[Cdt-l] data books

Mon Mar 17 14:52:38 CDT 2008

I will be making my own and it will be available to
download for free at google docs hopefully by the end
of March.

take care
adam
--- Caryl Bergeron <caryl_bergeron at yahoo.com> wrote:

> We used our preliminary version of the southern half
> databook last summer along with GPS, Johnathan's
> maps, AND Jim's guidebooks.  Each and every one was
> indispensible.
> 
> I can understand that some folks may feel that
> having a "canned" sort of trail is limiting and I
> certainly hope the CDT never, ever becomes the kind
> of trail that has "purists".  On the other hand if
> you really want a "do-it-yourself" kind of trail you
> could just hike with the USGS Quads and forego all
> other guidebooks and maps.  That would be an
> interesting, but very challenging hike.  Personally,
> we just feel that the more data the better.  Again
> that's a presonal preference as we're like Yogi in
> that we tend to be data geeks.  Also, a databook
> does not contain any more information than what is
> already out there.  In fact it contains less, much
> less.  It is simply an attempt to put the pieces
> into a summarized, and very brief format so it's
> easier to follow when you're out there on the trail.
>  For example, I specifically try to indicate
> locations where the guidebooks are to be used and
> where the supplement data overrides the guidebooks
> or where the
>  supplements provide an alternate route.  We found
> that to be tricky to do from the guidebooks when
> standing out in the middle of a field on a rainy
> day.
> 
> As far as databook changes go, the hardest part of
> the databook is getting the information into a
> spreadsheet for the first go around.  Once that is
> done, changes are easy to make.  It's not like the
> entire trail changes every year.  Jim can only do so
> much in his guidebooks and supplements and keeping a
> databook up-to-date with the guidebooks would be
> fairly straight forward.  The print-on-demand
> approach makes a lot of sense for a databook since
> it is much smaller and since hikers would probably
> want it unbounded anyway, all that much easier to
> put in mailing packages.  It still should be sold as
> part of a guidebook/databook package.
> 
> When we finished in Rawlins I went through the 4
> chapters (books) for the third time to redo the
> formatting based upon our experience, made a ton of
> corrections especially typos, and added comments on
> items that we found along the way.  That southern
> half I have emailed to Jim for his review.  With the
> exception of total SOBO distances and updates for
> the 2008 Southern New Mexico guidebook which I don't
> have, it is as updated as I can get.  I have just
> now finished putting in the Wyoming data in for the
> first go around and am plowing through Southern
> Montana part 2.  Everything gets a second check
> before we print our own copy for this summer.  What
> happens to it beyond our personal printing is up to
> Jim.
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: "cdt-l-request at backcountry.net"
> <cdt-l-request at backcountry.net>
> To: cdt-l at backcountry.net
> Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 10:00:13 AM
> Subject: Cdt-l Digest, Vol 6, Issue 11
> 
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> 
> Today's Topics:
> 
>   1. The need for a data book (lwgear at juno.com)
>   2. cdt data book (Brian Dickson)
>   3. Rockies Ruck 2008 Report (Paul Magnanti)
> 
> 
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:05:50 GMT
> From: "lwgear at juno.com" <lwgear at juno.com>
> Subject: [Cdt-l] The need for a data book
> To: cdt-l at backcountry.net
> Message-ID:
> <20080316.160550.12789.0 at webmail08.vgs.untd.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
> 
> 10 Reasons Why Data Books are a Good Idea:
> 
> 1--Lightweight:  Being stripped of all
> non-essentials like photos, diagrams, illustrations
> and the like, it's "just the facts, ma'am." Even a
> cover is optional.
> 2--Cheap:  Less time required to design the book
> means cheaper production costs.
> 3--Print-on-demand: This trend in publishing allows
> a book to be printed only when someone actually
> purchases it, so no huge cash outlay upfront is
> needed.
> 4--Timely: Because of POD above, changes can
> literally be made at the last minute and constantly
> to keep up with the inevitable changes.
> 5--Digestible: For somewhat dyslexic minds (like
> mine, it seems), reading a single line isolated from
> other lines of information is more comprehensible
> than trying to read a book in a paragraph format.
> 6--Reversible: Northbound or southbound, it just
> doesn't matter anymore. 
> 7--Encouraging: Seeing the trail (whether official
> or not, temporary or alternative) laid out in data
> entry style will encourage more people to hike the
> trail, as it won't seem so daunting, overwhelming or
> confusing as the current situation appears.
> 8--Standard: The other major N-S trails have data
> books, so it's time the CDT rise to what seems to be
> the standard operating procedure.
> 9--Planning: With a glance, one can see the water
> sources for the day, or whatever other important
> planning that's required when one starts out.
> 10--Creative: A data book, by using symbols or
> different fonts, can creatively pack information
> onto its pages leading to a safe and enjoyable trip.
> 
> Now I understand that the trail's generally being
> unmarked and unsigned, there often being no visible
> treadway makes a CDT data book challenging to say
> the least. So it's not fair to make a compare an AT
> or PCT data book to this trail. But given that at
> least two people in the past year have tried to
> compile the slippery information into a data book
> format, I'd at least like to examine their efforts
> and see if it works or not. 
>
_____________________________________________________________
> Click here for free info on Graduate Degrees.
>
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2121/fc/Ioyw6i3nNPPIWwKOJAq3CkdofnTscBc0OtFSzChDSyQd4XPJyIlW9Y/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:41:49 +0000 (GMT)
> From: Brian Dickson <briansolar1 at yahoo.co.uk>
> Subject: [Cdt-l] cdt data book
> To: cdt-l at backcountry.net
> Message-ID:
> <960787.67097.qm at web27210.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> 
> Well actually, I see a data book as simply another
> way of viewing and planning for a hike, along with
> maps, guides and various other bits of information. 
>   
>   I wouldn't see it as 'nailing the CDT to a single
> track trail'  at all - it would just help me with
> planning and, once I had annotated or changed parts
> with my personal plans, it would be useful on the
> hike itself. 
>   
>   The CDT has as many variants as hikers and a good
> thing too-  a databook would not define my hike just
> help inform it.  
>   
>   I stand by the statement- 'I guess if some folks
> aren't keen on the data book then they simply don't
> have to look at it' - thats not inconsistent or
> irelevant.
>   
>   brian
>   
>   
>   
>   brian wrote:
> 
>   >sounds like a good idea. I would be keen to use a
> data book if it ever became available- 
>   >indeed I have started working on one of of my own
> for our hoped for 2009 trip on the CDT.
>   
>   Great idea - the only way to "hike your own hike"
> is to determine where YOU want to go 
>   and then put the time and energy into the research
> to make it happen.  
> 
=== message truncated ===>
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