Stop Whining Already!

Was the Olema Valley hike we did in August too hot and dusty for your tastes? Is Steep Ravine just a little too steep? Wouldn't you rather be hiking in Switzerland where there is a nice restaurant along the trail every few miles?

Stop whining --- after all, you could be through-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,650 miles jaunt from Mexico to Canada, rather than just "Meandering in Marin." In the event the lunatic notion of making such a trek should seem appealing to you as you read this "post", pick up a copy of The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind-And Almost Found Myself-On the Pacific Crest Trail". Author Dan White and his girlfriend, Allison, quit their jobs in Connecticut, and hit the trail just south of the Mojave Desert. They made it as far as Ashland, Oregon, far short of the end of the trial. Rheumatoid arthritis forced Allison to forgo a second shot at finishing the entire route, but White returned to the PCT the next year and hiked the rest of it.

The Cactus Eaters is a must-read for anyone who has been a day-hiker or backpacker, especially in the states of the West Coast. It's available through the Marin County Library system, Book Passage in Corte Madera, and Amazon.com.