Re: [CDT-L] New Lister

Jim:

It appears you have missed my point in your zeal to rationalize y'alls hike
on the CDT.

I (we) have not hiked the "official CDT" and I am as comfortable with that
as you are, I assume.

I am not comfortable with you or Ginny or anyone else doing anything to
influence any other hikers outlook regarding purism.  This discomfort is
especially acute when you admittedly have not experienced it on your CDT
hike.  Therefore, your credibility regarding the merits of a pure CDT
thruhike are limited.

The issue for me is very simple.  My point need not be clouded with Malpais
south of Grants or your opinion of New Mexico, etc.  My point is: I would
hope you are not doing *anything* to negatively influence the possibility of
Betsy considering a purist hike in regards to that which *is* officially
marked on the CDT.

If you agree that hikers should consider all sides of the purist issue
before making a decision(s) regarding their hike, then we share the same
view.  It is not for me to promote purism, or the notion that a hiker should
not "worry about what is 'official' or not official."   It is also not for
Ginny or you to discourage it.

Conversely, I would encourage hikers to closely examine their potential
satisfaction of doing a purist's hike from all sides of the issue and not be
influenced narrowly by the thought that "Purism is a non-issue out there."
After looking at all sides of the issue, hikers should treat themselves to
whatever kind of hike they feel is their hike.

If you are not a purist, that is your choice.  Other hikers should know
simply that your type of hike is not the only type hike that is satisfying.
It is not my intent to encourage purism as you seem to suggest.  On the
other hand, it is my intent to discourage those who discourage it.

I do not know Betsy and only hope the best for her time on the trail.

Indeed, Walk Softly - Your Own Way.

Mike
csrm@pdrpip.com
=============================================
|
| Mike -
| Have you hiked the "official CDT" route through the Malpais south of
Grants?
|   We haven't - and still see no reason whatever to do so - and we have
many
| and varied reasons to avoid it.
|
| Have you hiked the "offical CDT" route through the Black Range? We've
hiked
| part of that "official CDT" route - it sucked - it was the worst part of
New
| Mexico (details on request).  For us, the rest of New Mexico was, if not
the
| best part of the trip, at least on a par with anything else out there.
| Personally, I fell in love with New Mexico and if I could find a job there
| you can't imagine how fast I'd be moving there.
|
| I'd suggest that if you're gonna encourage "purism" on the CDT, you go
| thruhike it first.  Then come back and we'll talk about what you did - and
| just how "impure" your hike might have been. There is not, never has been
| and, God willing, never will be a "pure" hike on the CDT. To paraphrase
| Seven of Nine - "Purism is irrelevant".
|
| Oh, yeah --- The hike your own hike thing.  Yep, that's exactly what Ginny
| told her to do.  Reference: trailwise.circumtech.com  (The Thruhiking
| Papers).
|
| Walk softly - your own way,
| Jim
| |
| >Whoooooa Ginny:
| >
| >While I take note of, and admire your experience on the CDT, I would hope
| >you are not doing *anything* to negatively influence the possibility of
| >Betsy considering a purist hike in regards to that which *is* officially
| >marked on the CDT.
| >
| >Before she "Doesn't worry about what is 'official' or not official", I
| >would
| >encourage her to closely examine her potential satisfaction of a purist's
| >hike from all sides of the issue and not be influenced narrowly by the
| >thought that "Purism is a non-issue out there."
| >
| >Based only on her message below, she seems to me to be experienced and
| >motivated.  Hopefully, that experience will lead to an informed decision
to
| >hike her hike in spite of your comments.
| >
| >Mike
| >Clovis, NM
| >csrm@pdrpip.com
| >
| >
| >----- Original Message -----
| >From: "Ginny & Jim Owen" <spiritbear2k@hotmail.com>
| >To: <>
| >Sent: Friday, November 17, 2000 4:15 PM
| >Subject: Re: [CDT-L] New Lister
| >
| >
| >| Betsy, there is no official route through much of New Mexico, and much
| >that
| >| is "official" you really don't want to do.  There are routes shown on
the
| >| BLM maps that don't exist on the ground, and official stretches (in the
| >| Gila) that haven't been maintained in years. The map we got from the
| >Forest
| >| Service showed incomplete sections there, even though that was one of
the
| >| first stretches of trail to be designated. There is one "official"
| >section
| >| through the Malpais that even the BLM (which managed it) told us not to
| >| take, as it it was 40 miles waterless.  That may have changed, but that
| >was
| >| the situation when we went through there.  I suggest you join CDTS and
| >get
| >a
| >| copy of Jim Wolf's recommended New Mexico Route.  We followed his route
| >| through northern New Mexico (a good route, we thought) and followed
| >| generally his route through southern New Mexico -- with some
variations.
| >I
| >| can send you information on our route and some alternatives we
| >researched,
| >| if you like. Dividends (the CDTS newsletter) gives alternate routes and
| >| updates on the existing routes.  Another alternative is to contact the
| >| Mountain Club of New Mexico (they have a web site).  They did a trail
| >| reroute last year of the 50 mile stretch south of Cuba.
| >|
| >| Don't worry about "official" or not official.  One of the great
| >attractions
| >| of the CDT is that you can pick your own route so that you make the
hike
| >| what you want it to be.  There is a tremendous freedom to that.  Purism
| >is
| >a
| >| non-issue out there.
| >|
| >| Ginny
| >| (CDT 99)
|
|
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Message from the Continental Divide Trail Mailing List

==============================================================================
To:            "csrm" <csrm@PDRPIP.COM>, "Ginny & Jim Owen" <spiritbear2k@hotmail.com>
Cc:            <betsy.darlington@compaq.com>, <cdt-l@backcountry.net>