[pct-l] Elizabeths Mother

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

Elizabeth,

I think that most parents feel that a young adult, such as yourself, is 
taking on a huge risk trying to hike alone perhaps the entire PCT.  Mine did also 
and objected to it and argued against it frequently over the year that I 
planned to hike. I, of course and probably like you, argued that this was something 
that my heart and soul was telling me to do and if, by some poor luck or 
chance, I should loose my life or be seriously injured in doing so, well, by God, 
it would be doing something that I clearly loved to do.  It wasn't until they 
began to understand that I was going to do this either with them or without 
them that they realized it would be better for the both of us if they reluctantly 
supported me.  

When, after driving for three long days from Southern California all of the 
way through California, Oregon and Washington and into Canada to Manning Park 
to pick me up, they were nearly in tears when they saw me and came to some 
small understanding of the immensity of the undertaking that I had just 
successfully completed.

To their last days they spoke of this and their pride and how glad they were 
that they had stood by me, helped me and were the first people to hear from me 
at any point along the way.

Tell Mom to consider the ALDHA East Gathering and also the ADZPCTKO.  At the 
ADZ she will find other Moms there seeing their precious ones off and will 
find solace in the great people who are the PCT trail community.  And she will 
get to see you off and know just a piece of what this thing is and therefore 
just a little bit fewer fears.

The drive to Campo is the most dangerous thing that you will do on the entire 
trail.  Tell Mom to come along for the ride and enjoy the celebration that is 
the ADZ.

Best regards,

Greg "Strider" Hummel
ADZPCTKO Coordinator