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Met a guy on the PCT who said planning ruins the whole point
Honestly, I ran into this older hiker near Mount Hood last summer who had no map, just a general direction. He told me, 'If you know every turn, you stop seeing the trail.' I'd spent weeks plotting my daily miles and resupply points. Ngl, it got me thinking hard about over-planning versus just going. Has anyone else had a moment like that, where another hiker's style made you question your own?
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torres.sage6d ago
Bro that old dude is onto something. My best trail memories are from getting lost and finding a random hot spring or a weird little town off route. Planning every step turns it into a spreadsheet, not an adventure. If you're not smart enough to find water without a map note, maybe you shouldn't be out there.
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derekl7917d ago
You think that guy would say the same thing if he ran out of water in a dry stretch he didn't know about? Planning isn't about ruining the fun. It's about not being a burden on search and rescue. I knew exactly where the next creek was when mine was dry. That's not missing the point, that's the point of getting home.
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