[pct-l] Trail Journals, books & DVDs...

[Jeffrey Olson]

All good points.  I would never have even thought of sharing the journal 
I kept in 1994 on a six week section hike I took a week after my fiancee 
and I split apart.  At the same time, sharing a bit of "angst" generated 
by being on the trail for any length of time can sometimes not only be 
appropriate, but educational and thought-provoking. 

I'm reminded of one of the videos made about a thruhike where there is 
two hours of pictures and fun and other people's thoughts and stories.  
For about 30 seconds there is a night shot of the author in his tent 
questioning his motivation to continue hiking.  That one scene added 
depth to an otherwise pretty travelogue type movie - and I did really 
enjoy the travelogue...  But what I remember is the scene in which he 
expresses his angst. 

When the journal is grown into a book, then I think it is incumbent up 
on the author to have a thread of tension of some sort coursing through 
the narrative.  There are major changes occurring, and what keeps me 
coming back to the novel/chronicle, is how the author unfolds the 
process of changing, which is "always" painful in some degree. 

Perhaps the most powerful image from the DVDs about thruhikes I've 
watched comes from Squatch's first - at the very end of the DVD Yogi is 
standing at the border and makes an incredibly powerful statement.  Age 
keeps me from being able to remember exactly what she said, but the 
image of her saying it is powerful... 

Jeff, just Jeff...

Alison Rose wrote:
> Dear Dr. Bob ~
>  
> A very good point indeed and I, for one, certainly thank you for 
> making it. 
> A whiney, long-winded, self indulgent journal should be kept private. That
> being said, the well intentioned advice is offered to those who 
> specificially
> wish to post a public journal for the world to see.  As most will notice,
> those journals will be read by somewhere between 20,000 and 150,000 
> people.
> Many read these journals in preperation for their own hike, so 
> providing some
> of the recommended information is a tremendous gift to them.  Thus, if
> you want your journal to be interesting and relevent, kindly follow the
> recommendations.  If not, as in Dr. Bob's example, keep them private.  
> And I,
> for one, will thank you.  Thank you, thank you very much.
>  
>  
> One thing I like about trail journals is their wide diversity, reflecting
> the individual.  The fact that all journals do not follow the same terse
> guidelines helps one with insights into differing personalities and the
> trail day as experienced in differing ways by different people... the
> essence of HYOH.  Besides, for whom is a trail journal written?  Is it to
> entertain or educate others and written with an eye to avoiding critical
> comment?  (Gee, should I write this...?  I may be viewed as 
> "whining.")  If
> so, some might suggest it may be flawed from the outset. I use a MP3 
> player
> to talk into as I hike. It's in my front pocket and several times a mile I
> grab it to record thoughts, sightings, people's names, as well as host of
> comments on my physical state of being that I want to remember as part 
> of my
> trail experience.  Example: Whew, did I just have projectile diarrhea! 
> (No,
> not this posting, folks).  Sometimes I ramble on (just like this post,
> folks). I am guilty of writing more a trail diary than a log or 
> journal.  It
> is precisely because of comments like the well-intentioned guidelines
> suggested below that I have never publicly posted my four trail 
> "journals."
> While I sure enjoy reading other accounts occasionally, mine proudly 
> include
> whining and stay deliciously private.  :)
>
> Dr Bob
>