Fw: [pct-l] Once bitten on the trail?

[reinholdmetzger at cox.net (Reinhold Metzger)]

MOUNTAIN GOAT WROTE: It's the common bond of through and section hikers.
MTNNED WROTE: Solo hiker is equally smitten.--------------
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I thought the  "once bitten on the trail"  topic was behind us but here it
creeps up again. Just like sex, you can ignore it only so long.

Everybody has his own reason for seeking solace in the wilderness.......The
lure and beauty of the wild, the adventure, the challenge, connection with
mother nature, escape from civilization......whatever it may be.

    I KNOW FOR ME, IT'S THE LURE AND BEAUTY OF THE WILD, THE ADVENTURE AND
THE CHALLENGE.

                I don't really have any problem with civilization.  As a
matter of fact, after a few days on the trail, I look
                forward to returning to civilization with all its trappings
and pizza and beer.  Hey,  I like to jump into my
                pick up and go to the beach, watch Neil Diamond on my VCR,
see a movie or go to a restaurant if

                those are evils of civilization, I must be evil.

When I go with my friends or the boy scouts, it's more of a combination of
lure and beauty of the wild and adventure.

When I go solo or on the high speed JMT marathons, it's more a combination
of adventure and challenge, with challenge being the dominating  drive.
It all depends on which bug you were bitten by.     CONFOUND IT, MOUNTAIN
GOAT!!!   Here we are back on the bug bites topic again.

There is more than one bug out there.  One for every backpacker addiction. I
bet all hard-core backpackers have been bitten at one time or another.  Look
at DEEMS,   MONTE DODGE, SWITCHBACK, BILLY GOAT, PURPLE HAT, SNOW NYMPH,
MATT MASTERSON, AL SHAVER, JOHN STAMSTAD AND  I  have been bitten 20-30-40
years ago and still have it.  MOUNTAIN GOATgot bitten by the PCT bug and
SCOTT WILLIAMSON  really got it bad.  BRIAN ROBINSON AND SQUEAKY got bitten
by the triple crown bug.  ANDREW SKURKA got bitten by the sea to sea bug.
This list can go on and on.........
BRAD ALAN LEWIS AND I really got bitten bad by the JMT  bug about ten years
ago and every summer we come down with the JMT fever and the only cure is to
hike it.  BRAD is the only one that I know of that may have spent more time
on the JMT than I have.  I had the privilege of meeting Brad on the JMT on a
couple of occasions--great guy, tremendous athlete.

BRAD, BY THE WAY, IS A GOLD MEDAL WINNER OF THE 1984 SUMMER OLYMPICS AND THE
AUTHOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS, INCLUDING "WALKING TOWARDS THUNDER"  &  "ASSAULT ON
LAKE CASITAS".
If you wish to learn more about Brad, tune in to his website
www.bradalanlewis.com

I am currently recovering from reconstructive shoulder surgery and am
concerned when the hiking season starts and I come down with the JMT fever,
I may not be able to go hiking yet.   WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME?   WILL I GO
INTO SHOCK OR DEEP DEPRESSION---WHAT CAN I DO?    I can't sleep at night
worrying about it.            I   KNOW  !!!!!  ........I will ask my spouse
TO BITE ME   3  TIMES A DAY DURING THE  MATING SEASON    OOOPS   I MEAN
HIKING SEASON   to suppress this dreadful addiction.   YES---THAT'S IT .
It may not be a cure but at least it's an antidote to help  us helplessly
addicted backpackers  suppress this addiction. I'm so glad and excited
MOUNTAIN GOAT   that there is relief for us from this dreadful addiction.
    P.S.  For more bug bite information visit MOUNTAIN GOAT'S  prior posts.

                JMT REINHOLD
 Your more than once bitten and forever hooked trail scoundrel and  world
renowned bug bite researcher