[pct-l] 1977 PCT Reunion Held - Long

[Bighummel@aol.com (Bighummel@aol.com)]

A reunion of early day PCT section and thru-hikers from 1977 was held last
weekend at Castle Crags State Park.  21 crusty cresters showed up!  This is
truly an amazing number as it is estimated that fewer than 30 walked a
majority of the trail that year.

It rained on us Friday evening and night, but, hey, we're hikers, right?  We
came prepared and slides were shown for several hours in an outside theater
with a wide brimmed hat held over the projector to protect the projector and
slides from the rain!

Saturday was spent looking over maps, reading journals, catching up on "what
did you do when the snow hit?" or "what ever happened to the Minnesota
Masochists and Bob and Peggy Titus?", day hiking up into the Crags for
fantastic views through the Crags of Mt. Shasta shrouded in billowy white
clouds against clear deep blue skies, and, of course more slides.

Sunday morning a group picture was taken and Jeff Zimmerman left with Monte
Dodge and Luke "Amigo" Snyder (one of just a few non-1977'ers there) to
finish up his hike of the CDT, just 5 days to go!  Jeff will become the
newest member of the Triple Crowners.  It just took him 26 years, a bit
slower than Brian Robinson.

Five of us stopped by the PCTA office on the way back.  They are taking on a
huge volume of tasks with just a tiny staff.  If you can, give them your
support in money or time.  I now realize how much they do that most of us
don't hear about and never know about.  They are taking on fights to preserve
the wilderness character of the trail in at least five different places, all
at the same time.  They are trying to improve the service of the website.
They are trying to improve the service of the PCT store.

We are a bit grayer, a bit heavier, a bit slower now.  The memories are
sharp, however, and the drive has never been stronger.

Speaking of drive, an interesting story from 1977 came clear at this reunion
that many of you considering a hike of the PCT may find value in:

She came into San Diego on a cruise ship.  She heard about the PCT and
thought that maybe she wanted to hike it, but she didn't have much
backpacking experience and almost no equipment with her.  She hitchhiked out
to the trail and started walking.

Two hikers ran into her around Mt. Laguna headed south.  They were excited,
thinking that they had met their first southbounder.  However, they learned
that she was lost and not prepared.  They schooled her on what equipment she
needed and turned her around.  She called her parents and they bought the
equipment and shipped it out to her and she restarted a week later.

She hiked with the "Unfortunates", she hiked with the "Bombers", she hiked
with me, she hiked with the "Blazers" and others.  She got help and advice
from us all.  She stuck with it and learned to laugh at herself, at her
foolishness, inexperience and reliance on others.

And she walked all of the way to Canada and then did it again the next year
on the CDT.  In 1979 she bicycled across 5 continents.  She didn't have any
training, she didn't have the right equipment, she didn't have much
experience.  What she did have was a wickedly strong drive, some good friends
to help her that she met along the way and the dumb luck of picking a good
weather year to do it.

25 years later, we still kid about Nancy, but we all also hold a deep respect
for her as she showed us clearly what the one critical thing is that is
required to thru-hike the PCT.

She couldn't make it to the reunion, living on the other side of the country,
coaching her four girls in soccer, being a good wife, mother and nurse.

We missed you around the campfire, Nancy.

Best regards,

Greg "Strider" Hummel