[pct-l] Fwd: Hiker-trash lifestyle and the Future...

[Diane Soini]

For a long time now I've seen the handwriting on the wall. My mom  
tries to reassure me it'll all be okay, but I know better. People are  
actively trying to eliminate social security and the big money will  
certainly find a way to steal my 401K just when I need it. So ever  
since I read a story in the LA Times in the 90s about a 66 year old  
lady who lived on the PCT with her goat during the hiking season and  
lived with her goat in a trailer in the winter I figured that's my  
plan for retirement. Without the goat. Now that I've actually hiked  
the trail I know what a great retirement it will be. Yep, the trail  
in spring/summer/fall and Slab City or equivalent the rest of the  
time. I try to remind myself of this as much as I can because I still  
wake up in a panic now and then. I know I can't be useful to the work  
world forever. There has to be somewhere to go when I'm actual  
garbage to the regular world. Hiker trash is the best form of garbage.