[pct-l] new list member

[PCT-L Guest Post <guest@saffron.hack.net>]

* Message posted to PCT-L from the National Scenic Trails Website
* by our guest Joanne Lennox <goforth@cio.net>.
* Please use <mailto:goforth@cio.net> to reply to the sender.

Hi! I am new to the list and also to Computers. Whew! this is really intense! At any rate, I am planning a thru hike of the PCT beganning in May 1999, and am looking forward to enjoying the banter on the subject and possibilly to finding a partner.
I am mostly a mountain climber, or an off trail traveler.  My goal this year was to climb 55 mountains in my 55th year, which I did between May and Sept 7, 1998.  Most of them were in Washington, since I live in Concrete, Wa.  However, 22 were in the Southern Sierras, and 34 were done solo. I am very focused and tend to acheive what I set out to do, allthough I also have a realistic view of my limitations.
At present, I am most concerned about whether or not an inveterate cross-country traveler can find happiness and deep satisfaction on the PCT.  I seem to fall asleep on a trail, and the repetitive motion never fails to cause blisters (soon or later) and bum knees, sore tendons.  I dont have the same problems mountain climbing or cross country where you always have to look where your going, make route finding decisions, where each step is slightly different than the one before it, and where there is a lot variation in terrain (snow, scree, boulders, meadows, heather,etc.)
By the way, my never fail treatment of blister control is the application of pieces of sheepskin -sometimes fairly large as on the heel,arch or over the instep, or quite small in the case of a small hot spot. sometimes this works even if the boot or shoe is tight. For instance a large piece over the instep will push the heel back into the back of the boot, and relieve the toes; it also can be used with thin socks to cushion only the areas that really need it.


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