[pct-l] The destination deserves a pat on the back too...

[rubberchuckie at yahoo.com (Chuckie V)]

As cliche-ish as the Lao Tzu adage, "the journey is the destination" sounds, we all generally agree it's true. But the hike doesn't have to end in Manning Park--there are plenty of trails within the park leading from it, just as there are before your reach the park. Heck, the swath of missing trees at the border is a trail, albeit a bit rugged! So while I completely agree with those who say the journey is the destination, I wonder why the bulk of northbound hikers (if not all) stop when they reach Manning Park, their "destination". Surely, the destination holds some merit. Or else nobody would stop there. Based on this, and contrary to what the cliche repeaters say, thru-hiking IS about hiking "thru" to somewhere, just as much as it is enjoying what you are passing through. Just because the PCT has reached its terminus, doesn't mean a hiker has to. 
 
-Chuckie
 
 
I completely agree with Jeff.  Thru-hiking is **not** about the destination.  If you want to go to Manning Park that badly, then drive there.  Manning is simply the end to the thru-hike journey. Whether that journey takes 150 days or 70 days, it's still the JOURNEY that matters.  It's the JOURNEY that draws you to the trail.  

Have you ever heard any potential thru-hiker talk about how excited he/she is to go to Manning Park next summer?  No.  We're all excited about our THRU-HIKES.  The Journey.

Manning is a nice place, but I hate getting there, because that means my thru-hike journey is over.

yogi