Re: [at-l] purity...

["LAB" <lab@glis.net>]

Excellent!  You stated my feelings Perfectly.

The only time I could imagine that passing every white blaze would make any
difference to me is if I were trying to test my resolve or challenge myself.
I'm way beyond needing to do that!!

Now when I hike, my purpose is to enjoy myself.

If I spend five months hiking the AT corridor, I will still consider myself
a thru-hiker for all practcal purposes. Even if I don't pass every white
blaze. My personal experience will not be deminished or cheapened or even
changed by only seeing 98% of them (or 95%, 90%, or even 88%)

Furthermore, I will not feel in the least compelled to justify or explain my
hike to all who I meet! If someone else feels the need to make these
distinctions, they are free to explain them to the folks they meet.

To me, it really doesn't matter.

owner-at-l@backcountry.net wrote on 2/12/00 8:12:

>In a message dated 2/11/00
>9:35:47 PM US Eastern
>Standard Time,
>coosa@alltel.net writes:
>
><< There's never just ONE
>issue in an issue, is there??
>>>
>
>I am hiking from Georgia to
>Maine. Because of the
>purity/nonpurity issue I am
>actually not going to call
>myself a thruhiker because
>this issue means nothing to
>me. It only means something
>to people who hike pure. I
>certainly am not going to
>limit my hike for some
>teeny, tiny little patch that
>may go in some drawer
>someday. I don't collect
>patches. Goodness, if you
>don't thruhike, you can buy
>the thing cheaply.
>
>I am 43 years old. It took a
>lot of work to save the
>money to go and be able to
>take all the time off of work
>that it requires. I may never
>be able to take this much
>time off to hike. I am
>planning on using the time
>wisely to have as much fun
>as possible. This includes my
>NOT limiting my hike to
>following little white blazes
>on trees that someone else
>put there.
>
>I will be hiking from Georgia
>to Maine thru the AT
>Corridor and, if I want to
>take a blue blaze to see a
>wonderful waterfall, or to go
>to a party, or to avoid a part
>of the trail that is dangerous
>for those of us who are
>short, I will do so. I don't care
>what you purists say,
>because I will not listen. I will
>be too busy having fun
>hiking. If someone asks me if
>I am thruhiking, I will say I am
>heading towards Maine.
>
>         Cheryl
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