[pct-l] finding a hiking partner ahead of time?

[david_tibor at yahoo.com (David Tibor)]

It's been said before, but don't worry about finding a
hiking partner ahead of time. If it's someone you
know, you'll probably kill them before you get to
Tahoe. If it's someone you don't know, there's little
chance your hiking styles (and all other styles) will
mesh.

I went to the Kick Off alone. I met lots of people. I
hiked around lots of them for a while (unavoidable if
you go to the Kickoff). I found a great group for a
while and hiked with them. I hiked and camped alone
for much of northern California and Oregon. I found a
few people on and off to trudge through rain and snow
with. You'll find people you think are great and
wonderful, you find people you can't stand. Overall I
felt blessed to spend SOOO much time on my own in the
woods, mountains, forest, and desert.

One of the most striking things I found,
unanticipated, was the make-up of the people on the
trail. I suppose I thought they would all be
well-adjusted, mellow, eco-groovy, fun and chill
people. They aren't. They are fun, weird, friendly,
anti-social, chill and positive, racist and
homophobic, vegetarians and meat-eaters, high-strung
and laid-back, hyper-religious, gregarious, alcoholic
drunk, silly, negative, fiercely independent, lovely,
strange, and every other bit of the spectrum...

So go to the kickoff and start hiking north. Talk to
people. Split a hotel room with a few folks. Float in
the hot spring pool in Warner Springs with some. Drink
a beer. Sit on a overlook and talk about life. By Agua
Dulce you'll know some great people to hike with (and
probably a few you wanna stay far, far away from).

Just like life.

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