Monson in Backpacker Magazine

[TankHiker]

I know a lot of people on this board have issues with Backpacker magazine. So, maybe this will just back up your opinion.

The latest issue has a feature on Monson. It is nice in that is shows the AT, the BBQ restaurant, and has a little piece on Shaws. However, it seems as their research is a little out-dated. It has a few sentences on Keith Shaw, and suggests you ask him lots of questions about the trail and the area.

I'm not sure how far in advance these articles are written, but I found it very awkward to read. Keith Shaw was awesome. Maybe that's why it disturbed me so much that Backpacker doesn't even know that he is no longer with us.

-Tank

[java]

I haven't seen the article, but perhaps they are speaking about Keith Shaw Jr. He's running Shaw's now with Pat.

[TankHiker]

Yeah, that was my first thought as I was reading it. But then they mentioned something about how he started taking in hikers before anyone else did. They are definitely talking about Keith Shaw Sr.

[Footslogger]

I dropped my subscription a couple years ago ...not because of out-of-date articles like the one you mentioned but just because of how gear and locations were reported. I know it's all about advertising $$$ but I just got tired of gear tests and site reports that were all fluffed up to sell a magazine.

Sounds like this time they got a lead on a story and just waited to long to run the article without bothering to verify facts before it went to press. Guess a letter to the editor would be appropriate.

'Slogger
AT 2003

[Jack Tarlin]

Magazines like Backpacker are composed months and months ahead of time, and it's very difficult to kill an article or even edit one after a certain point in an issue's production, so despite the fact that Keith has been gone for several months, I don't think it's fair to criticize the magazine for being "out of touch" or inaccurate. Instead of nitpicking about this, I'm glad to see them talking about Monson (Backpacker generally has MUCH more coverage of the West and rarely mentions the northeast); I'm also sure there'll be a "correction" in the next issue.

[MadAussieInLondon]

you'll probably find it was written about 6 months before being published. mags work on cycles. you might find even summer articles for 2005 were done in 2004, etc.

[Tim Seaver]

I believe there will be a short article in the next issue of Backpacker on Keith's passing.