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[pct-l] Steve Peterson Introduction



Welcome aboard, Steve,

The introduction was good, but you didn't have to say that you are a new
contributor.  I can tell.  If you think you covered all of the controversies
of the last two years you just didn't pay close attention.  You didn't say
anything about (deleted), ), or (deleted).  You didn't mention wearing
(deleted), eating (deleted), hiking (deleted), carrying a (deleted), using
(deleted) for your water, riding a (deleted), or taking your flea-bag
(deleted) along with you ... and that is just a start.  Sheeesh, what a
rookie!

I usually don't read about any of those topics.  In fact, my scanning
software is set to weed them out automatically.

Anyway, welcome.

Steel-Eye




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Peterson" <steve_peterson@sbcglobal.net>
To: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 03, 2004 8:25 AM
Subject: [pct-l] Steve Peterson Introduction


> Having blown my cover as a lurker (for the past year) I figure I ought to
> introduce myself.
>
> I'm 54 amd I'll be doing the JMT next month. If all goes well, I will
probably
> attempt the PCT in '05. I've taken two long, human-powered solo trips in
my
> life: an 1800 mile trip by bicycle through the western U.S. when I was 16
and a
> somewhat longer trip (again by bicycle) through western Canada when I was
18.
> Came face to face with bears both times. Since then I've car-camped,
day-hiked,
> and backpacked throughout Alberta, B.C., Oregon, Washington, and Northern
> California. These days, since I live in the SF Bay Area, I spend part of
every
> September backpacking in/around Yosemite. Somewhere in there I also became
a
> fairly serious runner and did a bunch of marathons as well as shorter
races.
>
> I first started considering the PCT last summer and have been doing my
homework
> ever since: I subscribed to the list and immmediately read the entire
previous
> year's archives, read and annotated the guidebooks, data book, and Yogi's
PCT
> Handbook, worked like the devil to lighten my load (now under 10 lbs and
still
> getting lighter), experimented with a lot of different foods, did a
130-mile
> hike (complete with resupply, just to see what that was like) last fall,
have
> been training my butt off to get back to somewhere close to my marathoning
level
> of fitness, and, as I said above, will do the JMT this fall--mostly to
enjoy the
> area, but also in part to get a little more data on myself and how my body
> responds to thru-hiking miles, day after day.
>
> Although my competive side really wants to make it all the way to Canada
and do
> a 30-mile (or greater) day somewhere along the way, my prudent side
cautions
> that high-mileage days may just get me off the trail sooner, one way or
the
> other, and I'd rather stop at, say, mile 2400 due to snowstorms than at
mile 300
> because I was too aggressive with the daily mileage. I also prefer to be
on the
> trail, rather than in towns, so I'm currently planning to resupply
somewhat less
> often and (also because I'm hiking fewer miles per day) therefore carry
slightly
> more weight than many PCTers--which is where I am coming from in my recent
> comments about water and pack weight. Also unlike many, I actually enjoy
> planning and preparing for projects like this, and prefer to solve
forseeable
> problems up front rather than deal with them on the trail, which makes me
seem
> rather fanatic to those whose approach is to "cross that bridge when/if I
get
> there".
>
> Finally, since this list has been entirely too quiet (the recent bear can
> discussion notwithstanding), I may as well say right out that I will
probably
> wear boots not trail runners, carry an umbrella (knowing full well that it
gets
> windy in places), not carry trekking poles (to a runner, trekking poles
are just
> plain weird), happily carry the "beer" can (which I've been carrying for
years),
> use a tarp (even in Washington), not carry an ice axe (though I won't
leave KM
> before 15 June), and use a down quilt. I think that covers all the
controversies
> I've noted in the past two years' postings :-)
>
>    -- Steve
>
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