I'm just interpreting here, but
for some, the term "epic" carries baggage. Back when we got into this, our older, more "experienced" friends described their "epic" hikes... they were scary. Something (usually many tiny somethings) went wrong... planning/execution (and gear in the 60s & 70s) had issues. "Epics" had serious life-threatening situations. One friend has kicked-stepped herself into raw heels going up Muir Pass. By the end of her trip, she was flown to a hospital because of systemic infection from the raw wounds which weren't treated well enough. If QITNL shares
this definition of "epic" hike, then I see the point... "easy and safe" sounds good and sane to me. But each person's "easy and safe" will vary with experience and temperament, I believe.
Basilbop and I do long hikes, we push our own limits to some degree, but I'm big on the incremental progress. You don't jump into a 30 mile day hike. You build up. I cried on my first 1 mile "hike" while in college. I bawled several times near the end of my first descent from Whitney a few years later. That 30-mile day hike up the GCT we did a couple of years ago didn't hurt me at all, I loved every minute of it. About 20 years of training (for me - hopefully others get in shape faster, with fewer injuries!) made the difference.
I'd say we've never had an "epic" backpacking trip. I'm not sure we've ever had an "epic" trip at all.. Pain yes, but nothing really went wrong. All our gear worked, we knew how to use it, we've never gotten lost, but it takes planning, preparation, training.
I also personally bristle when I hear the phrase "death march" applied to one of our hikes by our non-hiking friends. I've never thought of them as "death marches" and have always enjoyed myself on the trail. Yes, sometimes tired at the end of the day, but never any regret... other than maybe passing up great swimming holes!
Frankly, I don't recall reading many "epics" on this site... Maybe I'm tuning them out?
Short or long, I agree with the others,
every trip is special, every perspective is different, and reading everyone's stories is the real treat to this site. So short or long, please post!
I think JasonS's trip to Elizabeth sounds fabulous! I didn't see a mention of bugs, and I've always found that area lovely. What a treat to spend the day exploring and enjoying the details! Makes me want to go back there...
Bet Chick-On might regret encouraging me to start posting.. I'm chatty...