[pct-l] Knock, knock ... can I join you?

[ROYROBIN at aol.com (ROYROBIN@aol.com)]

ramkitten2000@yahoo.com writes:

> The PCT seems to be a real hiker's trail and, if one doesn't truly love all 
> that walking and all the challenges that come with it, one probably won't 
> stick around. I hope I don't sound like a snob, but I do hope that's true and 
> remains true about the PCT. I loved my A.T. experience and do hope to hike 
> that trail again, but I'm really looking forward to the differences the PCT 
> seems to "offer." 

Hi RK!  

There's a Rambunny hiking the AT this year.  Any relation?  

The "trippies", as you call them, weren't necessarily a bad "trip" on the AT. 
 I've hiked both trails and you're certainly right in saying that the AT is a 
very sociable experience.  There're two reasons (at least) for that:  There 
are about ten times as many hikers on the AT as on the PCT, and AT hikers tend 
to congregate in the shelters at the end of the day.  I loved the AT because 
of the social scene, the chance to swap tales with fellow hikers at the 
shelters.  Your Trippies were a part of this, though they were mostly listeners when 
the good and bad times were exaggerated by the rest of us.        That's what 
they were there for, to participate in the whole trail experience to the 
extent they could.  HYOH.

What irritated me most on the AT were the animals of genus "Party".  They 
made some shelters unfit for human habitation.  Fortunately, very few of them got 
as far as Virginia.  "When you're out of weed, ..." there's less incentive to 
kick yourself on up the trail.  I felt only slight (no, make that NO) 
sympathy for the guy whose first words, as we were packing up to leave Thomas Knob 
Shelter (in southern Virginia) were:  "Can anybody spare some pain killers?  
Anything?"  :-(  Okay, we may have been making a little more noise than 
absolutely necessary at first light, but it felt good to get even.

Sure, you'll find the PCT to be different than the AT.  The AT has more rain, 
harder trail, more historical areas of interest and, of course, shelters.  
The PCT has beautiful weather, beautiful trail and beautiful scenery.  It's also 
higher, hotter, colder, longer, more diverse, and you can still survive quite 
well without a trail name.  Enjoy your hike.  Feel free to consult this list 
for free advise about anything,  some of which you will find useful.