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[at-l] History of the Thru-Hiker Guides
In 1982 Woodelf and I met "The Bushwacker" who had thru hiked the AT and wa=
s hand publishing "The Bushwackers Guide to the AT". Ya, he showed up at Ro=
an High Knob Shelter twenty years ago in April. I remember it well. Hmm who=
else was there, Andy Coon on his third or fourth and first north bound, Ch=
ris Lustig, Chris Moon, Ranger Jim (he called it marching instead of hiking=
) ....
chase
Snodrog5@aol.com wrote:
>
> --
> [ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
> I saved this from a few years back.
> I dunno who put it together from the archives.
> --------------------------------------
>
> History of the Thru-Hiker Guide's - msgs captured from a "discussion" on =
AT-L
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>
> In August 1980, four soon to be accomplished Thru-hikers were duscussing =
the
> need for a guide to be written for future Thru-hikers.
>
> One of those four, Darrell Maret "The Philosopher" put together such a gu=
ide.
> it was called "The Bootleg Guide". For two years it was photocopied by
> volunteers at the Appalachian Trail Conference.
>
> Then in 1983, ATC began to officially print the guide and the name was
> changed to "The Philosopher's Guide to the AT"
>
> The last year for the Philosopher Guide was 1990. Darrell wanted to go on=
to
> other things.
>
> In 1991 Dan "Wingfoot" Bruce started The Thru-Hiker's Handbook. ATC print=
er
> the handbook. Sometime after 1993 Wingfoot, started to print the handbook=
.
>
> After problems with the Handbook coming out on time. ALDHA started the
> Thru-hikers Companion.
>
> Wildbill
>
> From: "The Weathercarrot"
> Bill - some corrections - you write:
>
> >> Sometime after 1993 Wingfoot started to print the handbook. Aft=
er
> problems with the Handbook coming out on time. ALDHA started the Thru-hik=
ers
> Companion. <<
>
> That is not entirely what happened. Here's the true story (as close to tr=
ue
> as one can likely make it):
>
> WF wrote the book and was published by ATC through the 1993 edition.
> Throughout that period, both sides in the arrangement became increasingly
> frustrated with the working relationship (the details of which we don't n=
eed
> to discuss here). Finally, WF came to the conclusion that he could be mor=
e
> successful doing the Handbook project totally on his own, so he split
> entirely from ATC sometime in the first half of '93. This roughly coincid=
ed
> with the formation of the "Center for AT Studies."
>
> Meanwhile, ALDHA had wanted to produce their own thru-hiker guide for qui=
te
> some time, and with ATC suddenly out of the Handbook loop, they quickly
> turned to ALDHA, and by mid '93, plans were underway for the Companion.
> Everyone involved generally agreed that it would need to be quite differe=
nt
> from the WF version, partly because they wanted to avoid the whole copyri=
ght
> infringement thing, and also because they wanted it to be very
> distinguishable anyway. Joe and Monica Cook became the primary editors fo=
r
> the first edition, and the format was largely based on their own vision o=
f
> what they would have preferred the WF book to be when they were thru-hiki=
ng
> in '91: Intentionally more basic, and less info to make "the Companion ju=
st
> that: enough basic information on hiker-oriented services near the trail =
to
> enable the adventure of hiking the whole AT to be YOUR adventure" (as sta=
ted
> on back cover of the first edition).
>
> >From the 1994 to the 1998 editions of both books, the WF guide significa=
ntly
> out-sold the ALDHA guide, although I believe sales in the latter increase=
d
> somewhat through the period. And the lateness/absence of the recent WF
> editions was not a big factor in the original Companion purpose. It's
> interesting to note that the Companion's initial concept (scaled-back amo=
unt
> of detail) never quite caught on with most thru-hikers, and over the year=
s it
> has steadily grown to where now it's precisely the same weight as the WF
> book, and about 70% thicker than when it began. In the end, and in effect=
,
> both guides are now very similar (besides style), and equally useful (IMH=
O).
> That's pretty much it. I hope I kept the bias to a minimum.
>
> wc
>
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>
> And there were things that predated 1980. In DWG, I got a two page
> mimeographed copy (remember those machines?) of (what I recall was titled=
)
> The Philosopher's Guide (though I could be wrong on that one), which list=
ed
> such items as 18xx miles N.Woodstock,N.H..................... empty house=
on
> rt side hwy N out of town w/porch for quick nite.
