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Are we at war with Iran? An encounter on the Pacific Crest Trail.

larryB
in Off-Topic
For the uninitiated, the PCT is a hiking trail that goes from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. Those who attempt it are called thru hikers. Generally young and determined ,,, they are a different breed. We go for day hikes and enjoy meeting thru hikers. Today at about 9,100 elevation and in a pretty isolated spot we encountered a young man who chatted us up. He wasn’t interested in trail conditions or the nearest beer. He wanted to know “ if we were at war with Iran?” Then he told us he felt bad he didn’t get to join in the NO KINGS action. That’s amerika in the time of trump. On the other hand,,,, in the middle of nowhere I was able to access our brokerage account and add some shares of PRPFX. What a country!

Comments

  • catch22catch22
    Interesting, thanks.
  • AndyJ
    @larryb: I did the WA section north to south years ago and the disconnect with the wider world was a huge gift. Next campsite, water, and what's for dinner took up most of the bandwidth. Glorious.

    Years later, during the days of the "Coalition of the Willing," when companions and I were hiking a ridgeline that's the boundary between Forest Service and Park Service land, we met an NPS guy lugging signs and posts up to that divide by himself, with no mechanical or animal help. He was digging post holes and installing "NPS Boundary, No Hunting" signs. We asked where his help was, and what happened to the park budget. His reply: "It's all in Iraq."
  • larryB
    Andy J. The number of thru hikers is astounding. In a few hours on trail yesterday we saw a half dozen or so. I sort of compare it to cruising in a small boat. The weather, the next anchoridge, water, health,,,, that was all that mattered. Ironically when we were cruising the “Iranian Hostage crisis” was unfolding. We got news from our short wave radio. But history might be repeating itself
  • AndyJ
    edited June 19
    I went north to south partly because I was doing it later in the season, and partly to cross paths with thru hikers pretty close to finishing. I think where you are and what time of year it is sort of dictates how many thru hikers you'd cross paths with. September in the Sierras, for example, wouldn't be crowded with long distancers. (Well, except maybe some who skipped the High Sierra early in the year and came back later to do it when it's snowfree.)

    Right, sailing/exploring is pretty similar in some ways.
  • larryB
    Sail cruising relatively luxurious compared to living in the dirt but a tent couldn’t sink ,,,hit a whale or get run down by a container ship at night. But lots of similar themes…
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