OCT 04 2014 BY WYTHE 

I carry a journal along when I backpack or camp and I would suggest that you do so, as well. I do not fool myself into thinking that I will ever compose essays in the manner of Edward Abbey, no matter how witty or profound my thoughts seem while hiking throughout the day. For me, the primary reason behind my journaling is to record the day’s events. This helps me in recounting tales of a specific trip, matching my photographs to my maps, and keeping accurate records of exactly which peak, pass, lake, or stream that I encountered. But when face to face with a blank page where does one begin?

I cannot claim that ‘my’ format is really even mine. I give all credit to Ed Garvey, who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1970, and wrote about his hike in Appalachian Hiker: Adventure of a Lifetime. Garvey kept notes in a 4×6 inch bound notebook but I find his real genius was in devising a format which captures the critical elements of each day’s hike. Garvey actually had his format printed up on sheets separate from his journaling book; I am not so formal as that but use Garvey’s foundation as the base for what I record. Here is Garvey’s format that I have adopted:

Date and Log Entry

Travel From: (location & time) To: (location & time)

Miles hiked: Trail miles & Cumulative Trail miles; Other miles & Cumulative Other miles

Weather:

Food:

Trail Condition:

Camp:

People:

Flora:

Fauna:

Money Spent:

Incidents:

Trash:

Water:

If I record all of that on a daily basis and combine it with my maps from that trip then I have a fairly comprehensive set of information to draw from as I recount my trip. I generally set aside time in camp before dinner or time in my tent before bed to think on the day and journal. Recently I received a Rite in the Rain Field Book, pen with waterproof ink, and cover which really fit the bill on my last Pacific Crest Trail section hike. Other printed material carried included my maps, sized to about 6×9 inches, and a paperback. The journal, maps, and book all fit in a one gallon zip locking bag and were in my pack cover pocket for easy access. My hiking mates ribbed me about the weight of the book. They would turn in early 8 pm or so and then tell me that they had a miserable night of sleep. I would reflect, journal, read a chapter or two, and then fall asleep around 10 pm and have a much more pleasant night than they. To me the weight of journal and book was well worth carrying. And three days after we finished our latest trip I got the e-mail from my partners asking me for our campsites and elevation changes – oh yeah, I have that.

I encourage you to adopt Ed Garvey’s format and document your trips. This practice will stimulate your journaling, help you recount, with accuracy, your travels, and it is actually fun.