[pct-l]PCT Hike Planning Guide

[losthiker at sisqtel.net (Deems)]

Alan,
I do have the early Chuck Long PCT Planning Guide. I know that
what was carried then was state of the art, and compared to today's
gear equates in some ways to the cars of the 1950s and todays'
Honda Prius hybrids. My hiking days, like yours, were ignited in those
golden days of backpacking in the 1970s.  The gear I quoted are in the
book. I too have carried, and still have in my stash of vintage gear, the
best Kelty, Sierra Design, Svea, Vasque, and North Face in the  1970s
had to offer. I salute those early thruhikers that carried the best we could
find, or afford, for they are the early pioneers along the greatest of
trails.
I also have Yogi's, Starr's, etc; I want to have the best library and info
available whenever I hit the trail.

I found the the Long PCT Planning Guide a perfect perspective into
what was needed to be successful to thruhike the PCT in the mid 70s.
The gear, the maps, the books and info were very limited. Many hikers
hit the trail blind, and succeeded. True adventure! Today it seems to be
somewhat formulated and cookbooked. The access to info is extreme; the
only constant in the formula that is untested is the human spirit. I tried
800 miles on  the trail 30 years ago, and didn't succeed, and I still test
myself on it today.

I looked to see if you were mentioned in the book, but didn't see it.  I did
enjoy Jim's Podlesney's contribution to the guide, it fit's the rebel
hiker's
mind set from that long ago time.  When Jim was asked by letter to
contribute to the book, he wrote back a brilliant letter explaining why a
PCT Planning Book was not a great idea, because.... The few of his quotes
that still ring true follows:

"It is my belief that anyone who writes on planning will never help another
do such a trip as a long-distance hike....Hiking Maine to Georgia or Mexico
to Canada is a thing of the heart.  The planning, the doing, is inside a
person.
The desire to do the long-distance hike is the only thing which can get a
person through it. Certainly not a book as you propose. Is your book going
to
walk the miles for a person? Can your book give a person the will power to
push on when need be? How can a book describe the psychological factors a
person must prepare for....the despair, the alienation, the anxiety and
especially
the pain, both physical and mental, which slices to the very heart of the
hiker's
volition, which are the real things that must be planned for? No words can
transmit those factors, which are more a part of planning than the
elementary
rituals of food, money, and equipment and how to get them. These are only
incidentals which are the smallest part compared to what's really needed to
tackle a long-distance hike. Your book will fall into line with the others
and be
no more useful in planning than last year's camper sections of 'Pennsylvania
Game News'. Of course,  I can give you the wordy tripe of how we planned,
and so
can the other hikers I consider peers. But since 'want' is the only factor
which
needs preparing, all we can give are empty words. Unless you have sweated
for
every step of a long-distance hike, you could never know what's really going
on..."
 Jim Podlesney 1975
:)(It goes on for a couple more pages on the same brillant words)(:
I think his words tell, no matter how hard you plan, the trail is the best
teacher.
Expect the unexpected, plan for the worst, but rejoice during the best
moments.
On the day of the last step along the trail, you will not be the same person
who
took that first step so many miles ago. Only by taking the risk or chance to
hike the
long trails, will you ever get to know yourself.

I wonder if Yogi has a copy of Chuck Long's 1976 "PCT Planning Guide book"??
Enuf words. Dinner time..
Hikon!!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Do you have a copy of the Chuck's book?  As far as I
know, it was the first of such books (Yogi's being
today's version).  He asked me to contribute to it but
I was of a different mind, as was Jim Podlesney (who
is still quoted in the latest California PCT guide).
So, because of my bad karma, I have never found a copy
to read.
  I don't know about 15 pounds of camera gear (I had a
Kodak Pocket Instamatic, the 70's "ultralight" hiker's
choice) but most hikers had an 35mm SLR, none of which
topped 5 pounds.  Of course, some of the lens were
monsters and could add up quickly to 15 pounds.  As
for 5 pound boots, that was standard (mine were 5
1/2).  My tent was a North Face Tuolumne (I still have
it though haven't used in 20 years) that weighed 5
pounds, which was light compared to some of the other
tents that were carried.  My ice axe was a aluminum
version of the MSR metal ice axe, a whole new idea
then.  I had the only one I saw as most were still
wood.  I carried mine every inch from Mexico to Canada
and though 99% of the time it served only as a walking
staff, the other 1% for self arrest made it one of the
most useful pieces of gear I had.  Other than a
paperback book I carried for rare reading, I cannot
think of a single item I would consider useless.
Though my pack weight today is far less than it used
to be, I tend to carry more "useless" stuff today.
But, hey, once you've graduated from backpacking with
babies and kids and all the stuff that went into those
trips (and the days packing it all), you'll think
nothing of throwing a few "useless" items in the pack.

Alan

>Maybe this should be a gear carried in year's past on
>PCT, and a gear carried this year contest(??) I've
>read some of the early 1970s journals and Planning
>guides, and you'd be amazed at what was carried. In
>the 1976 "PCT Hike Planning Guide" by Chuck Long some

>of the incredible items carried were 15 pounds of
>camera gear, 5lb leather mountaineering boots the
>total distance, 8lb Sierra Design Glacier tent, and
>full length wooden ice axes the whole distance. To
>each his own hike. To look to the future we must keep
>an eye on the past.