[pct-l] Why We Hike

[jolson at olc.edu (Jeffrey Olson)]

I hiked with "the wave" for a bit in Washington and Oregon, and met them 
when I flipped and headed north for 100 miles from Kennedy Meadows to 
Kearsage Pass.  It was said, "It has always seemed to me that the 
multi-day or section hiker seems to be much more relaxed than the big 
mileage, multi-month hiker." 

I think it's very personal.  The hikers I talked with for more than a 
half hour up in Washington and Oregon one-on-one were definitely going 
through painful and wonderful growth processes.  When I met 10 or 12 of 
the wave a day or two before the end of their trips, I felt very little 
weirdness or tension from them.  Hugemongus' mom - I can't remember her 
name - said that for the first time she wasn't huffing and puffing up 
the 1500' climb, and Hugemongus said, with just a little attitude in his 
voice, "Well, it's about time!"  Our trips go on regardless...

I still think it's very personal.  There was a fellow just behind the 
wave that intentionally avoided everyone else, who didn't want to talk 
when I passed him.  He wore khaki.  The vibes were definitely edgy. 

I met three or four fellow going up Forester, and they were truly 
mellow.  Two of them were low on food and had spilled their white gas 
and were going to have to miss hiking up Whitney.  I had extra food and 
gave it to them, and told them there was a gallon of white gas in a bear 
box at Wallace Creek, and a bunch of other food.  They looked at me like 
I was a trail angel or something.  I'd checked the box because a 60 year 
old Austrian woman and her two "boy toys" talked about food in that 
specific bear box. 

I hiked with Donkey who with his two friends Gizmo and Oh God were 
hiking from Stevens Pass to Whitney.  He kept up a th ree mile an hour 
pace for a couple hours while telling me his life story.  This was where 
I went from 2 mph hour average to being able to hike 3 mph hour after 
hour. 

I hung out with Gizmo at Warm Springs River for a couple hours talking 
philosophy, exploring the meaning of life.  He and Donkey had just 
graduated from Trinity College on the East Coast and were hiking before 
starting the next phase of their lives.  I am good friends with a woman 
who knows Gizmo from his attending a private high school in Marin 
County.  Small world... 

Oh God has a challenge - on July 2, 2005, he said that when he graduated 
from law school he wouldn't give up his principles for the money.  I'll 
remember and search him down in three and a half years to see what's 
happening. 

All these persons were big-mileage, multi-month thru-hikers.  The wave, 
most of whom I knew only on the surfaces, were so present and friendly 
they were either excellent at hiding their "stuff" or were truly just 
being in the moment. 

I remember a guy I met in 1994 who had fallen in love with another 
thru-hiker and had been rebuffed, and was so damn intense when he passed 
me I have a really clear memory of him.  I got the story from another 
thru-hiker later.  The same with a couple guys in 1991 - fallen in love 
and no satisfaction, but lots of emotions worn on the sleeve. 

I think its all really personal, unique and individual why we hike.  No 
generalizations are possible without making others invisible...

Jeff Olson
Martin, SD