Musical instrument

imported
#1

Musical Instrument
I am thinking of hiking with my fiddle on the PCT. I am wondering if anyone else out there has thru-hiked with an instrument. It does not weigh that much! I can not imagine going 5 months without it. I brought it on a 5 day trip to peak bag San Jacinto and things were good. Am I bugging other hikers, is it too much trouble? Let me know if you hiked a bit with a string instrument and if it was worth the hassle and weight.

It was cool to play some licks on the the peak though! Full Moon and close to midnight, don’t think anyone else was there…he he

Evil Goat

#2

I met a couple of thru hikers on the PCT in 2002 who carried musical instruments. One guy had a fiddle, the other a guitar. Both had made their own cases out of lighter weight card board. It was cool to hike with these guys, because every time they would get to the top of a pass or high point, they’d celibrate with some tunes! They also played a gig at the little cafe in Kennedy Meadows, paying for their food and bar tabs a couple of nights. If I knew how to play the fiddle I’d carry one, IMHO it would be well worth the exta weight.

Mellow Mike

#3

Heck yeah, if you don’t mind the weight, and don’t mind risking damaging it, bring it! I saw a few other hikers with guitars on the trail. Most of us absolutely loved it when they’d play. They enjoyed it even more than us. :smokin

union

#4

Hey…by all means carry your fiddle… In '05, Dirty Thumbs Arbuckle carried his guitar…in a light canvas case that strapped to the back of his pack. In '06, Crazy Horse also carried his guitar. In both cases, we got some great tunes when they stopped here at our place. For shorter trips, I’ve known folks to carry flutes, recorders and once something that sounded a bit like uilleann pipes (Irish?). On a BSA trip that I lead through Lassen many years ago, one of our troop members, an exchange student from Italy, carried both my daughter’s guitar and a harmonica. He had this cool frame that he fastened to his neck and shoulders? somehow that held the harmonica, so he could play both at the same time. Our evening campfires were great!!! and they usually drew a crowd. Whatever you, be sure that you plan to make the Heitman’s in Old Station one of your Trail Angel stops!!!
I love fiddle music!!!

Georgi