[pct-l] (no subject)

[spiritbear2k@hotmail.com (Ginny & Jim Owen)]

"Rob Brady" wrote:
>I have some good news and some bad news.  The bad news is, I will probably
>be laid off from my job in December.  The good news is, hey, I will
>probably be laid off from my job in December!  I have been following these
>comments for awhile now and am thinking about going.  For the people who
>have done it, just how much time does the preparation take?  Not the
>physical part, but familiarizing with the process of the hike, acquiring
>and testing equipment, and the like?  How soon before you left did you make
>the decision and start preparation to go?  How much did it cost, all told?
>I'd like to hear stories.
>Legirons


Rob -
Condolences and congratulations - go for it!!

To sorta answer your questions - the prep takes as long as you have.  Some
people spend years getting ready to go.  Some don't.  After Ginny and I got
off the CDT, we spent a month dithering about the PCT and then made the
decision to go for it just after the New Year. We had 3 1/2 months to get
ready and we left Campo (thanks, Brick) in mid-April. When Ginny decided to
do the AT for the second time in '92, she gave two weeks notice at her job,
so she had 2 weeks to get ready - including putting everything she owned in
storage.  How much time do you need?

Familiarization is a different thing - some people start the trail knowing
less than nothing about it.  Most spend most of their effort  in, as you
say, acquiring and testing equipment.  I won't comment on that except to say
that it's the only part of the hike that they "think" they can control.
They're wrong, but even that's not a showstopper <G>

A few actually do some real planning - learning to understand what it is
they're gonna do and how to do it; learning about the towns, resupply,
weather, water sources; learning about the places and things they might want
to see; learning about the terrain and history that they'll be travelling
through; poring over maps, and reading guidebooks, journals and books;
talking to and learning from those who have done what they want to do.   Is
all that necessary?  No - but for some of us it makes the trip a lot more
enjoyable - and we see and learn a lot more about the trail, the people and
the country.

Hmmm - money.  Good question - but the real question is - what kind of hike
do you want?  Do you want a "cheap" hike - as in one where you can't afford
to go to town for pizza and beer, and dumpster-diving becomes a way of life,
and you NEED to raid every hiker box along the way so you won't starve to
death?  Or do you want the "full-service" hike - as in staying in motels in
town instead of hostels and campgrounds, eating pizza, beer and ice cream
when you want it, being able to replace worn-out gear without fear of
aborting the hike because you're broke?  Or something in between?  There are
all kinds of variations out there - one of my friends did the AT on $800 -
another did the PCT on (I think) about $1200. And we know hikers who stayed
at B&B's and hotels, ate at French restaurants and called taxis to pick them
up at the trailheads and take them to town.  For us (as a couple), the PCT
cost us on the order of $8,000 including transportation from the East Coast,
mail drops, etc - that's about $1.50 per mile.  We did what we wanted, when
we wanted, the way we wanted and didn't worry much about money until we were
back on the East Coast (and very broke).  But we had a great hike and a lot
of fun.  And now we're sorting out how and when we'll do it again.  I'll
tell you to go for it - but you need to realize that it's kinda like the
drunk who tells you "Have a drink" - what he's looking for is company in his
own peculiar brand of insanity  <VBG>

So --- go for it!!

Walk softly,
Jim


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