I agree with Tom on this one.

I've posted a bit less in recent months for a variety of reasons. One was gear burnout. After curtailing my hiking plans after injury last summer, all I wanted to do was get out there and hike year-round. So I dramatically cut my part-time hours at REI and now have weekends free to walk. I just got back from my third trip in fou weeks. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> But I just didn't feel up to posting every day about gear. I've reached the point where I only worry about gear if I foresee a problem with what I already have.

The other was a fatigue with answering the same question over and over. The truth is, the search feature here only does so much, and folks will likely need to answer those repetitive questions fairly regularly still. But for right now, I have been content to let Tom and newer, but very knowledgable members like Phat, take care of many of those.

Combine this with the fact that I work with kids with emotional disorders (and usually the foul attitudes that go with them), and I find that I am much happier hiking or going to the gym than sitting at a computer at the end of one of "those days".......

I'm still here. I still monitor the forums as a moderator. And I still offer advice from time to time. But maybe I've become part of the old guard......

I'm just glad we have some great, enthusiastic members in the new guard as well as the tried and true old guarders like Earthling to give us all a reality check. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> To all of you out there who make this community what it is, thanks!