Re: [pct-l] Drop-out, decompression, and conditioning

[ROYROBIN@aol.com]

<< ...(S)tress is cumulative and comes in many different forms ....  It is 
unfortunate 
that the people that leave the trail in Northern California, usually do so 
quietly, and we rarely get to learn from their experience.  But it is very 
valuable experience, maybe more valuable for training purposes than those who 
don't have as many problems and walk all the way to Manning.... It appears to 
me that outlook is one of the prime determinates in continuing a thruhike.  
Jim Owen said it: a thruhike is a 
mind game, it is not about equipment.... -- Goforth >>

Right on, Joanne!  It was in northern Calif., most of the way through the 
dreaded (before the cleanup) Section "O", when I came closest to quitting the 
trail this year.  It was hot (100*+), and I had pushed way too hard to stay 
on my self-imposed schedule.  I was also hiking solo, which added to the 
stress since I had no one to help with the difficult route-finding decisions. 
 At Squaw Creek, I had actually taken pictures which I thought at the time 
would document my last day on the trail.  

Fortunately, the weather cooled, I was able to regroup overnight in Dunsmuir 
and climbed out from Castle Crags the next day with eight days of provisions 
(to reach Seiad Valley) feeling much more confident.  This is, indeed, a mind 
game! 
* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List |  http://www.backcountry.net   *

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