Most amount of journals

imported
#1

This year must have the most journals yet at this time of year. Has this site helped in the dissision to hike the trail.Is it a novelty to have your hike out there for everyone to read about. Just curious.

frog

#2

I hiked a good portion in 04 and didn’t have a trailjournal. What happened was that so many extended relatives and coworkers of family members became interested in my hike. My mother had to send a lot of my emails to other people.
In 05 I kept a trailjournal and it was so easy for everyone who knew about the hike to keep up with me at their leisure. Plus now that I’m finished, when I talk to people, I just give them my link and it answers a lot of their questions.
Oh and what else was nice is that while I was hiking I liked to read the journals of my friends ahead of me to see how they were doing and what I could expect to encounter up ahead. It’s a great tool to keep a trailjournal (and a good reason to get a digital camera for easy photo uploading).

0101

#3

A co-worker turned me on to trail journals last summer and its been the best planning resource I have found. Lots of real time, “used that” gear tips. Lots of “don’t miss this” comments, and plenty of “what to expect” in terms of weather and resupply. I’ve gone from an expensive freeze dried all mail drop schema to a totally en-route grocery store/convienence store plan as I go. Probably the best part is that I could find people similar to myself and gain a realistic sense of what the experience is like. As for the novelty, heh, I think it will be somewhat of a chore, but afterwards, it’ll be great to look back on it through the journal. :cheers

Conductor

#4

I am planning to thru hike in 2008. I have started a journal to keep distant relatives, friends, and close family informed of what I’ve been doing to prepare for my trip.

Right now there is not much. This April will mare 2 years before I leave. My family is slow in accepting, or maybe just not wanting to see me gone for 6 months.

I will use this journal to help them learn before I leave, and to keep up with me while I’m gone. Along with postcards, cell phone calls, and hopefully visits from them along the trail.

I benefit from reading the journals of other thru hikers. I try to find out what it is that made them get off the the trail, or what got them to the end. Especially the journals by other women. The more I know, the more sucessful I hope to be.

zeke

#5

The fun part is seeing who will actually keep up with their journals as this is no easy task for many. Unfortunately I have seen many journals that start off very promising, but the person can’t seem to keep up. Granted we must all remember that many including myself do this for ourselves, but still many of the people who are starting journals will not keep up with them once on the trail. Not being mean but it is the truth. Look back at past years. I tend to now read journals of people I have met or those who have already kept one over a year. If you’re looking to learn this is the best way as they have several hikes to refine their methods and gear.

Almost There

#6

…was reading people’s guestbook entries whenever i got to town. very encouraging!!

hephzibah