Class of 2007

[Cherokee Bill]

Friends.

As you approach your start date please go to http://www.trailjournals.com/index.cfm and setup a journal so we your -friend, can follow you on the trip-of-a-lifetime.

I met "Conductor" while I was on a weekend trip, 2006, (i still work for a living, but will be a member of the class of 2013, at retirement, 66-yo) and followed his entire thru-hike by going to this site.

Conductor, religiously, wrote a one-page journal every nite in camp. When he went into town he mailed his journals to his wife, who posted them on the above site, with pictures. You can have anyone do this for you.

Viewing his journals & pictures on the above site was as if I was there myself.

[Dancer]

Already got one Billyboy, you can follow my prep right now. Not real exciting really. I know when I start reading a journal I usually skip prep entries so I guess I'm writing mainly for me.

[Dawn]

Yeah, I plan to have a journal there, but I figured I would wait to set it up for awhile yet (my start date is 3/17). A friend of mine has a 14 year old daughter who is interested in hiking, and she will help me with my journal. I'm excited to get someone so young interested. Maybe she'll do the trail some day.

[mindi]

I set mine up! It'll be under Mindi until I get a trail name. I'll be mailing home my journal entries when I get into towns and having them transcribed in the journal. Pictures will have to wait until I get home, though.

[Blissful]

Here's mine. Got journaling and pics from our section hikes through SNP and northern VA. Also my gear list.

www.trailjournals.com/Blissful

[Jack Tarlin]

Billyboy:

This isn't meant as criticism, but be aware that many folks DON'T care to keep an Internet journal for any number of reasons:

1. It takes a lot of time.
2. It means that a great deal of one's free time, down-time, town time
revolves around computers, Internet access, reaching one's transcriber,
etc.
3. An Internet journal is, by its very nature, not an honest one. People
will write differently when they're writing for an "audience" and there's
always an unseen ( or NOT unseen) attempt to be witty or glib, so the
journal writer looks good for their readers. It makes for a "diary" that is
patently false, as one can tell that impressing the author's audience is
the primary objective.
4. Every moment spent on an Internet Journal is a moment NOT spent on
one's own journal or diary, or spent interacting with others, enjoying the
scenery, etc.
5. The plain and simple truth, which nobody cares to admit, is that most
Internet journals aren't that great, and are all pretty much the same:
"I woke up. It was raining. I ate grits. I hiked all day. We skipped
lunch because it was raining. We camped at Cowflap shelter. I had
two Liptons. Tree Frog Slim told jokes. Then we went to bed. It was
raining." THAT is what most Internet journals are like, so beware.
6. I'm glad Billyboy enjoys Trailjournals and wants to see more of them, but
to be perfectly honest, I kinda think there are enough of them.

[Lone Wolf]

7. Trail journalists hog most of the computers in trail towns.

[Jack Tarlin]

Wolf is entirely correct: I've seen fights develop over control of a computer and without exception, it's the "Journalists" who are the worse offenders. On many occasions, in hostels and libraries, I've seen people maintain, with perfectly straight faces, that they're somehow "entitled" to extra or extended time on the computer because they have an Internet journal.

Hogwash.

Everyone has equal use of these machines, whether it's writing their families, checking their mail, ordering gear.....or keeping a journal. That fact that there are allegedly thousands of folks hanging on your every word from the Trail does NOT mean you get extra computer time.

(And likewise, every year more folks are spending more time downloading photos, which is time-consuming. DON'T do this on a library or Outfitter computer unless you know it's cool to do so, and don't do it on a hostel computer when you know folks are waiting. In short, your photos, journal, correspondence, whatever, is no more valuable or essential that anyone else's, so don't be a hog about it. There are libraries that have tightened up, or are entirely re-thinking their "public access" computer policies as a direct result of inconsiderate usage of these machines by thru-hikers).

[Blissful]

I must say I have found the journals invaluable as one preparing for my 2007 journey. I followed two specifically this past year, BlueBird and Upload and Stitches. For me they are a good way too to keep family and friends back home abreast of what's happening (for instance, my brother is very interested in my upcoming hike). And I like reading my own entries also, to remind me of the hike. Of course to those who have already completed the journey, other people's journals will likely be boring. But for me a newbie, I enjoy them very much. I am trying to learn all I can. I also am having fun getting to know the class of 2007.

I know of many that used other sources - like friends at home via pocketmail, cell phone, and regular snail mail, to update journal entries. That's what I plan to do and leave my Internet access time in towns for "business", to e-mail my honey at home and to say hi on White Blaze, of course.

