Category Archives: Case study

cross cultural comparisons

Cross-cultural Comparisons of Huts: methodological notes

Cross-cultural Comparisons

as a Component of Country Studies of Huts: methodological notes

by Sam Demas

(Note: this is part of the larger work New Zealand Huts: Notes towards a Country Study)

While learning basic facts about NZ huts (e.g. how they are organized, operated, funded, and used), I was quickly drawn to trying to understand the cultural context of huts and long-distance human-powered travel in NZ.  While I made progress in learning the facts, developing even a slightly nuanced understanding of the broader context for NZ huts will take more time, travel, tramping, talking and reading.

This “NZ country study” – still a work in progress — is one building block in a larger project to compare and contrast huts across 6 – 8 nations.  Tramping, traveling and talking in NZ informed my approach to country studies in part by stimulating many questions of cross-cultural comparison.  I found myself trying to compare what I was learning in NZ with what I knew about the topic in the USA.  Wow!  Confronting my incomplete and idiosyncratic understanding of my own culture was a useful, if humbling, experience!  Travel abroad can certainly help us understand ourselves and the place we call home, as well as a bit about other peoples and lands.

I’m just beginning to learn how to think about cross-cultural comparisons and have a long ways to go……. 

So what follows is not a cross cultural comparison of NZ huts with US or other nation(s); I simply don’t know enough yet to go there.  Rather these are thoughts and questions, using NZ as an example, towards a more intentional method of cross-cultural comparison as a lens for studying and comparing hut systems.

The hope is that these notes will stimulate useful comments and criticisms, and perhaps even lead to collaborations in exploring this arena of comparing hut systems around the world.

1. In beginning a country study, I focus on ascertaining the obvious facts about a hut system so I can begin to draw comparisons with huts in other nations.

2. This leads to identifying the unique features of each nation’s hut system, comparing and contrasting them. What makes this hut system different from others in the world?  For example, in NZ this includes:

  • Historical development of tramping and huts
  • Tramping culture and tramping clubs of New Zealand
  • The large DoC government-owned and operated hut system
  • Great Walks and other categories of tramps and huts
  • Hut architecture and design
  • Private walks and huts
  • Maori operated huts and tracks
  • And small but interesting topics such as: the innovative gear industry of NZ, car relocation services, the Kiwi bach as a related architectural type,
  • Overview of the relevant literature, including books, magazines and websites; and a sense of the state of relevant publishing, maps, libraries and archives.

3. Next, I try to drill deeper, looking at key attitudes, metrics and indicators of land use, environmental awareness, and recreational culture. Most nations do not have book like Shelter from the Storm, which provides a starting point for such analysis.  Among the topics in this arena are:

  • Land use and environmental attitudes:
    • What are the historical patterns of land use and how do they influence environmental attitudes today? It was invaluable to have a broad overview, such as that provided in Chapter 26 “Land under Pressure” in Michael King’s Penguin History of New Zealand.  This includes a sketch of the historical patterns of land use, the dawning of environmental awareness, the arc of environmental activism and legislation, and key environmental organizations.  This background informs questions I ask in interviews and casual conversations.  Geoff Park’s Theatre Country is another example of environmental history shedding light on present attitudes and challenges.
    • What percentage of land is in public ownership and how is it administered for recreation and conservation?
    • What is the role of private land and of land owners in recreation and conservation?
    • Extent, operations and changing attitudes towards wilderness, national parks, and other lands with conservation value? Wild Heart edited by Mick Abbott and Richard Reeve, for example, brings together differing perspectives, and points to areas where Kiwi attitudes converge and diverge from those in the USA, Australia and elsewhere, and specifically addresses ideas about huts and wilderness.
    • Key features of the culture’s attitudes about and engagement with environmental issues such as protection of natural resources, recycling and consumer habits, environmental education programs.
  • Recreational culture in general:
    • What is the historical arc of recreational culture over time? For example, in former British colonies, how were British attitudes to alpinism, rambling, outdoor clubs, and hunting absorbed, transformed and/or rejected. The prevalence and extent of elitist vs. egalitarian ethos of tramping and tramping clubs, and of alpinism, for example.  These evolved differently in New Zealand than in Ireland, Canada, and the USA.  These differences may shape and can help to understand cultural differences in recreation in these nations.
    • Roles of clubs and other mechanisms for promoting and supporting participation in tramping? Extent of permission and overlap with conservation organizations?
    • What are the recreational motivations and values of a culture (e.g. solitude, not seeing others, tolerance for crowding, etc.) and how do they shape huts, tramping and camping? How and why have the relationships of hunters and trampers evolved?
    • What is the history and culture of long distance, human-powered travel in a nation? Extent and nature of trails and of accommodations for skiers, walkers, and cyclists?  How are hospitality traditions of a nation reflected in modern recreational culture?
    • Miles/km of tracks/trails and nature of the trails? Nature and difficult of the terrain? Trends in trail maintenance?
    • General health and fitness of the populace, rates of participation in long-distance human-powered travel, preferences for terrain, accommodations,
    • Trends in camping, hiking, cycling, etc.? How do these affect interest in/use of huts and other accommodation systems?
    • Rights of access – NZ, USA and Ireland have similar laws around legal rights of access for walkers on private land; these are based largely on English laws that have long since been changed in the UK. Most other European nations seem to recognize traditional rights of way to a greater extent than the former British colonies.  Similarly rights of access to coastal lands (e.g. Queen’s chain in NZ) differs among nations and can affect the extent of tracks by rivers/seas/ocean.  The overall impact of these legal differences is of course affected by the extent of publicly owned lands, by other relevant legislation.  Is there a Walking Access Commission or other entity advocating for the rights of walkers?
    • Laws related to recreation – For example, in NZ the laws providing for health care for trampers injured in the backcountry, combined with laws prohibiting recreationists from suing a company or government for liability in case of death or injury create a more relaxed and creative approach to outdoor recreation than in the USA.
    • Tourism and impacts on nature
  • Attitudes toward, use, and role(s) of huts:
    • Societal attitudes towards and extent of knowledge of, huts as recreational infrastructure?
    • Hut etiquette varies among cultures, and differences can be sources of tension in the remarkable experience of communal living that huts provide.  It will be interesting to study differences among nations and how they relate to deeper cultural traits, preferences, and values. 
    • Level(s) of amenities and how this reflects cultural preferences and traditions? Nature of the terrain?  Demographics of use (age, gender, race, education, domestic, international).  Rates of participation compared with other recreational opportunities?
    • Use of huts for educational, conservation, therapeutic purposes?
    • Affordability of huts?
    • Categories of hut visitors catered to? For example, in NZ huts are categorized as catering to Backcountry Comfort Seekers, Backcountry Adventurers, Remoteness Seekers, and Thrill Seekers.  In the far less developed hut systems of the USA, there is no guidebook to hut systems (I’m working on one now!), and there are no equivalent categories signaling the comparative level of amenities/difficulty/challenge of a hut system.

