[pct-l] question for the ladies

[m_factor at hotmail.com (Mara Factor)]

Hi Elizabeth,

Just figured I would pipe in with another data point - from the short haired 
perspective.

I used to have long hair but cut it short after struggling with it for years 
when dancing and hiking.  Just brushing and braiding each morning while on 
the trail was an exercise in frustration.

My hair is so fine, that even when in a regular or french braid all day, it 
would be a tangled mess at the end of the day.  Leaving it loose when I was 
active was not an option.

If you are used to having long hair and have already done a fair bit of 
hiking and haven't had problems, then you'll probably be fine with it long 
while on the trail.

I love having short hair.  To be perfectly honest, I'm not too concerned how 
pretty it looks while I'm out on the trail, but when I'm off the trail, it 
is so easy to manage.  It takes a fraction of the time to wash, rinse, dry, 
and brush.  It also needs far less shampoo and conditioner than when I had 
hair down to the middle of my back.

I no longer have to "plan" when I'm going to wash my hair to make sure it 
has time to air dry or time for me to blow it dry.  With short hair, if I 
want to blow it dry, it takes a minute or two- literally.  If I air dry it, 
it'll be dry in less than 20 minutes.  When I had long hair, if I braided it 
while it was still wet, it would still be wet at the end of the day.  And 
there was nothing like having your hair freeze while out on a winter hike.  
Especially when it started to freeze to your hat and toher clothing.  Ouch!

As for maintaining it on the trail, I didn't have a chance to get it cut 
before I started the trail.  By the time I got to Big Bear City, it really 
needed a cut.  Here's an excerpt from my journal:

"Upon inquiring at the front desk about a place to get my haircut, the 
manager eventually got in touch with her daughter, a licensed and practicing 
beautician.  Lo and behold, a couple of hours later, her daughter pulled up 
to the motel with scissors in hand.  Sitting on the walkway just outside my 
motel room door, I had my hair cut.  How cool is that?"

For me, my trail cut needs to be at least long enough so that the hair 
provides sun protection for my scalp.  This ends up being just a bit longer 
than a buzz cut.  Bald hikers or those that shave their heads end up needed 
to wear a hat or use a lot of sunscreen.

On the AT, I didn't bother to get my hair cut at all.  It was very short to 
start and by the end, I mostly wore a bandana to keep it out of my eyes.  
Had I completed a PCT thruhike, that Big BearCity cut probably would have 
been enough to get me to the end, or at least well into OR.

Hair care while I'm actually hiking takes less than a minute to run a comb 
or brush through it in the morning - if I even bother.  If I run into a 
stream, even if it's cold, I can often rinse my hair and feel refreshed 
without having to worry too much about it staying wet and sapping heat for a 
long time.

If and when I care if it looks messy, I just hide it under a bandana.

When I get back home, I just have it restyled  into a slightly longer, but 
still short cut.  with short hair, just a small difference in length can 
make hair look very different.

Anyway, just thought I would give you the happy short-haired perspective.

Mara

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