Re: [pct-l] Introductions ---

[Owen <jrowen@ibm.net>]

Greg Hummel wrote:
> We were both astonished when we realized that we could tell each other the
> exact place where we had camped every night from Campo all the way to
> Burney Falls where we met up.  It was then easy to remember all the places
> from there to where we were camped that night.   I could literally remember
> what I had done every day for the last 5 months, 2 weeks and 4 days!  I
> have never had another period in my life where I could think back and
> recall what I have done every day over the past month, let alone 5 months!


Greg - 
One of the speakers at the Gathering was Gene Espy, who hiked the AT in
1951. And his memories of the hike were as clear as if it had happened
in 1998. Several years ago we talked to Earl Shaffer for about 3 hours
one day - standing in a parking lot in Carlisle, PA. And his memories
were just as clear and immediate as ours.  It's one of the effects of a
thruhike that most people don't realize - until it happens to them.  Can
you still remember?  
Ginny and I can - and do.  The flashbacks don't come as often now -- but
they still happen a couple times a week. 

Walk softly,
Jim
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