Boy, how a discussion can turn so completely; sorry to have (overreacted and) been part of hijacking this one on your experience, Phat!


I think this is really true; the commitment I see from folks that for whatever reason are restricted to doing a section per year is pretty amazing. I really think section hiking is harder in a lot of ways; you're just getting into trail shape when the trip is over, so you have to sort of start over each time. This includes not just muscles/joints/tendons but also blisters and things like level of suntan and so forth. You have to figure out your particular gear list for each trip and inevitably not get all of it just right to start out. Logistics are a big PITA each trip. Often it means negotiating the right chunk of precious vacation time from family each time.

What I'm in particular awe of just now are people who stay in good shape and keep their diet (food intake) under control with all of the pressures of "normal life". I'm absolutely serious about this. My college roommate, also mid-50's, just got his black belt in tai kwon do last year, having only started a couple years before. He works out regularly and stays just incredibly fit all the time.
I haven't figured out "normal life" yet.