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[pct-l] Points to Ponder



> + Weekend hikers, section hikers seem to be enjoying themselves much more than thru-hikers.

Actually my observation as a section hiker
was that the people who looked cleanest and had the
smallest packs were usually the ones who had hiked farthest (through hikers).
The people who looked like they'd stumbled out of a 1977 Kelty catalog,
soaked in sweat and dust, were usually locals hiking in for a Saturday
night at the lake.   I never figured this out.

> + You will ask yourself, "Why am I doing this?" on more than one occasion.

The answer I've arrived at is that some, many, or most long-distance hikers
are naturally self-medicating against depression by means of exercise.
Sometimes supplemented by other means at town stops, perhaps more so on the AT
or El Camino.