MY HIKING GUIDE IS GETTING PUBLISHED

“I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, THEY TOLD ME TODAY. THEY ACCEPTED IT WITH JUST A FEW CHANGES. I'M SO EXCITED!!!

alright, i'm more calm. for the past year or so i've been working on a hiking guide to the endless mtns of PA, i cover lots of bushwhacks, off trail hikes, and little known trails to some incredible places that are awesome. at first, the publisher (stackpole books) liked it, but was concerned about marketing, but i received strong support from the local visitors bureau and their outdoors editor, so here we go. thanks for all of your support. come on over to PA, there are so many beautiful places that hikers tend to overlook.”

“That rocks! Glad it worked out for you.”

“Great news jmitch!

What's the TT discount?”

“Awesome! Props for making it work!”

“Congrats!”

“thanks everyone, just sort of hard to imagine all that hard work, countless hours on the road and trail, getting lost, being dirty, sweaty, injured and exhausted actually paid off. and i enjoyed every second of it.”

“Good job! Congrats.”

“Congratulations, jmitch. When can we buy it?”

“Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude!

Way to go!”

“Woohoo! Congratulations! So do TTers get a signed copy?”

“Excellent News!!”

“There is always a need for more good hiking guides. So many of them are aimed at those who only hike 2-3 miles, it's good to have something for the rest of us.”

“Put me down for a copy will ya!!! I live in MD but PA is my all time favorite place to hike,camp,fish,hunt etc etc
Streamweaver”

“Let us know when it's on the market. I'll buy one. Not sure if I'll ever need it but I'll still buy one.”

“Way to go!!!!!

8)”

“Congratulations!
I'm in Central California now, but I used to live in Southwest Pennsylvania.
That guide might be useful if I get a chance to go back some day.”

“"hard work, countless hours on the road and trail, getting lost, being dirty, sweaty, injured and exhausted and i enjoyed every second of it.""
jmitch
02:48:08 PM
04/16/02


Spoken like a true Backpacker!”

“Congratulation! What an accomplishment!”

“Congrats! You lived a dream that hundreds of people have every day. Good job!”

“Outstanding, jmitch! Now the real fun starts in publishing -- waiting for it to actually go into print so you can do the marketing. The way to make that book sell is get out there and promote it as hard as you did hike the trails. Won't be as much fun, won't be as sweaty (maybe), but you'll meet a lot of interesting people and make new hiking friends, and find out what it's like to sit behind a display table for hours at a time at sports shows, bookstores, gear shops, etc. My wife and I have been through small book publishing, as have several of our friends. It's a trip.”

“JMitch, you frickin' rule the universe. That's really killer, congrats! Yes, please post when it'll be available, I promise I'll buy a copy. :-)”

“i'm curious to see what you covered. i grew up in those endless mountains. this will be like a walk back in time. congratulations and thank you!”

“Great news. Keep us up to date, publication dates, on the shelves how we can help spread the word.”

“congrat...I would like a signed copy...and if you put together a slide show and the book is interesting for people to read...you can do a lecture circut and talk to kids in school, travel the country...be a hiking starr...man...you da man!!!”

“Congrats Jmitch...you did say TT'ers get a free copy earlier on, didn't you? :o)”

“Way to go jmitch! That is awsome!”

“Fantastic! What a great accomplishment. I always think it's so cool when someone can make a living doing something that they really enjoy. Royalties for years, and you didn't have to lug heavy photography equipment around. I'm excited for you!”

“Good job! I will buy a copy when it comes out.”

“thanks again, i have a meeting with them on april 25. i tried to take a different approach from other guides, i tried to be highly descriptive, provide historical and geological background info when appropriate, and i worked really hard to describe out of the way places most guides wouldn't touch. i did a lot of stream-side bushwhacking and discovered incredible waterfalls, one was over 100 feet high and it wasn't on any map. making discoveries like those are awesome. the beauty of the area is incredible, but subtle, you have to be willing to search it out, that's what my guide helps hikers do. i almost feel bad disclosing these unknown places, i just hope people treat them with respect.”

“hmmmmmm...there may be a discount, at least free book signing!!”

“People who get scratched to heck, risk poison ivy, muddy boots and have to maybe use a compass generally treat places with respect. Not too many tenderfoots are willing to go off trail.

Put me down for a copy! Penn is a mere 6 hour drive from me. Way to go jmitch!!!!”

“i hope your right sass, some of these areas are so spectacular they may suffer from overuse and littering, maybe their isolation will save them, it is something i struggled with.

i always wanted to go to the Upper Pen and the Porcupine Mtns, ever been there?”

“The UP is gorgeous. Have done Pictured Rocks but haven't hit the porkies yet. Birch has when he was a kid. We'll make it there one day. I'm scared of the bears. You have to check out Isle Royale if you're going that far. It's a gem.”