[HapKiDo]

I think both sides of this issue are correct, to a degree.

That said, I've learned more from books than from Trail Journals.

Personally, I prefer to read a book by someone who's Thru Hiked within the past two to three years. "The Wonderful World of Awes" by "Postcard" Hughes and "Walking on the Happy Side of Misery" by Model T (J R Tate) are two of the better books out there.

I think I'll create a new weblog after I complete my Thru Hike(s). When I take photos I will take down names (Trail or First) so that I don't end up with photos of people whose names I can't recall.

On the subject of photos -- one of my friends shared this bit of useful information: Take a photo of Trail Signs so that you know where the photos taken between the Trail Signs were made.

See you on the Trail.
HapKiDo
GA2ME07

[Butch Cassidy]

Hi Billyboy, We have a Journal on Trailjournals.com as Butch and Sundance for 2007. I had a Journal for my 05 thru as Paladin and it was for my friends and family to follow the adventure and also many friends I made along the way to be remembered. The good thing about the journals is that they are not required reading for anyone so I can't see why they should bother anybody? I mail the entries back to a transcriber so I don't tie up the valuable computers along the way and very little time is wasted in the trail towns. So if you have time ,sign our guestbook and please join us on the adventure. Thanks, Butch

[VictoriaM]

7. Trail journalists hog most of the computers in trail towns.

I'm avoiding that issue by writing mine on paper, and mailing it page my page to a friend to transribe. Hopefully that will also keep it more honest, because I won't be at the computer, thinking about my audience and editing accordingly. Of course, mine is for me, not an audience. I plan to print it out when I get home and keep it.

[maxNcathy]

I am thinking of going with nothing to record on except my memory...even leave the camera at home.That would be unusual for me but I want this hike to as simple as possible.
I do enjoy reading other journals very much.

[mindi]

I have learned a lot from reading others' journals but I think it is a personal decision. I do not however plan on spending time on a computer while I'm on the trail unless it is for a quick check of my email or an email to my mom. I'll be writing my journal entries in a notebook and mailing them home to be transcribed once a week, and my pictures will be uploaded to it when I get home.

[chief]

3. An Internet journal is, by its very nature, not an honest one. People
will write differently when they're writing for an "audience" and there's
always an unseen ( or NOT unseen) attempt to be witty or glib, so the
journal writer looks good for their readers. It makes for a "diary" that is
patently false, as one can tell that impressing the author's audience is
the primary objective.

The last sentence reminds me of a few posters on this forum.

[Appalachian Tater]

I am thinking of going with nothing to record on except my memory...even leave the camera at home.That would be unusual for me but I want this hike to as simple as possible.
I do enjoy reading other journals very much.

That's what I did, no regrets, but no camera or journal is usual. Be as carefree as possible.

[MrHappy]

As a burgeoning young writer, keeping a journal is very important to me, but I won't be using trail computers -- I'm taking a pocketmail device. I tend to write better with a keyboard than with pen and paper (though I'll be doing a lot of both). I will only be using it to e-mail entries to my Dad, who will post them on a trail journal for me. Any incoming mail will first be scanned by him, so that I don't get anything too distracting.

[fujiboots]

Journals,
Well I hiked back in 2003 and didn't take anything. No paper, camera, nothing. It was good then, but not this time. I will bring both and do my best to get all I can out of the experience. As much as I admire you Jack, I politely disargee that an internet journal is untruthful. What I mean is that if keeping such a journal helps them to relive and reflect on the experience that will be for most of us a once in a life time thing, calling it untruth is taking it beyond fairness. Though I don't plan to keep a journal exactly, the letters and posts I make on this journey will hold as much truth as I want them to have, because in sharing the experience we all help others become part of our lives. For many of us that is a very special part of the experience too.
Still what I am really looking forward to is the hike, so all of you in this Class of '07 best of luck to your pre-hike planning, training or collapsing of the life you have to get out on that thin ribbon of mud through the woods.

[jersey joe]

When I thru hiked in 02' I wrote a paper journal and every week or so when I happened into a town I ripped out the pages and mailed it home where I was lucky enough to have my brother type it into an online journal. My family and friends enjoyed very much following my journey online and now I get a lot of emails from aspiring thru hikers thanking me for making my journal available.
http://www.geocities.com/joegamehike

[Cherokee Bill]

Did someone spit in your beer? Take a Prozac. We will all hike or own hike and record it as suits the individual!

If you do not like on-line journals, I defend your right! However, allow me and others to use the on-line journals, if we so choose!

Smile a a little & chill-out!