4. Finally, I hope to understand some of the broad historical and socio-economic context, the key challenges of a nation that condition efforts to create its environmental future, and how these factors may influence the present and future roles of its huts. In the case of New Zealand, some of the fascinating broad features of Kiwi culture that resonated with me include a set of conflicts and conundrums that arise in part from its unique position as the last large land mass to be settled by Europeans.  In his Penguin History of New Zealand, Michael King opens the book with a quote from Geoff Park that summarizes a central conflict of the nation’s identity and future: 

New Zealand’s fertile plains were the last that Europeans found before the Earth’s supply revealed itself as finite.  Our relationship with them has been completely unsustainable…..[We] have exploited these islands’ richest ecosystems with all the violence that modern science and technology could summon….We must live with the rest of nature or die with the rest of nature.

While the environmental challenges faced by Kiwis are certainly not unique, they create a set of salient characteristics of NZ culture that influences attitudes to huts, tracks, tramping and outdoor culture.  This seems particularly so due to the rapidity of environmental degradation in this young nation, the broad awareness of the populace of the issues, the comparatively large amount of land in the conservation estate, broad popular support for DoC and its brief to protect and conserve natural resources, and the apparent strength of the environmental movement.

A few of the remarkable contradictions, conflicts and conundrums that struck me as central to NZ’s current challenges and environmental futures:

  • The rapid deforestation of over 50% of the land in pursuit of the goal of creating the Great Britain of the southern hemisphere, complete with a pastoral landscape aesthetic creates ongoing environmental challenges.
  • The designation of 40% of the nation’s land mass as part of the conservation estate sets up a stark dichotomy in land use: developed and conserved.
  • These islands with no native terrestrial mammals have established an economy based on animal husbandry.
    • An island of 3.5 million people, produces food (especially particular dairy and meat) to feed 40,000,000 people per year, which incurs internal environmental costs.
    • Kiwis have among the highest annual rate of consumption of meat per person in the world.
    • The growing export economy for dairy products is utilizing water resources at a stunning rate. A very wet nation appears to be facing issues of water quality and, in some areas, sufficiency.  Resolution of this issue may open a Pandora’s box of issues, including Maori water rights.
  • The role of Maori citizens in civil society in general, and in conservation and tourism issues in particular is a major challenge and an opportunity.
  • The legal personification of former national parks, such as Te Urewera, is a remarkable development, introducing a parallel system of land rights and management. It will be fascinating to see what the Maori do with the dozens of huts for which they are now responsible.
  • An island nation with a sense of isolation from the rest of the world, Kiwi’s are in fact very much tied into the rest of the world. They are: curious about and engaged with the larger world, while mindful of the fact they have created something special that they don’t want to spoil, and simultaneously always looking elsewhere for answers, affirmation and a sense of what is worth paying attention to.  This brings to mind the aphorism “be careful what you wish for”, and is encapsulated in Allen Curnow’s warning,

Always to islanders danger, 

Is what comes over the sea.