“Nice!

Bushwackin' and creek-crawlin' are some of my favorite things.

I've been wondering about places to go in Pennsylvania.

I live in Baltimore and usually go to the Monongahela Natl Forest in WVa.”

“Creek crawlin' ? I think I started that in first or second grade. Don't meet many people who love creek crawlin' !

I think I'll need a copy just for the reading, even if I make it to PA about once every 25 years.”

“sass, have you been to sleeping bear dunes? is there a lot of hiking there? it looks great.

tom, PA has got lots to offer. 2 very cool streams not far from baltimore, along the susquehanna river in PA, is kelly's run and otter creek. scenic streams with massive boulders, ledges, and cascades, kelly's run is especially nice. maybe an hour+ drive for you. i already told you about rock run, it's in a class by itself, a place of exceptional beauty. 3 deep pools carved in solid rock w/ waterfalls, flumes, chutes, channels, chasms, potholes, and countless other pools, all carved into rock; it should be a national park. nearby is miners run, with more waterfalls and huge boulders in a very rugged glen. you also need to visit ricketts glen state park (30 waterfalls). just west of ricketts glen is state game lands 13, tons of isolated waterfalls, must bushwhack. the beauty is surreal, deep pools, mini-chasms, cascades. almost need canyoneering equipment to explore.”

“My family and I car camped at Rickett's Glen for a few days several years ago.

I was in a #&%!$in' mood with my back spazzing at the time.

That and the signs about NO ALCOHOL in Pa State Parks made me ornery.

I drank my beer from a cup.

The falls trail loop was nice if a bit overused.

The swimming lake/pond sucked.

Rock Run, huh?
I suppose its in the book.

Creek Crawlin' is a good way to get places when there is no trail.”

“jmitch, I've been to Nordhouse dunes, which is below sleeping bear a bit; a National Lakeshore. It's gorgeous! Incredible sunsets, all the Lake Michigan water to play in and huge dunes to run around on. It's camp where you want. Not sufficient hiking for more than a weekend with lots of lolling around. There's a neat lighthouse you can hike the shore to. The trailhead was really hard to find our first trip. If you want to go let us know and I'll send you good directions. Also, it's a busy place in the peak of summer on weekends. Go weekdays or spring or fall.”

“Jmitch, way cool. I'd love to get my hands on a copy. When its released you'll have to let us all know so we can ask for it by name at our local book retailers. Maybe if enough folks ask for it by name, the warehouses will order tons of them and make you rich. I'm in Pa and will certainly get alot of use out of it. Is it all hiking? A nice fishing trip is canoeing the Juniata downstraem from Mexico.
Again, congrats...”

“limpy,

yes it's all hiking, some of it bushwhacking or off trail trekking.
i also make quick comments on some good trout streams that flow near some destinations.

i know the juniata river well, i live in lewistown. excellent river for fishing, i like to wade in the river and fish, lots of smallmouth, rock bass, panfish. great for canoeing. i'm a fairly bad fisherman and even i catch fish. if you trout fish, the little juniata is exceptional, both in terms of scenery and all the fish, it's a big stream so your fly will spend more time in the water as compared to the trees.”

“OUTSTANDING!!
I'm looking forward to the book so I can do more exploring in our beautiful state.

Let us know when you do your book press conference on C-Span II”

“Congrats from a Shippensburg alumnus! I'm looking forward to seeing it. Any specific trails you mention in that area?”

“Jmitch you freakin ROCK!!!!!!!!!

I'll buy a copy when it comes up for ya bro, an' I don't even hardly ever git up to Yankeevania.”

“PH- our state sure has some hidden gems, that's why i wrote the guide, i'm sure you'll like it.

hikerken- tons of trails are covered, from the typical at worlds end and ricketts glen, to the not so typical in the mcintyre wild area and the state game lands.
i tried to avoid boring hikes.

naked ape- i appreciate any CA following, must be hard impressing you folks with everything that is out there. yankeevania? i thought it was pennsyltucky!”

“Jmitch, what's it called? If you mentioned it...I must've missed it.”

“I hope that it works out for you! I know all of us are green with envy, and wish we could make a little money off of all the countless hours we spend torturing ourselves.”

“Can't wait to check it out!!!

Got any idea how long it'll be till its released?”

“i have a meeting april 22, the tentative title is "hiking the endless mountains of pennsylvania."
it might be modified.

release date will be end of 2002, beginning of 2003. i won't be making a whole lot of $$$ off of it, i just really want to spread the word. it'll be awesome to actually see it in print.”

“I'd change that the "Hiking the Endless Pennsylvania Mountains"”

“jmitch -Awesome dude! Keep us posted.”