As in the movie “High Fidelity”, name your “top 5, not-to-miss list” of journals on the TJ site. Any year, any trail…high impact. Advise.
TrailGuy
As in the movie “High Fidelity”, name your “top 5, not-to-miss list” of journals on the TJ site. Any year, any trail…high impact. Advise.
TrailGuy
It’s been awhile since I read it so I can’t really annotate this recommendation but, Big Red’s is probably my favorite.
Last year I read Liteshoe and Skeemer.
I also found myself interested in Too Tall’s journal from a few years back.
This year Shaun’s journal stand out to me and I’m also interested in Homer’s journal.
I guess I find those journals that I feel some affinity too more interesting. This year I can relate to some of the issues that Shaun expresses and so in a way I feel personally interested in his success…if that makes any sense… which is also why I like Big Red’s and also Too Tall’s journal.
Stuart
I’m doing Ross Nolan’s and Joy aka Xena’s since I have a small part in thier whacky adventures. Gottago is grinding some tasty miles on the CDT this year so I can’t wait to get some tips from her. She’s hard core.
Bushwhack
Lasy year - Liteshoe, Skeemer, Neil Mckenzie, Flying Scotsman. The ones you read first tend to be the faves, even if you discover a better one later. However, in terms of quality of writing, Liteshoe was out there by a mile. Too early to tell this year but I like Grace’s style. Ross is a lot of fun, but it’s probably cheating if you’ve met the journalist and I’ve met the pesky little bugger in London.
Rick Bayley
Trail Guy,
Last year I “hiked along” with Skeemer, Liteshoe, Journey, Trog and Molasses. I met two of them as they came thru Damascus. I enjoy the journals that describe what they observe and how they manage the mental gymnastics of the trail and various challenges - not just the weather report.
My all time favorite entry was the SEptember 22, 2002 entry for Pa Kettle. HE is signed up to try again this year so you can access the 2002 entry thru the 2004 listing.
See you at the Sidetrack.
Bum
damascus bum
Pretty impossible for me, since I’ve only read a small sampling of all the journals on the site. I’ll just list my three favorites of the ones I’ve read:
Spur AT00 - The first journal I read here, and a sentimental favorite.
Rocket AT03 - I’m just blown away by the fact that a guy that young would leave home to hike the Appalachians in winter, having never hiked in snow before. Lots of courage there.
Dimples AT03 - Nothing seemed to bother her. The only time she ever mentioned a problem she was having was in the past tense. The impression I got was of someone who’s going to wake up every morning with a smile and hike, regardless of anything else.
This is the first year I’ve followed the journals as they were being written. It’s much more exciting that way. The fact that I’ve spoken to a few of these people in email and read their posts in the forums gives it an added dimension. I check for new entries every day. I look at the weather reports to see what the trail conditions are like. When people don’t report in for awhile I start to worry about them. It’s vicarious living at its best.
Ardsgaine
For me, I was reading Aswahs 2000 Journal on Trailplace.com, when all of a sudden it disappeared. Apparently Wingfoot didnt think Aswahs partying attitude was proper for his site or something
I saw it appear here on TrailJournals.com and kept up with it the whole way. It was like I was a part of it.
The next year, 2001, my son and I were in the Smokies doing a section hike of the Park and AT. About 4 PM at Pecks Corner, we were resting up from a Long day hiking through the snow and ice and in walks Aswah. I said Hi Aswah and he was greatly surprised I knew who he was.
Needlees to say, Since then we have become friends and Ill never forget how it all started.
So my favorite journal is still his, 2nd favorite: My own from 2002
These journals can really start something, BEWARE
Rebel, with a Cause
Rebel, with a Cause
mine - definately one to watch this year
thus far, i havent seen enough from the current hikers to rate them - they all seem to be pretty good right now!
–andrew
andrew
On trailplace Liteshoe, Bono, Rocket, Flying Scottsman, all three of Spurs. Other on-line journals fallingwaters.com and Then the Hail Came, an online journal that is my all time favorite.
Big B
I liked Big Red’s journal and Greenbeen’s Journal, but I must confess that I did not read either of them or any others all the way thru. Big Red’s Poetry/thoughts were of great interest. Greenbean’s type A personality and comments about other hikers were great.
This site rocks, very little to no censorship. I love that. Here you can speak your mind w/o it having to agree with what some great hiker site creator thinks. A free press is essential if any publication is to survive in today’s world. People demand freedom of the press, freedom to express oneself.
