[pct-l] What about the tedium and boredom?

What do the people on the list do to cope with the tedium and boredom of so
many hours of walking?


Ahhh, one of the unanswerable questions!  But here goes an attempt anyway
;-)

It has been stated here before that thru-hiking is 95% mental, and this is
one of the many reasons why.  2665 miles of trail hiked at an average pace
of perhaps 2 miles per hour is 1300+ hours, or 55+ 24-hour days!  Even if
you have a LONG list of things to think about, you WILL run out long before
the end of the trail.

Embrace the boredom.  Ultimately you can't escape it any more than you can
escape the cold wind or your tired, achy feet.  You'll find boredom is not
bottomless.  You will get to know yourself.  That sounds strange, but so
much of what goes on inside our heads each day is a reaction to the outside
world and other people.  When the outside world gets very quiet, you can
finally hear yourself think.  When a thought pops into your head, it comes
from you.  Maybe it's an echo from the past, but YOU carried it all the way
out here.  It's a part of you.  If it's a burden, release it the same way
you lighten your pack.  The trail reduces us to our essentials.  

Brian

"I've been through the desert on a horse with no name, it felt good to get
out of the rain.  In the desert, you can remember your name, 'cause there
ain't no one for to give you no pain."   - America, "Horse with No Name"
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