Seen the new AT Journeys?

[veteran]

The Photo says so much.

[LIhikers]

Yep, we got ours just the other day.

[Luddite]

Haven't read one for a while. Are they getting less boring? I just read an old one yesterday and it was pretty... boring.

I haven't been an ATC member for years, but I'm thinking of joining back up.

[d.o.c]

hey joker im glad to see u got the cover shot....such a perfect picture u can almost feel ur happiness thru the computer..

[safn1949]

Hmmm,boring is a good word.Also a couple of others I won't say here after some of the politics they put in......phooey.

[Railroad King]

Well at least this one is more exiting than the usual issues. It has the 2,000 miler report and some somewhat interesting articles. I like the personal stories, reading about trail towns, and pictures but pretty much everything else is a yawn fest. Their target demographic seems to be the older crowd which is understandable since they give the most money but it does bore us younger folks. Not really sure how it could be better. Maybe some crazy more adventurous than usual hiking stories like "I was down to eating peanut butter out of the jar for two days before I hit town" or something heh. It is too political sometimes and too much talk about going green. While not a bad idea I'm tired of hearing about it.

[Pedaling Fool]

Isn't that bottled "stuff" illegal. Cute Girls can get away with everything

[Skidsteer]

Isn't that bottled "stuff" illegal. Cute Girls can get away with everything

No,no,no. That's what everyone is carrying since the BPA scare.

[wcgornto]

Hmmm,boring is a good word.Also a couple of others I won't say here after some of the politics they put in......phooey.

I feel the same way about National Geographic magazine. Wherever you stand on the questions of evolution and man caused global warming, I will not purchase a publication that is a walking billboard for (or against) either cause, let alone both.

[safn1949]

I feel the same way about National Geographic magazine. Wherever you stand on the questions of evolution and man caused global warming, I will not purchase a publication that is a walking billboard for (or against) either cause, let alone both.

Exactly,thank you.

[weary]

You guys have gotten it wrong, again. The magazine is free. Your dues mostly pay for the upkeep and management of a 2176 mile long footpath.

But hikers are known up and down the trail as folks who love services, but hate paying for them. Hikers also tend to be ignorant of the most basic science as some of these posts remind us.

Anyway, the last time I checked the magazine doesn't pay for the articles its prints. At least it never paid me for my occasional contributions. So if you have a better idea for an article, write it.

If you truly believe that evolution didn't happen in some manner or other, perhaps an interesting article might be to speculate why the creator scattered about all these seemingly ancient bones, and why our beloved Appalachians have the look of mountains that have eroded for millions of years, while other mountain ranges show minimal weathering.

Do you supose there is limited space in heaven and the creator wanted to trick some of us into believing our eyes, not ancient legends, so the place doesn't get crowded?

Whatever. Boring or not, ATC needs our dollars if the trail is to be protected. Unless you are willing to petition for more government dollars to support a trail that 40 years ago we promised to maintain.

Weary

[safn1949]

A) I am a paying member

B) Your opinion. And a very insulting one at that,it must be hard being so perfect and right all the time.And no,I really don't care if you like it or not,I am sick to death of the I'm better/smarter then you attitude expressed by some of the more accomplished hikers here.

We all hike for a reason,known only to us. Some of us have a firm belief in God,some don't. Believe what you will but think about what you say first.

[Roland]

~ Believe what you will but think about what you say first.

That's really good advice; for everyone!

[weary]

Isn't that bottled "stuff" illegal. Cute Girls can get away with everything

Not that I know of. What law do you think makes it illegal? Assuming the stuff in the bottle was made by a licensed brewer that paid the tax, it is legal under both Maine law and Baxter State Park regulations -- or at least as they have been enforced over these many decades I've been observing.

Weary

[weary]

A) I am a paying member

B) Your opinion. And a very insulting one at that,it must be hard being so perfect and right all the time.And no,I really don't care if you like it or not,I am sick to death of the I'm better/smarter then you attitude expressed by some of the more accomplished hikers here.

We all hike for a reason,known only to us. Some of us have a firm belief in God,some don't. Believe what you will but think about what you say first.

