[pct-l] The "Lost" effect on our community

[Spring]

I think it
will be difficult to demonstrate exactly what one popular book will do for the
PCT.  I think Radar’s data is interesting.   What
it mostly shows is a tremendous increase in hikers on the AT starting in about
1995, while “A Walk in the Woods” was published in 1998.  It is necessary to remember that a number of
popular books came out in the early to mid-1990’s (Ray Jardine comes to mind).  These helped cause a general groundswell in
the number of folks inclined to do long trails.  One thing for certainly is that things will change, and there will
almost certainly be more hikers.  Indeed,
the Radar’s data shows that from 2001-10 there were almost twice the hikers each
year, on average, compared to during the ‘90’s. 


“A Walk…”
brings to mind a couple of things – both Bryson and his buddy started in Georgia,
but neither made it to Mt Katahdin.  A
few years back I was visiting NY and CT in mid-October and took a couple of
days off to hike a bit of the AT.  I met
a short and very thin young man, dressed in denim jacket and pants (it was cold
and raining), and with a giant pack – I was looking for the kitchen sink.  We chatted for a bit – he was determined to
make the whole trail – although he had only started a few days before, and was
quite discouraged.  I asked him if he had
a trail guide, and he said: “Yes.  I’ve a
copy of Bill Bryson’s book.”  I didn’t
ask him how much of the book he had actually read…

Happy hiking, Spring




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