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Re: [pct-l] gear, weather, attitude



I agree with Karl, my best memories of hiking are when the weather is crappie.
Coming out of the Grand Canyon in a blizzard, descending Mt Fuji in at the
beginning of  a typhoon. Mental aditude is everything.

Owen K

Karl Brandt wrote:

> I think Sue's spot on here. We all get caught up in gear issues and
> hiking styles in general when mental attitude is much more important.
> You're much more likely to achieve success or failure, whatever that
> means to you, based on how you deal with the problems along the way.
>
> June 30, 1997 is a day I'll long remember. I was hiking with a fellow
> from Finland named Pekha just north of Sonora Pass. Within 15 minutes
> of our starting in the morning, it began to snow on us. At the worst
> point, I remember the snow blowing horizontal as we crossed a saddle.
> I was well and truly ready to start dealing with summer weather and
> was not at all happy with the temperatures around freezing. When we
> stopped for a break sometime mid-afternoon, I turned to Pekha and
> said, "I'm not having much fun right now." He looked at me quite
> incredulously and said, "Why not?" At that moment, I realize that my
> misery was purely my own doing. Despite having less warm gear than I
> had, Pekha had simply decided not to let it bother him and was his
> usual happy self. We continued to get snow off and on for the a couple
> of hours after that but I don't remember being upset any longer
>
> Now, I'm not suggesting anybody carry less gear than they need to be
> be safe. Use your own judgement there. My point is that you do kind of
> have to accept what the trail throws at you and simply deal with it
> the best you can. If you find that your ultralight strategy didn't
> allow for enough rain gear on one stretch, call your home support team
> and ask them to send you some better rain gear. If you find your pack
> is oppressively heavy, try to find somethings you can safely do
> without and send them home.
>
> -Karl
>
> *********************************************************************
> Karl "Birdman" Brandt PCT97 LT98                       (650) 725-3686
> http://gump1.stanford.edu/kbrandt/
>
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