[at-l] (Guest Post) People of the Trail Research Project

[daveh@xxxxxxxxxx (Dave Hicks)]

May be this is the first of a series of inputs, which he has planned.  He
did say,  "BEGINNING [emphasis added] interviewing thru-hikers between NOC
in North Carolina and Neels Gap in Georgia on March 1st.

Although I wouldn't say that there would be no change by then, I do suspect
that the change by then, or at any single point (such as Harpers Ferry),
would be quite different.  Again he said that he hoped "...to gain  better
understanding in regards to the PROCESS [again my emphasis added] of
personal change during the thru-hike experience.

In my humble (and totally layman's) opinion, what ever happens on the trail
seems to be an evolving process.  I know that the folk I meet at different
points seem to have different attitudes.  I have no idea, however, how much
of this is real "personal change" and/or how much is the same old person
reacting to an evolving set of circumstances -- e.g., they seem different
because they are in a different stage of a process, but they move through a
wide variant of similar process in the same pattern.

Professionals have identified processes such a the grieving process that has
common stages for most folk.  OTOH, I know folks whose lifecycles of a
hobby, or an interest, or a job, etc are very much the same for each
individual as they cycle through their hobbies / interests / jobs / etc; yet
quite different between folk.

So, I for one would be very interested more about Dr. Lanpher's design is
and in his results.

Chainsaw

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken Powers" <kdpo@pacbell.net>
To: "Amber" <amberchime@comcast.net>; <benlanpher@hotmail.com>;
<AT-L@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 3:44 PM
Subject: Re: [at-l] (Guest Post) People of the Trail Research Project


--
[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]

I also wondered about "understanding in regards to the process of
personal change during the thru-hike experience". I don't think lots of
thru-hikers will have experienced a lot of personal change within that time
period. I would expect a more significant change by Harpers Ferry or some
later point. Maybe this is the before sampling. ?
 Amber <amberchime@comcast.net> wrote:--
--
[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
Hi, I'm thinking out loud here but are there that many through-hikers
heading south at the beginning of March in North Carolina?
A good place to be would be Monson, Maine on or around May 25 this year.
Then you would be able to interview the first SOBO folks out of Baxter and
the One Hundred Mile Wilderness. Amber.

-------Original Message-------

From: benlanpher@hotmail.com
Date: Monday, February 24, 2003 03:11:45 PM
To: AT-L@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: [at-l] (Guest Post) People of the Trail Research Project

* Message posted to AT-L from the National Scenic Trails Website
* by our guest Ben Lanpher, PhD .
* Please use to reply to the sender.

I am a licensed psychologist in the state of Missouri, and an avid AT
enthusiast. I am conducting a study entitled "People of the Trail" to learn
more about the thru-hiking experience. I will begin interviewing thru-hikers
between NOC in North Carolina and Neels Gap in Georgia on March 1st. If you
are planning a thru-hike this season and will be hiking south through this
area in early March, please consider participating in this study. With your
help, I hope to gain a better understanding in regards to the process of
personal change during the thru-hike experience, and publish the results in
a book and/or journal article. Please feel free to contact me with any
questions or comments by e-mail or phone
(573)722-5797.
Hope to see you on the AT!!!
Sincerely,
Ben Lanpher, PhD
"Shrunk"


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