[pct-l] The Reality of the Trail

[stewjohns at comcast.net (stewjohns@comcast.net)]

And this my friends is a dose of reality.  Nice post.

Doc Holiday

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: bluebrain@bluebrain.ca 

> > I adventure travel, and now hike, because that is where freedom is at. 
> > Here in the urban jungle, we spend most of our days re-acting to other 
> > peoples agendas and desires. On the trail, all of that carefully designed 
> > prompting and manipulation is gone allowing us to live every day as nature 
> > intended and enabling us to take back the ownership of our lives. 
> > 
> > Chance 
> 
> Ownership of our lives and days as nature intended them ? 
> 
> Maybe true ? though one might argue that nature didn?t provide ultralight 
> silnylon, titaniam cooking pots, vitemen A, denatured alcohol, synthetic 
> running shoes, vacuum sealed tuna packs, breathable waterproof 
> rainjackets, duct tape, goose down sleeping bags, jet fuel ? airports ? 
> cars and highways to get you to the trailhead ? and so on and so on. All 
> the technologies and amenities that make thru-hiking fun and viable. 
> 
> I think those of us that make ?alternative? choices in our lives often 
> loose perspective of the fact the very system that we ? (despise? rebel 
> against? opt out of? feel opressed by? whatever fits for you) ? is also 
> the very thing that both allows us the freedom to make those choices, and 
> facilitates the lifestyle. 
> 
> Seems like a lot of hikers tend to look down on modern society and city 
> dwellers for their poor choices and priorities ? getting a career, a 
> mortgage, a new car, and simply not recognizing the virtues of trail life 
> ? as though hikers are somehow superior for having made the wiser choice. 
> It?s all pretty western in perspective, by the way. Eight out of ten 
> people in the world don?t have a telephone, and more people are concerned 
> with where to get their next meal than they are with job or mortgage 
> concerns, but that?s an aside. 
> 
> In reality, if everybody made the same choice to ?opt out? ? thru hiking 
> would rapidly become a pretty difficult and unrealistic undertaking. 
> There?d be no child slaves in asia to make our next pair of shoes, there?d 
> be no factories cranking out food in little packets, there?d be no trail 
> angels able to drive around to help out, and most of us would have a 
> difficult and lengthly trek just trying to get to one of the trailheads. 
> 
> That said, personally I feel extremely greatful that the ?system? and the 
> people in it keep motoring along (for the time being) allowing me the 
> freedom to choose to opt out and hike. Even if hiking life FEELS like 
> life as nature intended, I think in reality long distance hiking as we 
> know it is a luxury quite unique to our time and doesn?t bare quite so 
> much resemblance to the lives any of our ancesters lived ?as nature 
> intended.? Certainly elements of it do, but bottom line IMHO, thru-hiking 
> is probably the most enjoyable adventure that anybody in history has had 
> the oportunity to undertake. 
> 
> I think it?s a gift. A gift that only works so long as a very few of us 
> choose it and one that is completely and totally facilitated by the 
> system. 
> 
> Certainly not trying to sound preachy, just sharing my perspective. :-) 
> 
> Mostly just avoiding my afternoon cubicle tasks. 
> 
> Speaking of which ? back to work. :-( 
> 
> Cheers. 
> Paul 
> 
> ?eight out of nine americans poop sinkers? 
> 
> _______________________________________________ 
> pct-l mailing list 
> pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net 
> unsubscribe or change options: 
> http://mailman.hack.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l From sue.kettles at comcast.net  Fri Feb 10 17:11:48 2006
From: sue.kettles at comcast.net (sue.kettles@comcast.net)
Date: Fri Feb 10 17:20:31 2006
Subject: [pct-l] The Reality of the Trail
Message-ID: <021020062311.14795.43ED1DB400086EE4000039CB22070245539C0A049B9B0A05D20A9A9C@comcast.net>

Really nice post.  Good perspective, especially the part about seeing long-distance hiking as a gift.  
By the way, what the heck is a sinker???  Never mind, I'll use my imagination.


