Trail And Error

I work in an outdoorsy store. We sell hiking and camping equipment. A couple wanders in, looks at a couple of items with disinterest, and then walks over to me.

Customer: “We want to do the Pacific Crest Trail.”

Me: “That’s cool! How much of it?”

Customer: “Uh, all of it.”

Me: “All at once?”

Customer: “Yeah.”

Me: “Wow, that’s ambitious! So you’re here for camping supplies? Equipment? Do you have your phone permits?”

Customer: “What are you talking about? We just wanted a couple of backpacks and some hiking shoes.”

Me: “So… you have everything else?”

Customer: “What everything else?”

Me: “Everything else you’ll need to complete a 2,600-mile hike that usually takes five to six months when done as a thru-hike.”

Customer: “…”

Me: “Including Forrester Pass in the Sierra Nevada, which takes you up 13,000ft into the snowy peaks and requires seasonal timing.”

Customer: “…”

Me: “Orrrrr, I could recommend a local day hike a few miles from here that forms part of the Pacific Crest Trail that you could knock out in five to six hours, and you can say you did part of the trail?”

Customer: “That. We’ll do that.”