[pct-l] Good news!

[jjolson@xxxxxxxx (Jeffrey J. Olson)]

I remember when on March 1, 1992 my girlfriend decided that we didn't have a
"couple" focus - no kids, no nesting, etc. - and was wondering what we were
going to do.  Like a typical "guy" I scrambled to avoid all the implications
of the question and knowing I was going to grad school the following fall,
blurted out, "Let's go backpacking for the summer."

She is a pretty amazing woman.  She looked at me and asked, "Where?"  I had
been introduced to the concept of the PCT earlier that year and said, "The
PCT!"  "What's that?" she asked.

I told her and asked for a pen.  I doodled on a napkin, and asked a few
questions about obligations and finances.  I said I figured we could spend
75 days on the trail and answered a very few other questions.  She listened
and asked, "When do we leave?"

I stuttered we could leave June 1.  She said, "Great!"

We spent the three months buying her gear - she'd never backpacked before -
walking in the evenings breaking in boots, packing and putting things in
storage.  I fondly remember nights of baggying gorp and dinners and
breakfasts, elbow deep in garbage bags, mixing and singing and laughing.
The planning and packing was as wondeful as the trip actually.  We had our
"couple thing."

We hit the trail just north of Mt. Lassen and headed south on June 7.  When
I blew out an ACL south of Lake Tahoe, she cried and cried and cried when it
became obvious we had to leave the trail.  if it were today, I'd have
encouraged her to continue.  AS it was, neither of us knew her own inner
strength...

Jeff Olson
Laramie, WY


----- Original Message -----
From: "Gray" <gray_hiker@mindpoison.org>
To: <pct-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 4:33 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Good news!


> > Man, better keep this info from Tom, the resident curmudgeon when it
comes
> to
> > free rides at taxpayer expense. Congratulations!
>
> So far there is no free ride.. just means I don't have to worry *quite* as
> much when I get back. Still gotta find gainful employment ASAP when back
in
> Seattle.
>
> Gray
>
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