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

Cdtsociety@aol.com wrote:
> 
> 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.]

Didn't know you had those - would you want us to advertise them on at-l? 
There were some people looking for them about 6 months ago.  We got a
set a couple years ago from Charles Konopa -   

>  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.]

Wouldn't argue with that - there are at least 3 or 4 others that I could
recommend too. But that's one of the best. 
 
>   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.]

I'll apologize - the phone number was supposed to be there - that's what
I call a "writo".  

> 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 you're talking about something "serious", Jim - most of the
"political" discussions on the email lists tend to be about what I call
"garbage" topics.  We got caught up in one about a year ago - I don't
EVER want to do that again.  I'd like to think that I have better ways
to waste my life.  

>    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]

Thank you - I don't think we had that one - we'll go check it out.  

Walk softly,
Jim
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To:            Aaron Unger <purplcows@jps.net>, Andrew Yip <AndrewY@micrografx.com>, at-l <at-l@backcountry.net>, "brian.kiesel@convergys.com" <brian.kiesel@convergys.com>, Brick Robbins <brick@fastpack.com>, cdt-l <cdt-l@backcountry.net>, Darcy Bergman <darcy@wave.net>, "David_Clark@candle.com" <David_Clark@candle.com>, Fay Weir <weir@sfu.ca>, Henry Shires <HShires@aol.com>, Jerry McMillan <jerry_mcmillan@pairgain.com>, Jim <HkrTrash@aol.com>, Joanne Lennox <goforth@cio.net>, Larry McDuff <lpmcduff@juno.com>, Lucian Hicks <lucian@sierranv.net>, "Margo J. Chisholm" <margo@tothesummit.com>, mark dixon <mdixon@bigsky.net>, Mary Roch <mags@mosquitonet.com>, Nathan Martin <NCMartin@lbl.gov>, Peter Haskell <pchaskell@hotmail.com>, Sandra Medearis <smedearis@hotmail.com>, Slyinmd <Slyinmd@aol.com>, Steve Baygents <steve@qcel.com>, Timothy J Fearn <timfearn@juno.com>