[BULK] - Re: [pct-l] PCT Origins / Completion Statistics

[dsaufley at sprynet.com (dsaufley@sprynet.com)]

Billy Goat's words are great advice for those who earn a wage that will allow them to work for only part of the year, and follow other pursuits in the balance.  Conditions are such in this world that most do not get to the point where they have this choice.  

-=Donna Saufley=-

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Saenz <msaenz@mve-architects.com>
Sent: Dec 9, 2004 9:41 AM
To: yogi <yogihikes@sbcglobal.net>, pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Cc: so_california_backpackers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [BULK] - Re: [pct-l] PCT Origins / Completion Statistics

Regarding costs and lifestyles of long distance hikers...

Most enduring memory of last year's ADZPCTKO: Billy Goat's sub-9 pound
kit. Winner of the G-Force award! And composed of perhaps the least
expensive pieces... 

And his quote in "walk" regarding lifestyle, the one about working
during the off season just enough to afford his next thru-hike...

There's some serious lessons here.

M i c h a e l   S a e n z
McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners, Inc.
A r c h i t e c t u r e    P l a n n i n g    I n t e r i o r s
w  w  w  .  m  v  e  -  a  r  c  h  i  t  e  c  t  s  .  c  o  m


-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net
[mailto:pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net] On Behalf Of yogi
Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2004 9:34 AM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: [BULK] - Re: [pct-l] PCT Origins / Completion Statistics

I just thought it was an interesting stat!  :)
 
yogi
www.pcthandbook.com

dsaufley@sprynet.com wrote:
This is an interesting thread. Some thoughts:

Mountaineers are a breed unto themselves. Mountaineering is not as
accessible (or cheap) as hiking. It seems illogical to compare the two
at all. 

Why is the Everest number comparison being made to the PCT only? Many
have said that the AT is more strenuous than the PCT and would therefore
take just as much commitment. I think it's more a function of the age of
the venue. I think that the older and more well-known the venue, the
more people are on it. This is the case with the AT versus the PCT, and
the PCT versus the CDT. Nine-tenths of the non-hiking people I mention
the PCT to here in California have never heard of it, whereas everyone
back east seems to know about the AT. 

Following that concept, Everest has been around longer than the PCT . .
. given time, I'll venture that the number of PCT thru-hike completions
will surpass the number of Everest summiters, and I suspect that the
number of starters versus finishers will proportionally be greater on
the PCT than Everest. 

I believe that Krakauer stated in "Into Thin Air" that it cost in excess
of $60,000 per person to buy your way into an Everest summit attempt
(and that was a few years ago). That sum alone will eventually tip the
scales of how many finish the PCT in one season as compared to the
number of Everest summiters. 

I would also propose that while long-distance hiking seems to be
pervasive throughout the history of mankind, the fact that so many
people have the leisure and freedom of choice to live an alternative
lifestyle that supports such a time consuming activity has much to do
with where our society and economy is today. To look at it another way,
while it's very international, we don't see ANY representatives in the
PCT hiking community from "third world" countries, only from
industrialized and well-educated nations. 

I believe that having the luxury of time to do a long-distance thru-hike
is related to the wealth, security, and attitudes of the society from
which the individual comes. These are very good times for many of us. We
don't have to look very far back in our own families to see that our
parents and our parents' parents did not have the same luxury of time,
nor were prevailing attitudes of their generations supportive of taking
time to do something "alternative". In our post 911 world, "taking time
out" is not only okay, it's admired and envied. 

Anyway, just some more fodder. 

-=Donna Saufley=-

-----Original Message-----
From: Brett
Sent: Dec 8, 2004 9:32 PM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] PCT Origins / Completion Statistics

A thru-hike requires more time and arguably more commitment than a
guided Everest attempt. Nor does it strike most as a goal worth
committing to; the PCT isn't recognizable like an 8000 meter peak in the
Himalaya. The experience is intangible to those outside looking in.
(Whew)

- bf


> I found a website which shows that 2200 people have summitted Everest.

> I'd imagine that the number of PCT completions is lower than the 
> Everest summits.
>


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