And now for something entirely different. Sabine and Olli’s grown-up daughter, Zarah, came up with the following questionnaire. The responses will hopefully not only provide additional insights into our intrepid travelers’ motivations and feelings on and off the trail, but will also encourage you, dear reader, to send your own questions to our e-mail address at post@pct2019.org or through the contact form on this website. The plan is to collect and publish the Q & As on this blog at irregular intervals.
Zarah’s questions:
1) Have you met a lot of couples hiking the trail together?
The hiking community is astonishingly diverse, from all over the world: solo hikers, couples, men and women, young and old. There are even dogs, too – traveling with their owners, of course!
2) How old is the average hiker?
What’s fascinating is seeing people from all age groups fulfilling their dream of hiking the PCT. We met a 19-year-old girl, as well as 80-year-old Mel from Colombia. Most hikers seem to be between 25 and 35 years old.
3) Has the PCT become "touristy"?
Let’s say the number of long-distance hikers on the PCT has increased enormously since 2010. Undoubtedly, publication of “Wild” and the subsequent eponymous movie starring Reese Witherspoon influenced this development. 2013 saw 275 long-distance hikers; in 2016, this figure increased to 727. In 2017, due to unfavorable weather conditions, the number declined to 491. We encounter about a dozen hikers every day. As time goes on, this number will probably decline. But it’s not touristy, no; it’s a fairly intimate group. Probably there are more people climbing Mount Everest every year than there are thruhikers on the PCT.
4) What about the issue of togetherness, sex on the trail or in the tent?
Where nature is intact, so too is the cycle of life ;-)
5) Do you talk a lot? If so, about what?
We talk rather less, mostly because it’s strenuous. Topics are, of course: what and when to eat, when do we take a break, how long will our water supplies last, where’s the next waterhole ... We often check the distance covered, altitude, and time. Overall, Sabine talks more. A fast-paced Austrian couple responded to this question by saying they like to annoy each other a bit, thereby motivating each other to get moving.
6) Do you think you’ll change much during this time? Your personalities, or mentally or physically?
The trail will certainly strengthen our convictions in terms of what we do and what we envision for our future. It will make us stronger. A physical change will depend on whether or not we manage to incorporate lasting changes into our daily life at home, long after we’ve left the trail.
7) Do you think you’ll split up on the trail - and continue hiking individually?
Our goal is to master the trail together. But goals can change, as they do off the trail. The main topics of discussion concern logistics and the day’s organization. When do we depart and how long do we hike? Sabine tends to want to start the day later, but prefers to hike longer in the evening. (Tongue-in-cheek note from the translator: Knowing Sabine as the quintessential night owl, this comes as no surprise!) Olli prefers an early start, but likes to finish early, too. Both tendencies have advantages and disadvantages, so we aim for a reasonable compromise. That's our biggest daily challenge. But we're getting better, slowly adapting to each other’s pace, which will hopefully lead to greater daily distances.
(Addendum, days later:)
Meantime, we're not always hiking together, but rather according to our natural inclinations and strengths: Sabine's faster uphill, Olli downhill ...
Any questions? Write Sabine and Olli at post@pct2019.org
or use the contact form on this website.
We look forward to hearing from you!
