RE: Request for a friend who needs to do AT research

   I have a huge favor to ask of you and I hope that you might actually have 
fun helping me out. I'm at Penn State now working on my Masters degree, and 
for one of my term papers I am researching the culture that develops among 
long distance hikers, specifically Appalachian Trail hikers (since it passes 
through this great state of Pennsylvania) and trying to examine why 
trail-culture develops. I think that most long distance hikers would agree 
that there is a definite culture that develops among hikers on the trail, 
and one can experience that culture no place other than on a trail, or with 
fellow hikers. In my research I'm defining culture as "information or ideas 
that are received or created, stored, transmitted and utilized by a group or 
groups of individuals."  Since I have not completed a thru-hike of the AT I 
can't give a first     hand account of the experience of AT culture, and I 
want to present that perspective in my paper. If you could help me out with 
this first-hand perspective I would really appreciate it. There are only two 
questions that I really want to examine. They are:

      1a. Do you think that culture develops among Appalachian Trail Hikers?

      1b. If yes, please explain the components of that culture? (can be 
broad or specific. ie. components of culture can be language, food, specific 
or general behaviors,   attitudes, etc..)

      2. Is there a difference between the culture of thru-hikers and 
section hikers? or worded a bit differently, do you think that section 
hikers have a similar experience with trail culture than thru-hikers?


  Now, I'm not expecting this to take up too much of your time, so I'm not 
expecting long answers, just some thought provoking information to use in my 
paper. Also, if you know other AT hikers that would be able to help me with 
some enlightening ideas on their take of the situation, please forward this 
email to them. The more information, the more thorough my research paper. If 
you don't have time, or think that this concept is completely silly,  then 
just let me know.

Send all responses to:
   Becky Pfaffenbach  - mailto:bjp181@psu.edu
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