Snowshoe Thompson actually used ten foot wooden skies ( which folks of the day called shoes ) and a long staff to pack the mail across the Sierras on his 90 mile route ( which took 3 days up and 2 days back ). This legend of his day only lived to be the ripe old age of " 48 " after packing the mail for 20 years two to four times a month . I can't help but to admire this man and thinking of his winter crossings of the Sierras. ( No goretex, utralite anything, no powerbar,freeze dryed foods. Just maybe a bar of pemican. After reading the statue at the time, my Mexico to Canada trip seemed like a walk thru the mall. ( Looking back at today's PCT hike, my trip in 1970's was a grind with lack of info, good guide books, aid of computers, GPS, trail angels, and a National Scenic Trail only 2/3's complete. As my dad once said, " Every Generation Is Weaker The One Before ". I tend to agree. I had an easier life the my parents, and they had an easier life than their parents, etc. etc, Today kids have an easier life than most of the " Over 40 Crowd " did,, I am sure,, ( NOt Whining,, Just Calling It As I See It ),,,, Snow Shoe Thompson Had Us All Beat!!