Is it worth the time and expense for a newbie?
Is it worth the time and expense for a newbie?
yes it is......
where and when is this course happening. i'd like to go?
www.warrendoyle.com
Has all the info
thanks geezer.
I had no idea there were courses on hiking the AT. Go figure.
JaxHiker aka Kudzu - WFA
Florida Trail Association: NE FL Trail Coordinator (Gold Head to Stephen Foster)
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I met Warren last year on the trail. Saw an older gentleman lounging on the side of the trail a couple hours from dark. We stopped and spoke he said he was heading to Deep Gap which was a good ways from where we were. I worried about that guy all night thinking he wasn't going to make it until well after dark. Found out the next day after talking to some other hikers that it was Warren Doyle. I felt like a fool for worrying all night about him...
"Keep on dreamin boy, cause when you stop dreamin it's time to die" -Blind Melon
I am registered for the May 2-6, 2011 ATI course.
There should be a tidbit or two that I can pick up from someone who has hiked the trail 16 times. I plan to hike my own hike, but incorporate some of Warren's experience and knowledge into it. I also hope to meet some other WBers and/or 2012 planned thrus there.
I lucked into a class of his at The Gathering in 99 before my thru-hikes.I can't tell you how many times his words helped me along.
I didn't need a course on how to walk in the woods. I learned about gear from backpacking buddies, reading, and trial and error. No biggie.
Some people take the straight and narrow. Others the road less traveled. I just cut through the woods.
What Warren helps with more than anything is the mental aspects of a thru hike, which is 90% of the game.
Saw him twice in '07 and his advice got me through the Whites and avoided a huge t-storm in NC by booking it to Franklin.
I own an outdoor ed / adventure company. The people I get in most of my programs are new to the world of the outdoors they have a gazillion questions and would rather get their info from a someone in the outdoor field and not someone who hikes as a hobby. Instructors and guides backed with a variety of certifications tends to have credibility, professionalism and experience. They want to learn from someone who's knowledgeable and knows how to answer their questions with clarity. There's a comfort level to ask the questions, practice and apply their skills. These types of programs are not needed by all but for those who take them they usually walk away happy & with more skills and knowledge they came with and feel confident to move on in their own pursuits and personal endeavors. Not to mention a refresher course on things can even teach an ole dog a new trick or two.
If you want to learn how to dayhike the AT from gap to gap while carrying only a couple Little Debbie's and a pint of water then Warrens's your man. Course highly recommended.
hmmmmmmmmm....a thruhiking course from the worlds greatest dayhiker?
geek
For those that feel they need a class....well.....OK. More power to em. I just hope it doesn't turn em all into "expert hikers" willing and eager to share all that "knowledge"
if you add up all of the miles that you walk to water, or to some nice vista, or some shelter that's a mile off the trail, well, those are extra. you can yellow blaze that exact amount of mileage later. they build up, like bonus points. that's all you really need to know.
don't like logging? try wiping with a pine cone.
I took WD"s class in '07 and it was very helpful in my completing my thru hike. As has been said--he helps you deal with the mental side of the hike. He helps you understand that you will be cold, lonely, bored, tired, and hungry--probably all at the same time. Even though I knew what to expect--it did not keep me from bitchin and whining. Nobody wants to hear it but it was my way of getting a bad day out of my system. And you will have a lot of bad days so learn a way to enjoy every day of your hike.
warrens contributions to our comunity are far and wide. if you came from another country not knowing folks and not understanding all the information about the thruhiking ways, think how few places you could shop for an all in one introduction to our worl. few is how many. very few. so stop careing what he eats for breakfast and how he dances at a trailfest and just be very very thankfull that a man has given his life to help folks fall in love with the AT.
matthewski