[at-l] Thoughts of Slackpacking: in few words...

[icw39@ncfreedom.net (Clark Wright)]

The "yang" of Sloetoe's "ying:"

1)  thru-hiking is a self-study in celebrating life - nature, physical
achievement, human interactions [whether your own, or with others],
spiced by a wildly varying level of "relative deprivation."

2)  Visits to town, encounters with trail helpers, and walking in a
different way with a lighter pack on your back for a few days can all be
wonderous, added expereinces to one's adventure.

3)  The magic of the AT comes in many forms - a dusting of snow, a
chance encounter with another person that forms the seeds of a new,
lifelong friendship, a glimpse of wildlife, learning what it means to
sweat, thirst, hunger, ache and still find beauty and satisfaction. 
Having time to really think in an incredible, unique environment [as to
which the weight or content of what's on your back, though a real,
physical factor, is really pretty meaningless in the context of the
infinite things you encounter, think of, and place in the context of the
natural cosmos.

4)  The more you experience that is amazing, varied and awesome to you,
the richer you can become, if you learn to seek the surprise, the
beauty, and the adventure in each piece of your thru-hike puzzle.

5)  [the ying-yang now merge!]  there are so many reasons it's called
"the adventure of a lifetime!"

I personally find I relate on some level to all of sloetoe's points, all
of my points above, and just about all of what has been said on this
neat topic - ain't it amazing how infinite, unique and varied all our AT
experiences are, yet we all have common ground there, too!

One final thought - all the focus on gear lists, weight, types of gear,
etc. is another great [and closely related] ying-yang deal - if you
fixate on all that crap too much, it can detract from a lot of other
potential experiences, but getting into all that stuff can be an awesome
part of how you relate to other hikers, the people on this list, get
psyched, and make it feasible for you to make the entire journey . . . 

hike on!

thru-thinker

Sloetoe wrote:
> 
> 1) Throughhiking is a self-study in voluntary deprivation.
> 
> 2) Visits to town, trail angels, and slackpacking reduce
> deprivation.
> 
> 3) The magic that happens to *you*, out on the trail, happens
> through that deprivation, as it focuses your whole sense of
> being on what is truly important -- in your life, in your hike,
> in your pack, in that moment.
> 
> 4) The less deprivation, the less focus, the less of a hike, and
> the less of an impact *of* the hike.
> 
> 5) There's a reason it's called "The Adventure of a Lifetime."
> 
> Sloetoe
> 
> =====
> Spatior! Nitor! Nitor! Tempero!
>    Pro Pondera Et Meliora.
> 
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