had been limited to several visits to Yosemite. But I was fortunate to have run cross country in high school while growing up in the California desert. My partners and I spent about 6 months planning for our hike and I personally went on a tough training regimen. I quit driving to work and either walked, in my 5-pound hiking boots, or rode my bike. I started running again. I focused on both my legs, my stamina, and my mental toughness.
 
I had blisters 1 day after leaving Campo but was prepared for that. 2 words: mole skin. I lightened my pack when we reached Mount Laguna (I had too much clothing). I wasn't concerned about hiking speed or daily mileage. I learned to adjust, I learned to listen to my body. I learned to live without creature comforts. L learned, from my more experienced partners, how to read topography maps and use a compass. More importantly, I learned to trust in God.
 
I often quipped that I had a silent partner. His name: Will Power. It is Will Power, and his companion Faith, more than all of the high-tech gear in the world, that will get this year's herd to Manning Park.

Ernie Castillo
PCT Class of 1980