[at-l] How to help a newbie?

[chaynes@megalink.net (Clifford R. Haynes)]

Now some folks on this list aint gonah like this, but if you show your
friend what the white blazes look like and you help him decide how much
money he will need, he already knows every thing else, he needs to know to
thru hike. He knows how to lift one foot and put it in front of the other,
and he has managed to successfully feed himself for quite some time now. If
you want to get out backpacking with him, it's fine and can be helpful, but
in reality there isn't much to learn, that he doesn't already doesn't know.
Get out enjoy it, work up to walking all day, and most important use the
common sense that everyone is born with.
If he finishes a thru it will come down to one of two things, one he likes
what he is doing and sticks with it, or he sees it as a challenge to be
concurred, and has a strong enough drive for the conquest to keep going.