Looking for interviewees for a class documentary project

[Kristine]

Hello!

My name is Kristine and I go to college in Baltimore, MD, and I am writing a documentary on the Appalachian Trail for a current course I am in. I’ve chosen to do my documentary on the Appalachian Trail (and its hikers), because my father (who passed away last summer) enjoyed hiking on the trail as a hobby as I was growing up—and thus the interest passed on to me.

For this documentary I am hoping to find several interviewees to answer some questions about their hiking experience(s) on the Trail. While I plan on hiking myself in hopes of finding others who may be willing to answer some questions, I feel like some may be more comfortable with writing their experiences rather than explaining them orally. Thus why I am here.

So, I’m trying to ask if there would be anyone willing to answer some pretty basic questions in the next week or so? I’m not 100% with writing the questions, although I will be in the next day or so. (So if anyone were interested, I could PM them.)

I should say: you don’t have to give any personal information if you do not want, this will not be public (only my class and maybe family would see it), and this will not be for profit.

And, I guess that’s about all I can think of right now.

Thanks for reading and for your time!

[Hikes in Rain]

Not a thru hiker, just a sectioner from Florida with logistics issues, but I'd be happy to help.

[jburgasser]

Another section hiker from Florida here. As all my non-hiking friends are sick of my hiking stories, I would be happy to answer questions for you.

Ickybod

[Kristine]

Thanks you guys!

And don't worry, doesn't matter if you're a thru-hiker or not, what you have to say is still just as valid.

I'll PM you with the questions by this afternoon.

[Majortrauma]

I'm game Kristine. Not a tHru-hiker either but I've hiked 600 miles of AT in Va solo or in groups from 9 to 18 years old on multi-day hikes.

[Ender]

You can add me to the list.

[HikerMom58]

Add me as well.....

[Lone Wolf]

99.9% of folks that walk on the AT are not thru-hiker wannabes. day/section hikers are better to interview

[yellowsirocco]

Section hiker at 70% done here. I can answer some questions.

[Kristine]

Thanks everyone! I'll get to PMing everyone.

[Maddog]

You can add me as well! Maddog

[DaSchwartz]

Christine, I think a much better idea would be to interview hikers as they are actually hiking. Go to the shelters and ask them LIVE the questions. You'll get a much more real documentaries and much more realistic answers. An example would be to go to a shelter in March when it's 30 degrees outside and wet. Do an interview while hikers are trying to hitch-hike. Interview someone who actually is in pain from their hike. Rarely do documentaries go after the "real AT", it's always sunny 70 degrees, flowers, and endless mountain sights on those documentaries.

interviewing people years or months after the AT will always give a false impression.

[f5mandopicker]

I'll help.

[middle to middle]

Hi,
I have hiked a bit of the trail and love reading about it and would be happy to volunteer anything you want.
I l live in AA County Md.

[hikerboy57]

Count me in.

[Kristine]

Christine, I think a much better idea would be to interview hikers as they are actually hiking. Go to the shelters and ask them LIVE the questions. You'll get a much more real documentaries and much more realistic answers. An example would be to go to a shelter in March when it's 30 degrees outside and wet. Do an interview while hikers are trying to hitch-hike. Interview someone who actually is in pain from their hike. Rarely do documentaries go after the "real AT", it's always sunny 70 degrees, flowers, and endless mountain sights on those documentaries.

interviewing people years or months after the AT will always give a false impression.

Thanks for your suggestions. I do plan on hiking myself, and going to shelters was my exact plan, actually. Unfortunately, I am on a deadline to have everything done class by the beginning of December, and I have particular deadlines in between. So since I can't make it up to the AT every week, I have to find alternative methods of getting in contact with hikers to make up for it. If I have time after the semester class is over, I would like to delve further into the subject without a class to worry about. Because I know I'm starting this more or less at the end of the season, and am not getting all the information I could be getting.

[amclumberjack]

i finshed my thur hike this past aug and live in MD and would love to help you out jest send me a PM on here or i will try to keep up todate with my white blaze postings

[two isles]

you can add me. I finished my thru hike this past August.

[SawnieRobertson]

Kristine, this means a lot to you. That is obvious. You will get everything that you want by coming to The Gathering of the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association (ALDHA) next weekend (October 12-14) at Concord College, Athens, There you can converse with wannabees, gonnabees, sectioners, as well as those who have completed the entire trail once as well as, in some instances, numerous times. Go to www.ALDHA.org. See you there!--Kinnickinic

[Pringles]

You can add me. Pringles