[at-l] Merlin walks again

[KD5XB@AMSAT.ORG (Earl Needham)]

At 02:23 AM 2/12/01 -0500, Slyatpct@aol.com blasted the following out into 
the ether:
><snip>
>Much of the same scenario happened to me on my PCT thru-hike, but again, it
>took me longer than expected.  I finished that trail too.  I consider these
>"unsuccessful" attempts a huge accomplishment.

      EXACTLY.  They were successful because YOU consider them so.

      In running or bicycling, everyone knows how hard a taskmaster a clock 
can be -- always trying to make or beat a particular time is HARD.  So is 
thru-hiking.  But, if it's your goal, then --

      This brings us to the idea of WHY we hike.

      1.  Do we hike to get our names on a list of thru-hikers?  Some do, 
and that's OK.

      2.  Do we hike to get outside, to see the outdoors, perhaps to see 
famous places?  Some do, and that's OK, too.

      3.  Do we hike out of vanity?  ("Look at me, I hiked 1500 miles in 6 
weeks.")  Some do, but maybe that's not quite as "OK"...

      I think, in the end, that success is how each person defines 
it.  (And that's OK.  <G>)


><snip>
>I'm not sure where it ever came up you had to hike a trail a certain way.
>The trails certainly weren't built that way, and no one should feel they have
>to hike them on any certain terms.  My feelings are you're out there to see
>and feel, mentally, physically and spiritually anything possible.  You can't
>do that with a preconceived notion of how it's going to go.

      Gee!  We're in VIOLENT agreement here!


      Feeling wordy this morning,
      Earl


Earl Needham, KD5XB    mailto:KD5XB@AMSAT.ORG
Clovis, New Mexico         DM84jk N34d 25.446m W103d 12.700m (or so)

Pet peeve: breath is a noun,  breathe is a verb (When you take a breath, 
you breathe...)