Most of the journals are boring, boring, boring because they say little to nothing except where the person is/was, how long they hiked, etc and have little detail.
Sex sells, suspense sells------so if you want readers, make it interested for readers, develop a plot-----you need to catch and hold someone’s attention----so do it, pictures of cute girls and handsome guys----some rugged types, some humor. And for gosh sakes write more than a couple of sentences.
This year, I suggest you read Burn’s journal. This guy has been places most of us have never been and don’t want to go, gosh I hope I never go where he’s been. He’s already into his hike and posting----should be an interesting journal to follow----and he is a really smart guy with lots of indepth thought, etc.
See you out there.:cheers
Maintain
Come on now, be nice. I did not ring your bell. You rang it yourself, so…
Some folks could use a little learning.
Many people missed school that day, when just the day before the teacher told them “Be sure to come to school tomorrow because we will be handing out brains.” You, like many others thought she said “trains”, so you stayed home saying you didn’t need one and hence didn’t get yours. I feel so sorry for you that this happened, but alas you should have attended school more, especially on that all important day.
ROTGLMFAO
PS. Is is possible for a critic to write more than one sentence? Many critic don’t. They are just cynical critics, who didn’t attend school that one very important day. LOL.
See you out there.:cheers
Maintain
Over the years people have written about their lives on the AT and other trails and have communicated an enthusiasm that is contagious.
Big Red’s journal was my favorite because it was encouraging to me to see that someone with a lot of weight taking a risk and heading out into the wilderness of the AT. I like the fact that he didn’t always put a good spin on his experience but was real – he expressed his pain as well as his triumphs. Another good journal that I enjoyed was Specks who hiked as a part of a group “Five Alive.” It was interesting to see the interplay between the members of the group. And of course, I concur that Jan Liteshoe’s journal was engaging in its broad picture of the trail and the people along the trail. This year I have read Ross’ journal and it is humorous. Also Burn has some good things to say. In the next month or so we will see how the day to day aspect of the AT affects those who walk north.
Skylander
You can usually figure a journal has something worthwhile if it has a huge number of hits, but I wouldn’t restrict my reading to those. Some of the shorter journals tell very interesting stories, and often are good cautionary tales for would-be hikers.
Some interesting reading: Wyoming Skateboarder 1999, Torn 2003.
Bob
I’ve really enjoyed Officer Taco’s journal at trailjournals.com. Yes, it falls into that pattern of being one of the first ones that I started following. He’s radically different from me, but he has an interesting style, great communication skills - and sense of humour - which makes for an entertaining read.
Plus he was heading out early in the year, an unafraid snowtrekker, so he was, in my mind, almost like an advance gaurd. He was going where I soon would be…
Is going where I so soon will be.
Whoa
I read a lot of journals before beginning my trek on the AT. Blaze '02 was one of my favorites. I couldn’t wait to find out it he finished. Some of you may have seen him in the ATN a couple of months after he finished.
I am currently reading Hephzipah '03 and find it enlightening. She talks about her thoughts, feelings, wishes and regrets. Reading hers now that I am finished has made me understand why people hike this trail more than once. While I was hiking I never understood why someone would hike it numerous times when they could go somewhere else and see something new. Now I know.
Jan Liteshoe. Need I say more.
I have not read Big Red’s, but I will now after reading these entries.
I won’t rank my own journal, but I still read bits and pieces here and there and I get a feeling similar to homesickness. Never thought I would miss the AT that much.
Mary “Tucson”
Dragonsbreath, Tucson and GreenBean. All worth the read and each as individualistic as the authors.
Harry
Aswah
Bamboo Bob
Belcher and Puck
Big Red
Bonofide
Bonnie Scotsman
Datto
Duke Nukem
Hungry Howie
JoJo Smiley
Leif
Linus & Wood Stock
Man Who
Mr. Boo
Mr. D
Ready and Spur
Rocket
Sheltowee
Yogi
Tu
joe niemics pct journal is hi-larious. and im not even joe niemic. c-giddy has tailored his well to be a classic tale of challenge and discovery. dude who is on the camino de santiago is good, as is officer taco, both of whom are big religious, and so it somewhat surprises me that i enjoy it so much. but they seem good religious, genuine. and thier prayers read like poetic incantations at times. detours long trail journal is unique, in that she is sharing it with her moms. it promises to be a good one. and freewheelin milo? oh brother! he blows the lid off of the whole thang, it is so friznesh!
milo