[pct-l] "Snow, snow, and snow. What shall we do?"

[ned at mountaineducation.org]

OMG. "Snow, snow, and snow. What shall we do?"

 

Don't sweat it. You're making a mountain out of a molehill!

 

A thru hike of something as long and epic as the Pacific Crest Trail is
going to make you experience challenges, awkwardness, pain, discomfort,
doubt, insecurity, and fears. Confronting and overcoming them will build you
into a strong and vibrant individual, ready to find and live life, however
it comes. 

 

A thru hike of something as long and epic as the Pacific Crest Trail is not
a "walk in the park" and if you don't know that, you'd be wise to open your
eyes to it now while you're still home. You will not be sheltered from the
elements. You will have to confront, ready or not, all the inner and outer
issues listed above. Whether you want to or not should be on your minds
right now. This is good.

 

Whether you go NoBo or SoBo, you will run into snow somewhere along the
line. How long you have to walk on it (daily or for a couple of months), you
will have to accept or avoid. If you chose to dance around it, you may
discover that you've just wasted a lot of time and money to get nowhere. It
will all depend on what the season throws at you and your resolve to
overcome those trials, tests, and adversities. Snow is not your enemy.
However, what you bring with you, your thoughts, doubts, fears, and
inexperience, sure can be. 

 

So, what are you gonna do? 

 

South-bounders have to start on snow, but it's already consolidated and hard
enough to walk on. They don't have a choice. So they prepare for it, learn
about it, and get ready for the excitement of the challenge.

 

North-bounders (most of you) start on dry trail in the high desert their
first month out (except for a few blips of snow here and there in SoCal) and
get used to swinging their feet and making "easy miles," though they do have
to deal with their first adversary, little water, until they reach the
Sierra come May or June. 

 

"OMG, snow, snow, and snow. What shall we do?" 

 

The porch of the Kennedy Meadows General Store can be swarming with NoBo
thrus fretting about snow ahead, instead of rallying to the golden
opportunity they have to discover something new and invigorating.

 

"I can start late so that by the time I get to the Sierra all the snow will
be gone!" 

 

If the heat and dryness of the high desert doesn't send you home and if the
pace you have to maintain for months doesn't burn you out, you might make it
to Canada before the first snows stop you in your tracks. Maybe. The totally
determined will rise to this challenge, but is doing your hike this way why
you're out there on such an incredibly beautiful journey?

 

"If I start early, I'll have too much snow and I'll never get to Canada!" 

 

Here's the reality of the joys before you (from the KM porch), if you chose
to accept them,

 

1. You walk on top of consolidated snow. Easy.

2. You can dress for the cool and damp.

3. You can carry more food for the added effort.

4. You can learn how to stay safe and make wise decisions.

5. You can learn how to cross creeks. 

6. You can manage your time and money to go the distance.

7. You can slow down and soak up all the glory around you.

 

You can!

 

Entertaining fears and trepidations can cause you to balk, delay, and avoid.
One of the first rules of battle is to make your adversary doubt! If you
allow yourself to entertain these, you are your own worst enemy. To whom
will you chose to listen?

 

[If you felt like this was your gunnery sergeant getting in your face to
give you a pep talk, it was. Share it to help others. You can do this. Go
prepared.]

(c) Mountain Education, Inc. 2017

 

 

 

Ned Tibbits, Director

Mountain Education, Inc.

ned at mountaineducation.org <mailto:ned at mountaineducation.org>