[pct-l] What is success?

[radney@ix.netcom.com]

Thank you Jim for those wonderful words about what makes a hike successful, 
they were so full of understanding!  Walt and I ended our hike in '97 at 
Sierra City not Monument 78. We have mixed feelings to this day, but not a 
feeling a failure, just one of uncompleteness.  Our hope was to hike from 
Mexico to Canada, but it was not our main goal.

Before we had even gotten to the town of Campo, Walt and I both agreed that 
if we got 5, 10, even 100 miles up the PCT, our hike would be an adventure, 
Canada was not our goal, just a destination!  Hiking the PCT was going to be 
our Adventure, we had never done any long distance hiking before.  By the 
way, what amount of mileage hiked constitutes a long distance hike anyway?  
We set down our own personal mileage of 500 miles and celebrated our new 
achievement at this distance, every mile after that was just "icing on the 
cake" so to speak.  Being content about ourselves and what we were doing was 
so important.  Yes, our family was not sure about what we were doing, but 
they didn't give us a hard time or tell us they thought we were "crazy" at 
our age to be heading out into the wilderness without a gun, gps, or a 
phone. Some work associates, acquaintances and people we met in towns along 
the PCT were the main ones who handed out criticisims and asked us "why 
would anyone spend 4-5 months in the woods trying to get killed?"  Our 
response -- "I will be safer there than you will be here driving to work 
each day. Why wouldn't I want to escape!" By and large most people were 
envious and proud of us for our committment and the adventure we were about 
to embark upon.  Even wishing they had the "guts" to sell their home, retire 
early and head out west, far from home!  There were even a few people we 
didn't know who heard about our adventure and followed our example and set 
out on their own adventure -- what a blessing!

I agree with you Jim about "success," it is PERSONAL state of being!  Ray 
Jardin says in his book that when you hike the PCT you need to realize that 
this is your JOB for the next 4-5 months.  You will endure heat, 
dehydration,cold,life threatening situations, physical pain and even 
depression -- this hike is not for everyone and NO ONE has a right to judge 
you anyway as to how to hike or how long you hike.        

Walt and I are not going back because we think we failed our hike by not 
reaching Canada, but because we are in love with the trail.  It is a 
challenge, a rebirth, a "stretching of the rubberband" as our friend Bob 
tells me.  Since '97 hardly a day goes by that Walt and I don't have 
flashbacks about those days on the PCT -- not all are happy ones, but most 
are.  We have been married for 35 years and there has always been a special 
bond between us -- we are "Soul Mates."  Our shared adventure on the PCT 
added something so unique to that bond it is not describable.  It doesn't 
take much to evoke a memory of our hike and both of us are usually 
remembering the same event at the same time -- how rare and blessed!  Unless 
you have tasted pineapple you can't describe it, or even miss it!  That is 
the way the PCT and long distance hiking is for us.  Nobody has the right 
to tell us we failed or are "crazy" just because they don't understand -- I 
can't even expect them to -- I didn't until I went! Hiking and long distance 
hiking it is in our blood now and we just pray that God will grant us at 
least 10 more years to be able to experience this wonderful adventure 
together on many trails.

To all of you who are also heading out on the PCT in '99 we hope you too 
will come away with a sense of wonder and peace that will fill all the 
spaces that are empty now.  Be proud of yourself, even if you get 1 mile 
down that road -- you made the trip out, planned and sacrificed -- to fill a 
need to go adventuring -- you will grow stong within yourself!  

Thanks again Jim, sorry to get so long winded everyone.

The Happy Trails Couple 



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