[pct-l] Re: Lekki Poles

[radney@ix.netcom.com]

On 02/06/99 09:34:29 you wrote:
>
>I've been watching Lynne Weldon's very informative video How To Hike the
>Pacific Crest Trail 

Great video -- wasn't it great to see all the resupply towns and 
the beautiful scenary along the trail?.  Lynne did a great job and yes, that 
was Jim Everett that Lynne interviewed -- he was quite a great guy!

>and noticed something surprisingly absent, out of the 22
>hikers interviewed in '97, not one appeared to carry a set of trekking 
sticks

There were many hikers who used hiking poles in '97. I carried a Juniper 
Walking Stick that was specially made, and blessed, for me by a friend.  I 
carried it all the way to Sierra City and then left it, by accident, in the 
van when Janey drove us to Reno -- it saved my knees and life on many 
occassions!  I won't hike without poles now! I have two Lekis for this year 
and used both last year -- they really helped me in all the snow we had to 
go through. Jeremy, our "Trail-Son," carried two most of the way and with 
his bad ankles I know that he wouldn't have made the trail to Canada without 
them. Wendy, our "Trail-Daughter" carried 1 pole and it was a big help to 
her too.  A pole can be very versitile, it can help to remove sleeping 
snakes from the trail, open up a way in the brush covering the trail, 
measure how far down the snow goes, how deep the water is in a creek, how 
far the mire sinks in a bogey meadow, hold up your tarp or tent, and it sure 
beats wasting time hunting for a pole that is strong and tall enough to help 
you get across those creeks. 

A pole can be a hazard in the hands of a tired hiker though, Wendy and I use 
to count the many different ways our poles would try to trip us! 

That was a great weekend Sly! Walt and I really liked the tent and had even 
considered purchasing one but decided that since ours did worked for us last 
year it would this year too. It was great to see Earl Shaffer again and to 
relax with him away from all the media hype!

* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List |  http://www.backcountry.net   *

==============================================================================