[pct-l] A wake up call - response

[Mtnned at aol.com (Mtnned@aol.com)]

To all aspiring thru hikers,
 
Thank you for all your varied responses regarding A Wake Up  Call.  It 
accomplished its intent, to cause you to ask yourselves, "Do I  know enough about 
and am I confident enough doing snow camping and snow  travel?"  That's it.  Am 
I prepared for what I'm about to do?
 
If you are, enjoy your trip!
If you're not certain, get your questions answered before you leave.
 
Know where and the conditions through which you will be going and  practice 
what it takes to get there or you may not get there.  Just sound  advice.  You 
don't have to adhere to it.
 
If you start early enough to reach Canada before the first snow flies, you  
will probably find snow covering the trail in the High Sierra.  A little  snow 
changes a great many aspects of summer hiking. Be prepared for these  changes! 
 
 
We want to see all of you make it to Manning safe and sound.  Thorough  
preparation can help.  Preparation isn't just gear, food, clothing,  fitness, and 
logistics.  It's also about learning what your up against  (snow, massive 
run-off, exhaustion, exposure, depletion, weather, etc.),   practicing the physical 
skills required to get through it all (endurance hiking,  trail hazard 
avoidance, safe travel techniques on snow and ice, wise decisions  regarding creek 
crossings, dealing with the cold and wet as well as the dry,  parched, and 
buggy, monitoring overexposure, underhydration, and  hypo/hyperthermia, etc.), and 
knowing yourself and your partner well enough to  be sure you can make it.
 
If this discussion brings about constructive doubt, find the answers, with  
us or some other school, friend, or club outing.
 
Just be prepared before you go!
 
Mtnned 
 
 
p.s.:  A little insight from a responder to A Wake Up  Call,   
         "...with the advent of  lightweight gear and the increase in water 
caches and trail angels, many people  view the PCT as a walk in the park and 
from what I can see, come into this  unprepared."