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Nicely done . . . great selection of pics . . . they speak volumes, though the territory is unfamiliar to me. (Some terrain, obstacles are universal.)
As I've grown older winter is my favorite time...

Congratulations!

Enjoyable reading...I felt that old familiar "dampness" just looking at the fog hanging in the opening picture !

Wouldn't go backpacking any time without my balaclava...that's spring, fall and winter...in summer I take kayak trips...
Wear it around camp on cold nights, then to bed...keep it on during...

Your weight seems fine to me, as it is...if you're sincere in saying that you're stubborn and won't quit a few pounds here or there won't make that much difference...some advice...just add some...

So, you've experienced something remarkable--your PCT thru--and want more of that kind of thing..based on my experience the question facing you is more about "life paths" than "career paths"...(more...

Absolutely....the only time I felt "threatened" on my thru was when a storm whizzed in while I was in the Whites...had to shelter on the lee side of a knife edge ridge for 3 hours before walking on...

In both of the bad experiences I referred to sweating wasn't an issue....one was watching a football game from the stands in a light drizzle...about 40 degree weather...the other was on a fishing...

Backpacking gear, in terms of weight and functionality, hasn't changed a great deal in, probably 50 years, and when it has it has changed only marginally and in very small increments...some equipment...

Have been looking for the perfect pair of hiking paints for 30+ years, and have never found them....if light and durable they're too hot to wear...if light and semi-breathable they're soon destroyed...

Anything "peeling" is not a good...Anything....

It means the manufacturer's original interior "coating" is loosening...meaning that it won't function as designed any more....

I own a Marmot...

Still have much of the gear I used when I began backpacking seriously back in the 70s--Kelty external frame Tioga, Kelty Windfoil Breeze Tent, Peak 1 multi-fuel stove, one gallon aluminum pot...still...

Exactly...carry only what you'll really need...it's not like someone will have a gun to your head at the end of the day's walk, forcing you to be super-organized...

The only worthwhile tip I can...

Humans love a narrative...we love "stories" ...the story need not be entirely accurate--we're human, after all, and we either don't care, or forgive fudged details...

Can you write a narrative, on...

Master the art of performing a pre-mortem...what the heck is that?

A pre-mortem is simply an old management trick--you imagine that whatever you're undertaking will result in failure and then...

The NeoAir is a good choice...worth the weight, and I felt like I was sleeping at home it was so comfortable...I picked up a brand new one, still in the box, on ebay in January for $60.00...best...

The ladies that run the Rain Shed know their stuff...give them a call at the toll free number listed on their site... http://www.therainshed.com/ .
They'll sort it out for you very quickly...I've...

On my thru in 1991 I helped Keith feed his cows and we took a drink or two from a bottle of sour mash he kept out in the barn...after we'd loosened up a bit we threw horseshoes for an hour or so and...

Nike Aqua Socks...very light, durable...great secure traction for fords...breathable, quick drying...great camp shoes...worth checking out...used them on my thru years ago...still using the same pair...

To me it's just a glass with some water in it, but point taken--just part of the human condition...

Being comfortable alone with your thoughts, or being comfortable "alone" tethered to the...

Me neither...the "modern" thru is a diluted thru...I am outdoors 3/4 of the time in my line of work and constantly see people stumbling along trails compulsively looking at their cell phone,...

In '91 on my thru I saw none...what I did experience was the genuine kindness of people who lived and worked along the trail...the term "trail angel" hadn't been coined yet...a friendly store owner...

Bushwhacking is very underrated--find a safe place to cross upstream or down...finding an alternate route usually doesn't involve as much time or effort as one might expect...the alternatives of...

Since his wife is supporting him and the family he might help more children by getting a full-time job and donating 100% of his salary to the kids he thinks he's been called to help...don't see this...

I'm a cold sleeper, as well, in every day life...I prefer sleeping in a 50-degree room whenever possible, all other things being equal...I work indoors about a 1/4th of a typical day, outdoors about...

Liquids help things keep moving along...stay hydrated as some have suggested....after my morning coffee I'm good to go, pardon the expression.