[at-l] More All or Nothing...

[The Wizard <tschamp@tiac.net>]

At 04:57 PM 4/3/00 -0500, Thomas McGinnis wrote:

>And just to throw it to another level, does the desire at day 30 depend on
whether you are doing a section or doing a throughhike? 

I think my point was that it's not a bad idea to do a self-assessment of
both your Bod and Brain prior to stepping off on a planned thruhike by
doing a longer than average AT section hike.  Your discoveries about what
gear to use are a bonus.
 
At the end of your 20-30 day walk, you're supposed to "pretend" you're
heading onward and see how that weighs in your balance of reality.  Myself:
there have been a number of section hikes where I woulda loved to cross the
road and keep on going.

OTOH, I've got too many other activity-interests that steal time over the
course of a year.  Presently, they seem to be: skiing, scuba-diving (warm
water), and slogging through mud.  Hiking in the East (AT or otherwise)
only addresses one of those.

We tuckerize people's packs, but not their B & B.  Well, that's too
private, too personal, 'cept for people like OrangeBug, perhaps.  (They do
this for people who work in nuclear subs or at the south pole for extended
periods, I believe.)

The benefit of all this is a better understanding of self, I think.  It may
well be that there's too much glamour (that's right, glamour) associated
with being a sweaty, seldom-washed thru-hiker.  It sets a plateau to which
many aspire.  But think of the letdown that occurs upon reaching the far
end and realizing that a return to reality awaits.  Only a few can become
wandering wastrels like Baltimore Jack.

Enough for the moment...
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The Wizard!  As confused as ever! 
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