Question for Site Administrator - Section Hiking

[Badger Hiker]

Thank you for the great forum and all the great information!

Is it possible to get main topic in the forum established entitle "Section Hiking"? There is a topic entitled "Thru Hiking" but many of us cannot take this much time off of work (at least until retirement) to do a thru hike. I believe a section hiking main topic would get lots of interest.

Thank you for your consideration of his request!

Respectfully,

Dave

[Turtle-2013]

As a section hiker, I would like that addition as well....

[attroll]

My concern with this is being able to monitor and keep up with the forum, if we added it. We are having a hard time now trying to keep people posting in the proper forums. This would only add to more work to our under staffed moderators and administrators that we have now. If we could get a couple people to moderate this forum and keep it in line then we would consider it.

[Sly]

Thank you for the great forum and all the great information!

Is it possible to get main topic in the forum established entitle "Section Hiking"? There is a topic entitled "Thru Hiking" but many of us cannot take this much time off of work (at least until retirement) to do a thru hike. I believe a section hiking main topic would get lots of interest.

Thank you for your consideration of his request!

Respectfully,

Dave

As a section hiker, I would like that addition as well....

Until there's a dedicated section-hiking forum why not use the general AT forum?

[QHShowoman]

What do you envision posting in a section-hiking specific area that would differ from the other areas of this forum?

[tiptoe]

I don't think a special forum is needed. Useful info on gear, food, logistics, points of interest and many other topics is of interest whether you are on the trail for one long hike or for several shorter ones.

[Badger Hiker]

Tiptoe and Admin - Understand your points but I have some follow-up comments. Tiptoe indicates that such a forum isn't needed as info on shoes, etc is on other areas of the forum. Yes, this is the case. The follow-up is then why is there a "Thru Hiking Forum"? I never will question an admin as I appreciate their kind dedication to allow all of us to have the WB forum and this is due to their support and work. I understand that there may occasionally be an off topic post. I run a forum on a different topic altogether. I understand there is some moderation required to keep things on track. I would volunteer to assist in this area and I'm not a quitter so will be here for the long haul. The section hiking community has unique information needs specific to section hiking just like the thru hiking community does. Thru hikers need info on mail drops, etc. Section hikers so not. Section hikers need info on shuttles, etc. Thru hikers do not. Due to this there is a need. I believe the need for this sub forum is as great or greater than many of the sub topics currently in use. Also, if there is a section hiking topic I believe it helps keep other sub topics on course. In other words, where does one make a post right now on section hiking shuttles? I assume in the General sub forum? How about a post on section hiking a specific section and parking areas? I assume the General Area as well? In other words the posts in the General area are broad and not categorized. Would not a sub forum on section hiking capture this area of interest in a specific area vs dropping these questions into the broad sea of "General"? I am not complaining here only offering a constructive suggestion that this may be a help vs a hindrance. I am also offering this suggestion while offering my volunteer labor and support time as a moderator.

[tiptoe]

Badger Hiker, I too have moderated forums in my past working life (I am now retired), and it's generous of you to volunteer your time here. Not looking to be argumentative, but I have always gotten good info on shuttles by posting in the Trailheads and Shuttles subforum. I do use maildrops on my sections, btw. I think the biggest shortcoming of the site is the dysfunctional search. Fortunately there is a workaround: the site-specific google search. As for the thru subforum, I think that along with hiking and gear tips, thrus are interested in getting to know each other before they depart, and their subforum is something like a college first-year mixer.

Facebook has an AT section hikers group that you might find useful:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/179997858744135/

[Badger Hiker]

Tiptoe - I believe you are missing the point of my post. A sub forum topic isn't just focused on me , or other section hikers, finding information - it also about establishing the community aspect that you mention is important to thru hikers as well. I would like to find a community of section hikers that I can share adventures with. Just like thru hikers! Also, experienced section hikers are not going search a forum with "work arounds" to find my posts asking for experienced advice. That is the purpose of a forum to be a community sharing location - not a hit and miss scavenger hunt using work arounds. My comments here are mainly addressed to the site admin. If you do not feel the need for a section hiking sub forum the solution is simple - don't use it. I have received a number of messages saying that a section hiking sub forum is needed. I'll leave it at that. I believe that if my initial post was located in section hiking sub forum the support would be significant - but it I located here where not many section hikers can find it- that is the point. My request here is not a huge one and I am volunteering my labor and support (and if necessary I will find a co-moderator). Let's see what the admin says without throwing water on something that in multiple places on this good forum is a want of many. I don't see this as a huge request and I am sort of surprised it doesn't already exist.

[Turtle-2013]

In my experience on the Trail there are a LOT more "Section Hikers" than "Trail Runners and Speed Hikers" ... but like them, or UL hikers, there is a bit of a different slant on nearly every issue. Just like UL hikers worry about ounces in the UL forum even though they are talking about equipment that could be discussed in an equipment forum. WE Section Hikers approach the AT in our own way. AND, it seems to me that if the Trail Runners (just one example) warrant their own forum, the much larger group of Section Hikers warrant one. If the issue is moderators .. it seems to me that you have a couple of volunteers already ... so ... how do we proceed to get this started???

[mcgrabo]

Just a bystander here, but it seems to me , that 'it' has all ready started. Can't wait for the snow and ice to melt, so I an get back to my short walks in the woods.

[attroll]

The same information is relevant with Thru Hikers as Section Hikers such as gear, food, logistics, points of interest, mail drops, shuttles, trail heads, ect. If you just wanting a forum for Section Hikers, what would be discussed in that forum that would only pertain to just Section Hikers?

[Turtle-2013]

As Badger pointed out ... partially "it also about establishing the community" ... the specifics may be secondary. Just like each class of thru hikers has their own forum, it would give section hikers a place to talk to section hikers about issues related to section hikers. That said I have worked on a list of things that MIGHT come up. Things like "natural section breaks of the trail", special rules related to section vs thru hikers (for instance specific required reservations in GSMNP), best guide books as they relate to sections hiking (rather than thru), etc. I have other things on my brain storming list ... but ... my main point is that just like the UL forum talks about gear in different ways than the main gear forum ... section hikers have differing priorities than thru hikers and trail runners. To be able to address a question to other section hikers without feeling like you are implying it applies to everyone could be refreshing.

In a recent UL thread someone, not a UL hiker, chimed it with a somewhat rudeish comment about "lower hanging fruit" because the thread was trying to save part of an oz on a AC phone charger .... I thought when someone replied with something like "this IS the UL forum this is what we do, worry about oz" .... I though he was right on track and clearly illustrated WHY different forums exist.

As I started with, it is about "community" and being about to discuss issues from a section hiker perspective with other section hikers.

[tiptoe]

Either way, I'm okay with the decision. I just don't see the need for a section-hiker subforum. Perhaps what the people posting in this thread are really talking about is the difference between novice and experienced hikers. A section hiker who has been at it for several years is quite possibly (but not necessarily) more experienced and knowledgeable than a thru hiker who is just starting out.

[Riocielo]

I would love to see a forum devoted to Section Hikers.

[attroll]

What kind of guidelines would you like to see for this forum?