Re: [CDT-L] Thruhiking - Learning about it

In a message dated 98-12-09 23:13:52 EST, you write:

<< Subj:	 [CDT-L] Thruhiking - Learning about it
 Date:	98-12-09 23:13:52 EST
 From:	jrowen@ibm.net (Owen)
 
 The Rodale books [Hiking the Appalachian Trail] may be available at your
local library. Personal
 opinion is that among the plethora of AT books, these are the ones
 that'll give you the best introduction to what thruhiking is about - and
 what it really is. 

[A couple of sets are available from us.]
 
 
 There's less variety with respect to the CDT, but I'd recommend Karen
 Berger's "Where The Waters Divide", [also available from us].
 
  my personal
 recommendation for AT hikers would be Lynne Whelden's "How to Hike the
 Appalachian Trail", followed by Lynne Whelden's "Lightweight Backpacking
 Secrets Revealed", with the caveat that not all the lightweight
 techniques will work for everyone.

 [We would add that Whelden's Five Million Steps is excellent on the AT
experience.]
 
  To my knowledge, there's only one video about thruhiking the CDT.  Joe
 and Carol McVeigh produced "Journey on the Continental Divide" in a long
 version - and a short version. Both versions are available from Jim Wolf
 at the Continental Divide Trail Society (phone number: 301-

[ CDTS phone number is 401/235-9610.]  

and the
 long one is what you want if you're gonna thruhike.  The short version
 is good for showing your family what you're gonna do - if you can get
 them to sit down long enough to watch it. The lightweight video also
 applies to both the PCT and the CDT to some extent - with the caveat
 that it can snow any time of the year on either trail, so you need to be
 prepared. In 95, Monk had snow every week he was on the PCT - and in 97,
 Cindy Ross had sleet, snow and freezing rain on the CDT in Wyoming - in
 August.  
 
 Another information source is the Internet.  There's a whole gaggle of
 people who have their journals on publicly available Web pages.  And
 there's a lot of information on Web pages put up by ALDHA, ALDHA-West,
 Trailplace, the ATC, CDTS, CDTA, PCTA, Kathy  Bilton, PATC and other
 maintaining clubs, individual hikers --- seems like everyone in the
 world has a Web page.  How much of the information actually pertains to
 thruhiking?  Some - but not as much as advertised outside of the actual
 journals, and even those should be taken with a large dose of salt. 
 Like the videos, the journals are very often "cleaned up" for public
 consumption.  

[We are planning to put up a Links page to helpful journals from  
<A HREF="http://www.gorp.com/cdts/";>CDTS Home Page</A> shortly.]

  I think one fault with the lists lies in the attitude that such things
 as cell phones, speed records, bear canisters or other political Trail
 "issues" have any real importance or relevance to those who are
 thruhiking. 

[Such political Trail "issues" as location of the CDT in the Great Divide
Basin do have real importance to thruhikers.  If you are not familiar with
this, go to the border-to-border/Wyoming section of our home page (and also to
the CDT Forum).  Get the environmental assessment from BLM's  Ray Hanson at
307/332-8420.]
 
   Now if we could
 only get a discussion about snow conditions on the CDT….    But Mark
 Dixon's CDT snow page is coming --
 (http://missoula.bigsky.net/mdixon/snow/snow.htm)
 
[There is good info for Wyoming at www-wwrc.uwyo.edu/wrds/nws/nws.html]

 
 
  Go to the Gathering (either East or West - or both), go to Trail Days,
 go to Trailfest if you can possibly get there.  The Gathering is best
 because you'll be talking to thruhikers who have finished the Trail,
 sometimes just days or even hours before. [Amen.]
 
 
 
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 Date: Wed, 09 Dec 1998 23:14:24 -0500
 From: Owen <jrowen@ibm.net>
 Reply-To: jrowen@ibm.n >>
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