>
> Don't see much like that now, except in registers, for obvious reasons.
> Anybody else remember more details? (I've been looking for my copy, which=
I
> found in '97, but seem to have relost.)
>
> Sloetoe
>
> > And there were things that predated 1980. In DWG, I got a two page
> mimeographed copy (remember those machines?) of (what I recall was titled=
)
> The Philosopher's Guide (though I could be wrong on that one) <<
>
> The Original PG was called the "bootleg guide." The story from the author
> himself (from the last PG edition):
>
> "In August 1980, four soon-to-be-accomplished thru-hikers were sauntering
> along a tote road in Maine, discussing the need for a guide to be written=
for
> future thru-hikers, on guide with the "inside" scoop on what the AT is re=
ally
> like, and with helpful hints and advice on how best to succeed. The name
> proposed for this was "The Bootleg Guide." That Autumn, I - being one of =
the
> four and somehow elected - put together such a guide. For two years, the
> Guide was a rough and ready affair, photocopied to order by the volunteer=
s at
> the Appalachian Trail Conference. Then, in 1983, ATC began formally
> recognizing and officially printing the Guide, so it ceased being "bootle=
g."
> Only the name, however, has changed. I have losened no straps. This is th=
e
> only ATC publication to admit that it really does rain on the AT. ....." =
--
> Darrell Maret "The Philosopher"
> ______________________________________________________
> tmcginnis@ucclan.state.in.us writes:
>
> << And there were things that predated 1980. In DWG, I got a two page
> mimeographed copy (remember those machines?) of (what I recall was titled=
)
> The Philosopher's Guide (though I could be wrong on that one), which list=
ed
> such items as
> 18xx miles N.Woodstock,N.H..................... empty house on rt side h=
wy N
> out of town w/porch for quick nite.
>
> Don't see much like that now, except in registers, for obvious reasons.
> Anybody else remember more details? (I've been looking for my copy, which=
I
> found in '97, but seem to have relost.)
>
> Sloetoe >>
>
> There could have been something before 1980. But it was not the Philosoph=
er's
> Guide.
>
> 1981-1982 - The Bootleg Guide
> 1983-1990 - The Philosopher's Guide to the AT
> 1991 - Present - The Thru-hiker's Handbook
> 199? - Present - The Thru-hikers Companion
>
> The following Info was taken from the 1989 Philosopher's Guide to the AT.
>
> In August 1980, four soon to be accomplished Thru-hikers were duscussing =
the
> need for a guide to be written for future Thru-hikers.
>
> One of those four, Darrell Maret "The Philosopher" put together such a gu=
ide.
> it was called "The Bootleg Guide". For two years it was photocopied by
> volunteers at the Appalachian Trail Conference.
>
> Then in 1983, ATC began to officially print the guide and the name was
> changed to "The Philosopher's Guide to the AT"
>
> Wildbill
>
> I still have my 1990 copy of The Philosopher's Guide. He had such a
> laid-back, confirming attitude. "It's tough along there, but go for it."
> WF took all of that out. Now, it's just go...go...go. No you can do it.=
No
> this is tough. It's all just rah, rah, rah. I still miss The Philosopher=
.
> Where is he now, anyway? Leslie
>
> lwbooher@evansville.net writes:
>
> << I still have my 1990 copy of The Philosopher's Guide. He had such a
> laid-back, confirming attitude. "It's tough along there, but go for it.=
"
> WF took all of that out. Now, it's just go...go...go. No you can do it=
.
> No this is tough. It's all just rah, rah, rah. I still miss The
> Philosopher. Where is he now, anyway? Leslie
> >>
>
> I have the 1989 and may have the 1990 PG.
>
> There is a, Darrell Maret in Marietta, GA and a Darrell J. Maret in Oma=
ha,
> NE.
>
> Maret the Philosopher was living in Atlanta, GA when he wrote the 1989 PG=
.
>
> Wildbill
>
> Subject: Re: [at-l] History of the Thru-Hiker Guide's
> Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 18:54:30 EST
>
> Wild Bill wrote: There is a, Darrell Maret in Marietta, GA
>
> That's him. He's been active with GATC since he stopped writing the PG.
>
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