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[pct-l] re: introduction and questions

You asked:

So on to the questions...We are intending on starting the hike in the North
in the summer of '98.  Leaving in early July and hiking for as long as we
are able (my guess is late September, anybody care to offer other guesses)
and then picking up from where we left off the following year.  As we have
discovered almost everything is written from a South to North perspective,
so I was hoping to hear from folks who have chosen the other direction --
what are some of the positives and negatives of what we are trying to
do????
Also we would like to hear from other couples who have attempted the trail
together.  We have found ourselves to be very compatible on short hiking
trips and hope to do a couple of weeks together this summer.  In addition
we are in good shape and have trained for and run half-marathons together
with the intention on training for and running a full marathon this fall,
but we also realize the PCT experience is one that could really challenge
our relationship and would like to hear from others who have gone before
us.


While I can't comment on the Southbound perspective yet, I may be able to
help you in the future. My wife and I leave July 11th and are heading south
from Manning, hopefully to CA border depending on weather.

I can however, comment on long walking with a spouse as we walked across
Europe together in 1994 (The trail is the GR5 - 1500 miles straight through
the heart of the Alps - no 15 degree grades there!) Hiking with any
partner, in my experience, is about realizing yourself and your own
limitations. On those long days when it's 33 degrees and raining and you
need to make another 15 miles to your next food drop, they are the moments
in life where relationships are made or broken. I've found that I need to
extremely selfless when hiking with my spouse. Be aware of the unspoken
signals of fatigue. (The same goes for your spouse).

The top three things that I have found to be valuable in a extremely
stressful situation:
1) Stop, Sit down and eat something - preferably with lots of chocolate it
in.
2) Keep you mouth shut - advice is never welcome in the rain.
3) Know your emotional limits, and your partners. When you come close to
them, see 1) above.

Enough of the bad stuff, the good stuff far outweighs it. If you can get
through the 1 in 10 days that really suck, your trails will be smooth.

Drop me line in Oct and I share how this walk goes.

Peace,

Dead Ahead
Dweissner@colybrand.com





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