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[pct-l] Tom's Thru-hike advide



I've been off-line for a while now, and just read a few weeks worth of PCT 
list at once.  I was particularly interested in Tom's recent advice to 
would-be thru hikers, specifically:

>My personal plan would be 7 miles per day to Lake Morena [many people do
>this in one day], 10 miles per day to the Palms-to-Pines Highway, then >12 
>miles per day to Ca 14 [Agua Dulce]. Then, maybe 15 miles through the
>Mojave.  However, even a cursory analysis of this approach means that >you 
>will wind up stopping just before or just after a town or water...

I agree.  This is actually pretty close to the pace the Menacing Vegetables 
kept for the first 600 miles of trail in 2000.  Actually, it went up and 
down a bit according to where the water was, and we were up to 20 a day by 
the time we were past Tehachapi pass.  But by then we were all in pretty 
good shape and ready to get into the high country.  We started the PCT on 
April 11th, and were still in Kennedey Meadows ahead of the main pack of 
thru-hikers.  Hiking this way does mean that you have more time in camp, and 
more time to just sit around in the shade during mid-day.  Personally, this 
wasn't a problem, since I kind of like just sitting around outside, but I 
could see it being difficult for those "type-A" personalities out there.

Also I thought this was interesting.

>Most of the recomendations based on experience that you will read on >this 
>list is from thruhikers who suceeded. The winners stick around >while the 
>losers slink off to lick their wounds and leave this list to >the 
>victorous---or so it seems.

I left the trail in October having hiked close to 2000 miles-- having had 
one of the very best spring/summer/falls of my life, I have a hard time 
thinking of the trip as a failure.  I question this winners/losers 
distinction.

>There are lessons to be learned from those who don't succede.

...all depends on how you define success...

Staggerin' Willie
Charter Member of T.H.A.T.H.
(Thru-Hikers Against Thru-Hiking)

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