[pct-l] I had to walk 5 miles in the snow to get to school...uphill bothways!!!

[reynolds@iLAN.com (Reynolds, WT)]

I mean look, communication ain't that big a deal. Strider would find hiking
the trail in 2002 a LOT harder than before the Civil War when he did it.
Reason? He is now married to his girlfriend and 5 kids are the result. He
simply can't get away without paying an awesome price!

The big accomplishment in any thruhike is the determination and resolve to
DO IT! It doesn't matter what year it is or even if you finish. That you
started is what is awesome. [Not that this says much about your intelligence
but that's another matter]

Anyone can win a contest if he can make the rules. I fully expect to win the
"Lightweight Gear Contest" with my 45 pound pack. I consider Joanne the only
competition! 

How? Simple. I hike with my wife.
1-I carry a tent for privacy. Without privacy I ain't gonna get much.
2-I carry sling light chairs so my wife can keep clean. If my wife ain't
clean I ain't gonna get much.
3-I stop at 1PM to not use up my energy If.......
4-Dinner is very tasty and very relaxing. Even hot cake. If all I can offer
is corn pasta.......
Do I intend to finish a long trail? How will that help me.......... 
I just intend to look the 3 judges in the eye and ask "Just exactly why is
your lightweight approach better than mine????"
{Joanne is my main competition because her 45 pound pack contains all the
gadgets her loving husband asked her to take}

Strider awesome. Listen, I once ran across a man camped at Turner Meadows,
about 5 miles from the trailhead on Glacier Point Road. He had his wife and
six!!! kids, one in diapers!!! with him. That's awesome.

 A thruhiker is awesome because he attempts to make his dream come true. A
trail angel is awesome because he atempts to help other people's dream come
true.Greg is awesome NOT because he hiked the trail but because he CARES
enough to coordinate ADZPCTKO every year so all of you can win YOUR personal
contest.

-----Original Message-----
From: K. Scott Parks [mailto:stillroaming@lycos.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 10:53 AM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net; pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] I had to walk 5 miles in the snow to get to school...


Your right, screw it. I'm not going this year, it's just
too easy these days.

Striders glory days are over. Belittling the 
accomplishments of others and exaggerating his
own is his only joy left. Well, that and his
captive audience at ADZ party. By the time the
party is over, I'm sure everyone within earshot
will know how 'awesome' he is. 

If your over 50, over weight, self indulged and
have no intentions of hiking the PCT before you
wither away and die, I'm sure Strider's statement 
appeals to you. I mean, why bother going?

This is the oldest form of self promotion in the
world, ie, "When I was your age, I had to walk 5 
miles in the snow to get to school."

The thru-hikers of '98 that completed the trail are 'real'
bad-asses. Ask them about thru-hiking the PCT. If you
want to praise thru-hikers, talk to that group.

Scott Parks

--

On Thu, 11 Apr 2002 12:10:18  
 >Message: 10
>From: Bighummel@aol.com
>Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 19:10:06 EDT
>Subject: Re: [pct-l] Re: New On-Trail List?
>To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
>
>I'll probably start a war over this one, but here it goes.
>
>The amount of communication that is available today on the PCT and related 
>trail conditions is so overwhelming relative to what was available in past 
>years that all of you hiking this year or in future years have it damn
easy, 
>IMHO.  
>
>There is no need on the trail for pocket emails, separate trail conditions 
>list, barometer, altimeter, GPS, cell phone, satelite phone, short wave 
>radios, computers, magnamometers, gravitometers, or other well intentioned 
>and inappropriately applied technical communication strategies in an
apparent 
>"wilderness" environment.  Not even a watch nor perhaps even a thermometer
is 
>necessary.  I can keep relative time of day from the sun and the day of the

>week is easily kept track in a journal if I need to get to a particular
spot 
>at a specific time for whatever reason.  If it is raining, snowing or
foggy, 
>then the amount of time that my estimate may be off adds to the flavor of
the 
>experience.  
>
>Oh, sure, I find these gadgets just as fun as the next guy and even own a
few 
>of them myself for entertainment, business and personal communication 
>purposes.  However, I find this phenomenal quest for collecting and access
to 
>more and more information is bewildering and completely antithetic to the 
>"wilderness experience".
>
>The hugh amount of information and advice avialable to you current and
future 
>hikers is entirely sufficient to get you there, IF, you have what it takes
in 
>the other necessary categories.
>
>I put it to you; what is the fun of going out into the wilderness if you
know 
>what time it is to the second, what the weather will be for the next minute

>to week, what the trail conditions are over the next 100 miles updated
every 
>hour, and you never, ever come even close to getting lost?
>
>IMHO,
>
>Strider
>



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