[pct-l] Ryback campsite on pct

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

littlemazdatruck@hotmail.com (what a great email name!) writes:

> Is Eric Ryback still active in long-distance hiking?  I heard some time ago 
> 
> that a guy by that name was working as a stockbroker, but not sure if this 
> is the same person.
> 

Yep, that is the word.  I've been trying to get ahold of him to invite him as 
an honored guest at an ADZPCTKO (kick off).  If anyone has a contact for him, 
please email me.

In 1977 we laughed at him because of the outrageous claims he made in 
mileage, weight and distances between re-supply.  He took quite a bit of heat in the 
early issues of Backpacker magazine.  

However, his book clearly inspired so many of us early hikers to take on the 
PCT and understand that you did not necessarily need a "superman" effort to 
accomplish a thru-hike.  He should be honored thus and be remembered as one who 
inspired and enlightened a legion of long distance hikers.

I re-read his book recently and found that it comes out about balanced 
between his outrageous claims and his humility of inexperience, lack of preparedness 
in researching the countryside he would be traveling through (exhibited by a 
statement early in the book that he would hiking "at or above 10,000 feet for 
most of the way").  

Was he a pure thru-hiker from Canada to Mexico?  

Who cares? He did us all a favor.

IMHO,

Greg Hummel
"Strider"