[pct-l] My Accomplishments

[spiritbear2k@xxxxxxxxxxx (Ginny & Jim Owen)]

When we hiked through the Winds on the CDT I found it very hard to brag
about what we were doing.  Some of the hikers that we met were very proud
and happy that they were hiking in the wilderness for a week or ten days or
two weeks, until they met us.  When we said that we were out for six months,
some of them seemed to deflate a bit and say something along the lines of
"oh, I'm only out for a week, not a real expedition like yours."  I had no
desire to make their very real accomplishment seem less than it was. So I
quickly stopped saying that we were thruhiking, I would just say we were
going to Big Sandy. I didn't need the ego boost and they didn't need the ego
bust. We were all out to enjoy the mountains, whether for a day or a week or
a year.

Then there was the fact that I sometimes had real doubts that we were
actually doing what we were doing.  I knew how hard the first 1000 miles had
been, between snow, injuries, navigation and long miles.  There were times
that saying, "We're hiking to Mexico" had as much reality as "I'm going to
Saturn."  I'd say the words and my inner voice would say, "Yeah, right."  It
almost seemed like hubris to say that we were walking that far -- and I
didn't want to set myself up for a fall.  So I just went back to our plan -
we're out for six months of enjoying the mountains. Come what may.  Bon gre,
mal gre.

Ginny

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