[pct-l] Publishing PCT Stories

[b j]

Hi PCTers!

I am hiking the trail this year, just crossing out of California and am heading into Oregon, 1700 miles of walking so far!  On my rest days when I'm not walking, I write articles about my experiences, which I post on my blog at www.walkonthewildside.site90.com/wordpress .  The articles, generally between 1000 and 2000 words, often weave the experience on the trail with environmental or natural themes and a slight dose of philosophy.  I've gotten good feedback about the writing and am hoping to earn the title 'writer' by getting the articles published in publications that have a broad-based audience (not JUST a PCT audience).  I'd be open to any of your suggestions of what publications to approach with the possibility of publishing some of these articles.  

As a sampling, below is a selection of some of the articles, a synopsis, and their beginnings.  

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and I apologize that I may not be able to respond so quickly due to limited availability of cell service / internet while on the trail.

-Rhiannon / Porsche


Article Samplings:


Where's My Next Water?    
(An article about the importance of water and how we have lost sight of this fundamental question in our urbanized lives, but the question is revived in walking this long-distance trail.)

“Do you ladies know if there is any good water around here?” Cheerleader posed to a foursome of 30-something hikers lounging during breakfast at their campsite next to an alpine lake. They looked confused at the question. One even looked slightly concerned, glancing quickly at the picturesque lake 10 feet from where we were gathered, then back at Cheerleader who earnestly waited for them to answer. I rushed in to translate before they got more confused, “Do you know if there’s any running water nearby?”

...


Thirsty Beyond the Last Drop
(An article about the fundamental need for water and about people helping others set within the experience of running out of water in the Mojave desert.)

I stumbled down the sandy embankment towards the bottom of the bridge. In a blur, Orbit passed me huffing upwards, her small body moving fast. ‘Bad news,‘ she panted, there’s no water here‘. My heart froze in panic despite the ruthless beating Mojave desert sun. This was not good. My ongoing nightmare of running out of water in the desert was coming true.

...


A Nervous Tick     
(An article that explores the fear of small beasts framed by the experience of getting a tick.)

The hot water spattered across my shoulders—pure bliss after a week of long days walking high mileage in the North Sierra Mountains. I watched the murk swirling down the shower drain as I washed layer upon layer of trail dirt off my weary body. My soapy hand ran across my shoulder and bumped over something strange, feeling like a flap of skin or a small loose bandaid. I glanced over at the spot behind my shoulder and cringed in horror at the dark blob poking up. Was it what I though it was? Had I been fastened to by a tick? I couldn’t look. I couldn’t deal with it. My skin crawled.

...
 

Bear Fangs    
(An article about fears of the unknown and an encounter with my imagination.)

I woke back into consciousness with a jolting start—the clatter of my cooking pot clanging jerked me awake in the dark night. I’d left it right outside my tent door next to my food that evening, in hopes that keeping it close by would deter animals. A bear must be nearby messing with my stuff. The nerve! I wrestled out of my sleeping bag and zipped open the tent mosquito netting abruptly, heading out feet first into the blackness. I was mad. I was ready to fight that bear for my food.

....


Trails Make Sense... Usually   
(An article about how trails and their path evolve over time as different interests push them this way and that and includes some history on the Pacific Crest Trail and how it was formed.)

You know the trail has been going in circles, right?,” Cheerleader informed me, “First it was going east, then it was going south, then it was going west, now it’s going north,” he continued. I called back to him walking behind me on the trail, “This is the PCT, what do you expect?”
 
I have great faith in trails. Their paths contain some sort of original intent, some sort of logical direction from here to there, some sort of purpose. 

...


Hearty Heroes     
(An article about who we choose are our heroes and what feats people accomplish for us to admire them, putting my trip into perspective by talking about the recent record-breaking hikers who completed the full trail in 60 days.)

“You must be so hearty to walk the whole trail!” The woman was awestruck and admiring of what I’d accomplished, 1630 miles of walking to date, through desert, through high mountains, walking forever and forever. “And you’re doing it all alone!” You could hear in her voice that she didn’t consider herself strong or brave enough to attempt this. “Well, I’m not fearless,” I countered, reassuring her that I was not a superhuman, “I think everyone who does this trail has fears and they just do it anyway, because they have to for whatever reason.” “I sat down and had a good bawl when this happened earlier,” I confessed, pointing to the bloodied bandaids clinging to my shredded knee, “Not because it hurt so much, but just because it was hard to do this all alone.”