Companion forum thread to:

Hiking Through Hyperbole: Blisters and Fire

I swear I took a picture of the exact same field of lupines near Three Sisters in Oregon.

Excellent report.

--B.G.--

Ryan,
Awesome.

What more can I say but keep em coming.

Much more literate than most things here. Nuanced. Are you a professional writer? No need to answer. You are so by default. Understanding the foibles of pushing yourself very valuable. Reminds me of Jardine strung out with his wife on dicey footing. And the classic by Basho" The Narrow Road to the North"

Me too. That is what makes the wild and wilderness so fun. The company of others in God's creation. I can't tell you how big my grin was the entire time I read this newest installment. It sure supports the guys comments above. You ARE a professional writer. I had forgotten it was Tuesday. Now I'm completely aware (and can't wait for next Tuesday). Another epic installment Ryan.

Edited by WarrenGreer on 02/08/2011 23:08:33 MST.

A great adventure... well told.

Thanks for sharing, I've really enjoyed reading these.

I've been a solo section hiker of the PCT for the last several years. It's very head-clearing, and it's become one of my absolute favorite things to do in the whole world! I really identified with a lot of the feelings and thoughts you've expressed and the lessons you've learned. It sounds like you beat yourself up trying to catch up to friends to recapture that earlier experience rather than just savoring the beauty of where you were at that moment.

After a couple of seasons, I started carrying a MP3 player too. Initially, I felt it seemed somehow "wrong" but I found it really helped propel me forward when I hit "the wall." It also took me out of negative thinking patterns, the occasional cranky mood, and the insipid jingles that would get stuck in my head from time to time. And the best part is that now when I hear some of the songs that I'd listened to on the trail, I can suddenly picture the view or section of the trail I was on.

Your photos really take me back there too. I had to bail due to fires at that same section in OR last summer. Great article!! Thanks.

Dys-feng shui-nal (trail name)

echoing the comments above - this is a great read!

> Wildfires were something foreign to me, their occurrence back home a rarity
> in the wet northeastern climate. But the few people I ran into near Mount Jefferson
> paid little attention to the clouds of smoke. They were just a part of the scenery, I guess.

You are probably guessing right. Most people I know would be disappointed but not surprised by a trail closed due to fire.

> A common replacement that I saw with dozens of people throughout the summer,
> however, was a multi-use piece of equipment that seems to be growing in popularity
> with long-distance hikers: the smart phone. Many people replaced their cell phones,
> MP3 players, cameras, and even guidebooks with iPhones or Droids,
> which meant less weight to carry and less bulk.

Less bulk, yes. What about reliability? one device is now the critical point of failure. Also, how do they deal with the low battery life? Carry spare batteries? Solar chargers?

Again, this is an excellent read. Thanks for the writeup.

Your series is the best addition to this website I've ever hoped for.

@Maxine: "It also took me out of negative thinking patterns," that is exactly what it did for me, too. Very good point.

@Folec: The best thing I saw for helping battery life was something like this, although the dimensions listed on this one seem larger than some of the things I saw. Using the electronic devices infrequently and recharging them at every town stop was easy enough, though. It's amazing how easy it is to find an electrical outlet when you need one. As for reliability... I never saw one break, although I have heard stories.

@Everyone else: thanks again. I wasn't expecting this much feedback on the articles, and I'm very grateful for it.

I really enjoyed reading this account of your PCT thru hike. I thru hiked in 2009 and am about to hike the AT this year. So your comments about how you felt when people asked "which is better?" are very interesting to me. The way you describe how trails change but people that hike them are the same is really an insight I have found as well.
I also found the hype regarding Fuller Ridge, the Sierra, Hat Creek, etc. to be way overblown. Anyhow you have re-awakened the fire in me to hike the PCT again soon.
Thanks for sharing this.. you are an excellent writer!

The mood of the piece captures the thru-hiking experience perfectly.

I felt like I was back on the trail again. I well remember meeting up with you again at the CA/OR border and being amazed at how many miles you had already done that day. It's no wonder you didn't get up before dawn with the rest of us. Thanks for a great article Guthook. It is nice to hear about the rest of your hike.

Ryan, your words are taking me on a journey that I hope to walk some day as well. Beautifully done. Thanks for a fine piece.
Phil

Upps! Wrong thread.

Sorry.

Edited by marcoasn on 02/11/2011 02:13:42 MST.

Webmaster --

Is there an index to these three stories? If not, why don't I see the other "parts" even mentioned in this write-up? Just seems a bit odd. Especially if someone were to come across the reports now. You'd never really know that there were two others in the series.

Great write up! Thanks for the time! You've inspired me more to plan through hikes.

Another great addition-Looking forward to the next installment.