nic
Trail Wise!
Posts: 25
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Post by nic on Aug 20, 2019 18:10:27 GMT -8
My son and his wife are doing the PCT next summer so I have been following many of the PCT vlogs this summer (Little Skittles,Restless Kiwi, IBtat and second Chance have been my favorites). This has been a really hard year with the epic snows and so many have had to leave the trail due to injuries or had to flip to oregon and skip the sierras altogether.
Second Chance is still on the trail. He did not give up despite the many challenges he has faced and continues to face. He is now back on the trail after taking the time off recommended by the doctor to heal his back.
They beauty of his video is his innocence and transparency imho. He is not a show boat no matter how many hugs he wants to give out. He is still this big guy that isnt afraid to cry or show just how hard it is to be a big guy in a see of fit youngins trying to reclaim his life again. Sure he is still just barely under 300 pounds but that doesnt discount just how far he has come. He still doubts himself. He still doesnt feel like a thru hiker even tho he has been hiking since the end of January. Whether slack packing or backpacking - how can he not be considered more than a stunt? This is my opinion after watching ALL of his videos and watching his experience from the beginning...
I hope this hike continues to bring him continued health, love (love him and little bee together) and the life he dreams for himself not needing a couch, food or soda to deal with the critics.
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desert dweller
Trail Wise!
Power to the Peaceful...Hate does not create.
Posts: 6,291
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Post by desert dweller on Aug 20, 2019 19:01:50 GMT -8
I hope this hike continues to bring him continued health, love (love him and little bee together) and the life he dreams for himself not needing a couch, food or soda to deal with the critics. It's refreshing when someone sees and accentuates the positive view.
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RumiDude
Trail Wise!
Marmota olympus
Posts: 2,361
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Post by RumiDude on Aug 20, 2019 21:28:46 GMT -8
Second Chance Hiker has 25K+ subscribers to his YouTube channell. His videos are monitized. He has a patreon account. He has an Amazon Affiliate Link as well. He has had a ton of free gear provided to him along with a ton of logistical help. Someone puts together his videos and posts them for him I am told. I would say he has more outside assistance than 99.999% of all the other hikers on the PCT. As far as I can tell, this assistance is all free. People seem to be eager to give him this free help. And this free help started very soon after his initial few videos.
All that is OK and his right to do it. The people that give to him have a right to give. And the people that are critics ... well they have the right to criticize and question as well.
I am not a huge fan of most hiking videos from the PCT, CDT, AT, or elsewhere. Most are just people talking into a camera. I do like informational, instructional, and artistic videos centered on backpacking and hiking. Second Chance Hiker's are the type of hiking videos I like. His videos mainly are pathos driven, which to me is tiresome.
Again, I wish him well in finding whatever it is he is seeking. I think attempting the PCT is a poor way to get physically healthy by losing 200 pounds. I also think doing it by starting a video channell is playing off the pathos of his life situation. I don't think anyone would advise another person to do those things to lose 200 pounds and get their life in order. As earnest as he is, this is a poor strategy to change his life. And the video channell is especially a bad strategy.
I have taken the time this evening to binge watch a random selection of his videos. I was particularly interested in how he talked about his problem and what he wanted. What struck me was that it sounded like addiction language. That is it sounded like how addicts talk about their particular addiction. He mentioned several times how he loved to eat (food addiction) and got joy from it. But then he also talked about how tired he was to be living like that and wanted a change. This is how addicts talk. My suggestion is that he should get off the trail and into group therapy or similar. Hiking season on the PCT is going to come to an end and then what? The hiker community will disperse and he will be left on his own.
Yes I could be waaaaaay off-base in my evaluations. But I don't think I am that far from it.
Rumi
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Post by bluefish on Aug 21, 2019 6:03:21 GMT -8
The jury is still out for me. He's doing a rather expensive and aided hike and I researched that he has 8 and 10 year old boys. I wonder who foots the bill for them? I'm guessing Dixie has the largest following of any of the long trail walkers, it seemed contrived he got a boost from her showing up. At first I thought it was inspiring, now I'm getting a little turned off by the self-absorption. As Rumi noted- addictive behavior. He now seems obsessed with "footage". I've never been able to do a long walk, though I wanted to, because there was always some responsibility I needed to address that came first. So, maybe I'm jealous, but I don't regret the care my family has received over the decades.
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