-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: stewjohns@comcast.net 

> And this my friends is a dose of reality. Nice post. 
> 
> Doc Holiday 
> 
> -------------- Original message -------------- 
> From: bluebrain@bluebrain.ca 
> 
> > > I adventure travel, and now hike, because that is where freedom is at. 
> > > Here in the urban jungle, we spend most of our days re-acting to other 
> > > peoples agendas and desires. On the trail, all of that carefully designed 
> > > prompting and manipulation is gone allowing us to live every day as nature 
> > > intended and enabling us to take back the ownership of our lives. 
> > > 
> > > Chance 
> > 
> > Ownership of our lives and days as nature intended them ? 
> > 
> > Maybe true ? though one might argue that nature didn?t provide ultralight 
> > silnylon, titaniam cooking pots, vitemen A, denatured alcohol, synthetic 
> > running shoes, vacuum sealed tuna packs, breathable waterproof 
> > rainjackets, duct tape, goose down sleeping bags, jet fuel ? airports ? 
> > cars and highways to get you to the trailhead ? and so on and so on. All 
> > the technologies and amenities that make thru-hiking fun and viable. 
> > 
> > I think those of us that make ?alternative? choices in our lives often 
> > loose perspective of the fact the very system that we ? (despise? rebel 
> > against? opt out of? feel opressed by? whatever fits for you) ? is also 
> > the very thing that both allows us the freedom to make those choices, and 
> > facilitates the lifestyle. 
> > 
> > Seems like a lot of hikers tend to look down on modern society and city 
> > dwellers for their poor choices and priorities ? getting a career, a 
> > mortgage, a new car, and simply not recognizing the virtues of trail life 
> > ? as though hikers are somehow superior for having made the wiser choice. 
> > It?s all pretty western in perspective, by the way. Eight out of ten 
> > people in the world don?t have a telephone, and more people are concerned 
> > with where to get their next meal than they are with job or mortgage 
> > concerns, but that?s an aside. 
> > 
> > In reality, if everybody made the same choice to ?opt out? ? thru hiking 
> > would rapidly become a pretty difficult and unrealistic undertaking. 
> > There?d be no child slaves in asia to make our next pair of shoes, there?d 
> > be no factories cranking out food in little packets, there?d be no trail 
> > angels able to drive around to help out, and most of us would have a 
> > difficult and lengthly trek just trying to get to one of the trailheads. 
> > 
> > That said, personally I feel extremely greatful that the ?system? and the 
> > people in it keep motoring along (for the time being) allowing me the 
> > freedom to choose to opt out and hike. Even if hiking life FEELS like 
> > life as nature intended, I think in reality long distance hiking as we 
> > know it is a luxury quite unique to our time and doesn?t bare quite so 
> > much resemblance to the lives any of our ancesters lived ?as nature 
> > intended.? Certainly elements of it do, but bottom line IMHO, thru-hiking 
> > is probably the most enjoyable adventure that anybody in history has had 
> > the oportunity to undertake. 
> > 
> > I think it?s a gift. A gift that only works so long as a very few of us 
> > choose it and one that is completely and totally facilitated by the 
> > system. 
> > 
> > Certainly not trying to sound preachy, just sharing my perspective. :-) 
> > 
> > Mostly just avoiding my afternoon cubicle tasks. 
> > 
> > Speaking of which ? back to work. :-( 
> > 
> > Cheers. 
> > Paul 
> > 
> > ?eight out of nine americans poop sinkers? 
> > 
> > _______________________________________________ 
> > pct-l mailing list 
> > pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net 
> > unsubscribe or change options: 
> > http://mailman.hack.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l 
> _______________________________________________ 
> pct-l mailing list 
> pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net 
> unsubscribe or change options: 
> http://mailman.hack.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l From AaronD at Cadwell.com  Fri Feb 10 17:19:12 2006
From: AaronD at Cadwell.com (Aaron Doss)
Date: Fri Feb 10 17:27:57 2006
Subject: [pct-l] The Reality of the Trail
Message-ID: <63D0A1D8F168684F8502C4B8A229D791E0432A@DEWEY2.Cadwell.cadwell.com>

I have similar thoughts on long distance hiking.  

