Misc. Ramblings and Catching Up on Emails
Busy Week
I’m at the tail end of one hell of a hectic week outside of Towns and Trails. Looking forward to decompressing this weekend, writing up some new content for the site, and hopefully getting outside to play a little.
One of the things that kept me busy was a Board of Directors meeting for the non profit where I work (and where I serve as a Board Member). I’ve been attending these meetings for almost a decade now and I never stop being impressed with the knowledge and passion that these folks have for improving the lives of people with disabilities.
During breaks and social moments I take the opportunity to share stories and catch up with them about their travels and what has been keeping them active. I had a great conversation with a long time board member about hiking and biking. At 73 he puts me to shame with the length of his daily bike rides and the hikes he goes on. As he put it:
Build adventuring into your daily life. It pays off in the end.
Northville Placid Trail
I got a few emails this past week that were Northville Placid related. Some lucky folks are preparing their late summer thru-hikes and one of the questions I often get is: “Is it possible to do the trail in X days”, where X is less than the 12 days Jess and I do it in. The answer to that, as I’m sure you guessed, is almost always “it depends” - mainly on the experience and fitness level of those doing the hike.
I don’t have data to back it up, but my guess is that a 10 day itinerary is pretty common amongst experienced hikers. I believe the official trail guide even offers a sample 10 day schedule. I’ve read plenty of trip reports from seasoned, in-shape hikers who bust it out in 8 days without much thought. And keep in mind, the entire trail was run in 31 hours a few years back… so it all depends on you.
One thing you should not lose sight of is that the shorter your hike, the less you can see and “do”. 12 days seem to be the sweet spot for Jess and I not only because it helps us avoid long daily mileages, but also because it allows us to dip into towns (like Long Lake) and enjoy a meal and some conversation – and to stay an extra night in areas we really enjoy.
Facebook and Logo
Towns and Trails is obviously still a work in progress. We are feeling out a lot of things, trying some stuff, playing around with different ideas and having fun. Half the time I am not sure what to make of the things I try. Our Facebook page for example. We have 14 fans, 2 of which are Jess and I, and at least 5 or 6 of the rest are personal friends. Right now I am just posting a link to the occasional article on it. When/if there are comments I try to respond. I imagine once I get motivated, and if our readerships climbs, I will look into doing more.
I’m also using what I consider the Towns and Trails logo on that FB page. It is something I have had for awhile, don’t even recall where I got it or how I came up with it… but it seems to represent the idea behind the site. Unfortunately I haven’t found a good way to include it in the design of this site. So we are still a logoless website for now.
Advertising
I’ve been meaning to type up a short Ad Policy piece for the ‘About’ section… just to let readers know what our stance is on advertising and how we are trying to use it. Right now we are experimenting with different ad and revenue options. The immediate goal is to make the site pay for its own overhead - to cover the cost of hosting, etc. – without turning it into a giant billboard. So we are experimenting with Google Ads and different affiliate link programs, but nothing is concrete and you are likely to see things change.
One thing that I can promise will remain true for as long as the site is operational is that advertisments will never influence a Towns and Trails article, review, or recommendation.
Hopefully Coming Soon
Along with continuing to post feature length articles and random news and tidbits that I think visitors will find interesting, I have a few other things I am hoping to get around to this month. I have an interview I want to try to do, I’d like to get some reviews up, and I have a back log of trip reports I need to start posting.
I’m also looking to expand the content beyond just what Jess and I have to offer. I’d love to bring in another “blogger” to help with some part time content creation. Encouraging reader submissions and trip reports are also on my mind. Although I guess this will have to wait till we grow a little. If anyone is interested now though, please contact us. This site could be a good way for you to share some of your adventures online, or to contribute an opinion or editoral type piece.
Hope you are having a great summer!
