[pct-l] The Hike

["Marge Prothman" <margepr@cyberhighway.net>]

Well, the most you can do sometimes is to continue to go forward, even
 <<<after most of the hope of "finishing" has been lost. >>

I do not think the hope of finishing is ever lost........At least not for
this Section Hiker. I have just returned home after 2 weeks in the High
Sierras.  It was fabulous and I did NOT complete what I started out to do.
We started at Walker Pass and I came out at Trail Pass. My friend continued
on to Whitney and Forrester.  The weather was way too hot for this Old Gal
(Have had my 72nd birthday, but I photograph well, lol) The distance between
water was very long.  So this necessitated carrying at the minimum  a gallon
of water, which made my pack 42lbs.  this is too heavy for me.  I have now
learned to hitchhike....did this from the Campground at Trail Pass to Lone
Pine.....And what a wonderful views of Death Valley and Smith Valley coming
down into Lonepine. Have ridden the buses all night to Fresno (my car was
there)  Had to sit in McDonalds (the bus pick up place) in Mohave for 6
hours.  Experiences that I have never had before.  Was absolutely fascinated
with the meadows (and the cows) above 10,000ft. And I learned to really
sleep out without putting the tent up.  Had my first encounter with Bears, a
Momma, cub and a yearling......I had my hands full of rocks and my friend
the MONK decided to pray......who was right....the bears went away...

Once back in Fresno, after a couple of days with friends I drove into
Sequoia Nat. Park and Kings canyon and decided to hike from the trail head
up to Viddette Meadows to meet my hiking buddy.
Again my eyes were wide and my mouth agape at the marvelous country while
driving to the trail head and the GREAT canyons.  I thought I would never
get to the top of all those switchbacks, but I did.

This past week I have been in the SISTERS area in Oregon with grandkids and
a couple of mornings the snow line was not very far above us.  I have hiked
all of Oregon so being in that area brought back great memories.

Now I need to return to the High Sierra and also finish some of the sections
in Southern part.
I am anxious.

Marge Prothman  (the old gal)


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Cc:            PCT <pct-l@backcountry.net>
From:          Jeffrey Olson <jjolson@uwyo.edu>
Date:          Sat, 04 Sep 1999 10:25:57 -0600
Subject:       [pct-l] Finishing...
Content-type:  text/plain; charset=us-ascii

On a philosophical note:

I wonder if when we plan for a long distance hike, be it the whole trail
or a section, that we don't let our anticipated "end" of the trip make
up the whole of our vision of what hiking for 100-2600 miles involves. 
Reaching the goal.  Gathering strength each day to continue the march
toward the goal/end.  

I wonder how much of this goal orientation is balanced by a process
orientation?  From one minute to the next, or hour to the next, I feel
differently when I hike, both physically and emotionally.  How does a
long distance hiker's planning account for paying attention to the
moment to  moment stuff?  How is it related to the static goal of
finishing?  What might this look like?  It doesn't seem to me that it's
either/or, so it has to be an integration of the two, or some new or
different way of thinking about doing.  

It would seem that someone who has hiked for weeks on end would plan
their next trip differently than their first.  I wonder how much the
process orientation comes into the planning process the more experience
you have?

Jeffrey Olson
Laramie, Wyoming
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