Well, I'm certainly not one that pretends to know the details of the word of God. I do know that most established religions share the belief of most scientists that evolution happened, and is happening.

As do even those skeptics among us, like me, who have delved into the various bibles, and the latest science.

I know that in this country, science teaching and religious teaching both get short shift in our public schools, unlike the rest of the developed world. As a result there is a lot of ignorance about both in this country.

But in this instance, I have yet so see a real factual dispute between the two that makes any sense.

Weary

[FritztheCat]

Excellent cover shot. I got mine the other day and have enjoyed the articles in this issue. Some of them are boring to me, but probably are interesting to others. Not all tastes are the same, thank goodness! Life would be really boring if we all agreed on everything.

[Peaks]

Kudos to editor Wendy Probst and her staff for the May/June issue of AT Journeys. Lots of good news in this issue, including:

1. A belated article on ATC Honorary Life Member Award Winner Larry Luxemberg, but most timely for the grand opening of the AT Museum coming up on June 5

2. Announcement that Hawk Metheny is new ATC Regional Director. Another thru-hiker and long time ALDHA member hired by ATC.

3. Article on the Applachian Trail Community program. It's gotta help ALDHA's Endangered Services Campaign.

[Cookerhiker]

Sorry for the redundancy but OTOH, the same old (redundant) diatribes about the ATC and Journeys are brought up again albeit by different posters. So here's what I said on the thread in January on this subject:

....Now as to the old Appalachian Trailway News vs. the new AT Journeys -Journeys brings some very nice features, namely the Trail Towns series, stunning photographs, monthly articles on wildlife (flora and/or fauna) along the Trail, and probably my favorite: a spot on a volunteer each month. The print quality is measurably better. Like ATN, the latest news on trail developments is helpful to those who care about the Trail's preservation and its very existence.

What I miss about the old ATN - the best way to summarize is that it was more of a what I'd call a "people's magazine" meaning it contained more input from the Trail Community. To be sure, Journeys includes some such input but it's more of a magazine about the Trail community rather than by

So what does it take to make Journeys more of a "people's magazine" without diminishing its strengths? Very simple:

1. Allow much more - at least double, preferably triple - space for "Letters to the Editor." Currently it's too-neatly packaged onto one page or less.
2. Bring back "Reflections." It was replaced by "Trail Stories" and "As I see it" which are OK in themselves but despite being usually well-written, they're very confining - a single 700-word or 1 page account by only one author each. And in more than one month, "Trail Stories" is omitted entirely. "Reflections" seemed more authentic - usually 1-7 articles, some one page, some one paragraph, but all "reflecting" trail experiences of hikers/users. I get the sense that ATC Management considers "Reflections" less professional-appearing than their successors but I miss the down-to-earth style of "Reflections." And most importantly, "Reflections" allowed for more people to write their experiences. By only publishing one account per month ala "Trail Stories," the ATC actually discourages reader input since the statistical odds against one's article being published don't make the time writing worthwhile.
3. This should be a no-brainer and perhaps already is ATC policy but I'll say it: only photos by ATC members should be published. Again, this is in the spirit of making Journeys a "people's magazine. Surely there's enough photography talent out there.
4. Of course keep up the profile on individual volunteers and also profile individual hikers each month as well. This is often done in the course of articles anyway.
5. Borrowing an idea from Rails-to-Trails magazine, feature a randomly-drawn ATC member each month. In no more than 1 page, the member can share a little background about themselves and why they support the ATC; what the organization and the AT mean to them.

FWIT, the ATC was interested in my comments and requested I send them to the editorial and management staff which I did of course.

And for those who think the ATC touches on "political" matters too much, well they (we) are in the business of trail corridor protection and yes,that sometimes means getting "political." Had the ATC confined itself to strictly hiking only and not gotten "political" 40-50 years ago, most of Trail today would be road walks. Maybe some of you are OK with that but I suspect most of us aren't.

[ki0eh]

I think the Letters to the Editor in the old ATN served much the same purpose then as this forum does now.

[Luddite]

Do you supose there is limited space in heaven and the creator wanted to trick some of us into believing our eyes, not ancient legends, so the place doesn't get crowded?

LOL



I love the ATC. I just think their magazine is boring.