Here goes..
We are purposefully constructing an experience which gives us the
illusion of resource independence while planning for a long distance
hike. In other words, all the resources are gathered before the hike, so
that during the hike we can have the luxury of only expending them.  

In contrast a true, raw, wilderness experience (living from the land)
would consist of mostly gathering resources and not much time for
relaxation at all.  What I think is interesting is that living off the
land, is in many ways similar to normal city life (gathering and
saving).  Long distance hiking is like neither; and this why I think
hiking so great, it's a true vacation from normal life.
    
Aaron

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net
[mailto:pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net] On Behalf Of
bluebrain@bluebrain.ca
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 1:12 PM
To: Chance Money
Cc: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net; rattlesnake5648@yahoo.com;
carolbruno@cox.net; hiker97@aol.com; laura629@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: [pct-l] The Reality of the Trail

> I adventure travel, and now hike, because that is where freedom is at.
> Here in the urban jungle, we spend most of our days re-acting to other
> peoples agendas and desires. On the trail, all of that carefully
designed
> prompting and manipulation is gone allowing us to live every day as
nature
> intended and enabling us to take back the ownership of our lives.
>
> Chance

Ownership of our lives and days as nature intended them ...

Maybe true ... though one might argue that nature didn't provide
ultralight
silnylon, titaniam cooking pots, vitemen A, denatured alcohol, synthetic
running shoes, vacuum sealed tuna packs, breathable waterproof
rainjackets, duct tape, goose down sleeping bags, jet fuel - airports -
cars and highways to get you to the trailhead ... and so on and so on.
All
the technologies and amenities that make thru-hiking fun and viable.

I think those of us that make "alternative" choices in our lives often
loose perspective of the fact the very system that we ... (despise?
rebel
against? opt out of? feel opressed by? whatever fits for you) ... is
also
the very thing that both allows us the freedom to make those choices,
and
facilitates the lifestyle.

Seems like a lot of hikers tend to look down on modern society and city
dwellers for their poor choices and priorities ... getting a career, a
mortgage, a new car, and simply not recognizing the virtues of trail
life
... as though hikers are somehow superior for having made the wiser
choice. 
It's all pretty western in perspective, by the way.  Eight out of ten
people in the world don't have a telephone, and more people are
concerned
with where to get their next meal than they are with job or mortgage
concerns, but that's an aside.

In reality, if everybody made the same choice to "opt out" - thru hiking
would rapidly become a pretty difficult and unrealistic undertaking. 
There'd be no child slaves in asia to make our next pair of shoes,
there'd
be no factories cranking out food in little packets, there'd be no trail
angels able to drive around to help out, and most of us would have a
difficult and lengthly trek just trying to get to one of the trailheads.

That said, personally I feel extremely greatful that the "system" and
the
people in it keep motoring along (for the time being) allowing me the
freedom to choose to opt out and hike.  Even if hiking life FEELS like
life as nature intended, I think in reality long distance hiking as we
know it is a luxury quite unique to our time and doesn't bare quite so
much resemblance to the lives any of our ancesters lived "as nature
intended."  Certainly elements of it do, but bottom line IMHO,
thru-hiking
is probably the most enjoyable adventure that anybody in history has had
the oportunity to undertake.

I think it's a gift. A gift that only works so long as a very few of us
choose it and one that is completely and totally facilitated by the
system.

Certainly not trying to sound preachy, just sharing my perspective.  :-)

Mostly just avoiding my afternoon cubicle tasks.

Speaking of which ... back to work.  :-(

Cheers.
Paul

"eight out of nine americans poop sinkers"

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