[pct-l] "WILD"...You "ain't" seen nothing yet

[Mary Kwart]

 Betty Wheeler wrote:"I would love to see "grandma can do it"
replaced with a different way to
express "it's easy." I'm willing to bet there are quite a few grandmas
on
the PCT who are among the more experienced hikers out there. Same with
the
grandpas."
Yes, Betty, I am 61 and although not a grandma in reality, I could
play one on TV. I agree with you on finding a different way to express
"It's easy". Every year I meet more and more older folks out there
successfully thru and section hiking. I personally have no intention
of slowing down. In my town there is a backpacking club whose members
are all over 60 years old. Many of the people who regularly post on
this list are older folks who still actively backpack. I would like
to see a metric on hiker age some time. After all,  Bristlecone, who
is 75, just completed a thru hike this year.
After reading "Wild" I came to the same conclusion that backpacking
was portrayed as an onerous accomplishment at best, not an encouraging
portrait of a mellow walk in the woods. The jury is out, however, for
the way the movie will portray the journey.
Fireweed