[at-l] Re: at-l hiking

[gypsy97 at bellsouth.net (gypsy97@bellsouth.net)]

Well said.  Someday I think I will go back and read Fletcher's book again.  A year or so after I read it the Cincinnati Enquirer carried a feature article about 2 college students who had just thru hiked the AT.  I didn't know anything about the AT then and I had little children at the time, but the seed was planted and I knew someday I wanted to try.  I wonder if Fletcher, or even the Cincinnati college kids, ever had an inkling how far their words spread, and the impact they made.  The same thing goes for our own trail journals some 30 years later.  I know they make some sort of an impact because I got many letters from people who didn't know me but happened to read my journal on trailplace.  

gypsy 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bror8588@aol.com 
  To: C7eca@aol.com ; gypsy97@bellsouth.net ; at-l@mailman.backcountry.net 
  Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2004 5:20 PM
  Subject: Re: [at-l] Re: at-l hiking


  In a message dated 11/23/04 16:50:30 Eastern Standard Time, C7eca@aol.com writes: 




    Colin Fletcher wrote Walking Through Time.  I never much cared for the 
    outdoors 'til I read his stuff and found out you didn't have to be an insufferable, 
    macho, competitive &^% to hike.


  Last night I read the last pages of the book A Walk Through Time by Colin Fletcher and it was the second time I had read it.  The first time (back in the 1970s) I was impressed but this time I read it slowly and learned some things.  I like his description of Geological Time and his observation of Biology.  I also liked his Anthropological insight and his "getting into the skin" of those who came before.   

  He was fortunate for he was able to do his walk in a time when restrictions were less than today.  Air drops of sustenance, walking in areas not available today, and having a mentor who had explored the Canyon earlier and offered useful advice, were all helpful to him.   

  Colin Fletcher is an author who offers insight to backpackers over and over again.  Some things he writes about are now out of date but his ideas about conservation inspire me. 

  Skylander