[pct-l] PCT Origins

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

So the earliest women to have hiked the trail according to notes given to me 
by Bill Jennings, unofficial PCT historian exquisit, are;

Mugs Knezacek in 1971 (if "Mugs" is a woman)

Mary Carstens in 1972

Jean Beck in 1974

1972 was quite a banner year for early thru-hikers.  Apparently 9 people 
thru-hiked and two others hiked about half of it.   Their names, crusted with 
crester gold and held up to the gloried heights of Forester Pass are;

Mary Carstens
Butch Ferrand
Bill Goddard
Toby Heaton
Wayne Martin
David Odell
Jeff Smuckler
Richard Watson
Henry Wilds

Wader Holder and Dan Torpey apparently hiked half in '72 and the rest in '73, 
and then thru-hiked in 1974!

Only 5 apparently thru-hiked in 1973, 
9 in '74, 
7 in '75, 
6 in '76 
and a whopping 25 in 1977.  

Unknown and unsung are the multitudes of section hikers who completed the 
trail over several of these early years.  Their accomplishments are no less 
heralded and no less personally rewarding than those few who thru-hiked.

These are the pioneers whose footsteps you aspiring hikers all follow in.  
They, like me, are now in middle age and wondering if the opportunity will ever 
again present itself.  Know your passions and jump at the opportunity to do 
this.

Greg