  • New Zealand is “Clean and Green” and “100% Pure”, and also competing in the international economy with nations that have no such aspirations.
  • An important part of NZ economy is international tourism, which inexorably veers into “mass tourism”, and
    • strains the patience of Kiwis and threatens the natural beauty and integrity of the very ecosystems that make the land so appealing; and
    • strains DoC’s ability to cater to a broad range of recreational uses of the conservation estate, while also pursuing its lofty conservation goals;
    • prompts the question: who benefits and what suffers from the seemingly inexorable growth in international tourism. Is it sustainable over time, and at what costs?
  • Conservation conundrums: for example, use of the pesticide 1080 as a divisive issue; viewed as “correcting a blunder with a crime”.

Most of the items on this short list of major challenges certainly have analogs in other cultures.  While I can’t get lost in the deep weeds of these issues, I am fascinated by discussing with colleagues:

  • How do these cultural particularities inform national environmental values and aspirations? and
  • How do they condition attitudes and programs in environmental education, recreational culture and in the roles of huts in a particular culture, and across cultures?

In the end, the real fun will come in trying to look across what I learn about Ireland, New Zealand, USA (and eventually other nations such as Switzerland, Austria, France, Norway and Japan), to see if I can detect patterns, anomalies, unique features, trends, and interesting ideas.  To the extent this comparison of hut systems might be grounded in some level of cross-cultural comparison and understanding, the work may have greater meaning.  Ideas travel far and wide and find new meanings as they go……

cross cultural comparisons

New Zealand Great Walks: user perceptions

New Zealand Huts Department of Conservation, Part D:

Great Walks user perceptions

in Great Walks Huts and Serviced Huts

by Sam Demas

(Note: this is part of the larger work New Zealand Huts: Notes towards a Country Study)

In operating the world’s largest hut system, DoC caters for trampers with vastly different experience and skill levels, from different parts of New Zealand society and from all over the world.  DoC is continually trying to balance these disparate needs, abilities, and preferences through an evolving suite of “visitor management” methods.  There appears to be widespread public recognition that DoC is continually walking a very difficult tightrope.

While Kiwis recognize that it is not possible to please everyone, DoC has learned that it can count on experienced local trampers to let them know when their visitor management methods are perceived as undermining traditional tramping.  So DoC is well aware of the perceptions summarized below, and doubtless much more.

See related post New Zealand Great Walks: tourism and policies for broader context for these summary perceptions and for discussion of policies designed to address them.

Sources of user perceptions and notes on methodology

There are currently 33 Great Walks Huts and 95 Serviced Huts in the DoC system.  This combined total of 128 huts constitutes 13.3% of total DoC huts (963). The user perceptions summarized below are from these two hut categories.  While a small percentage of the whole system, these two categories attract the most intensive use and controversy.

This summary of user perceptions is derived from two sources: 1. from discussions that I gathered in three months of interviews and travels in NZ, and 2. from the results of an academic survey reported in the article “Tramper Perspectives on New Zealand’s Great Walks in a time of transition” (in New Zealand Geographer, 2017, p. 1-15, by Joe Fagan and Robin Kearns). [Alas, the link to this article will only get you the full text if you have access through a library with a digital subscription or if you wish to pay.  Otherwise you can get a paper copy at your local library or request it on interlibrary loan.]

Continue reading

New Zealand Huts

New Zealand Huts Country Study: introduction

NZ Huts Notes for a Country Study: Introduction

By Sam Demas, hut2hut.info

(Note: this is part of the larger work New Zealand Huts: Notes towards a Country Study)

What and why? (purpose, scope, and audiences)   

The immediate purpose of this series of web posts, which are knit together by an annotated Table of Contents, is to provide a substantive overview of the world’s largest hut system.  This is an invitation to learn more about the remarkable culture and system of huts and tracks in New Zealand. Continue reading

Shelters on the Appalachian Trail & Pacific Crest Trail

Shelter Influence on Trail Camaraderie, Socializing, Human Impact, Etiquette & More

by Laura Johnston 

(photos courtesy Laura Johnston; see related photo galleries for AT and PCT)

Backcountry on the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail

I thru-hiked the 2,189.1* mile Appalachian Trail (AT) in 2016 and the 2,650.1* mile Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in 2017.  The AT and the PCT are two of the country’s oldest, longest and most well-known national scenic trails in the United States (US).

This piece explores the AT’s and PCT’s options for outdoor overnight infrastructure (shelters, huts, lean tos, etc.) on the trail. Included are my observations from walking and camping on both trails for a collective 10.5 months — six months on the AT and four and half months on the PCT. It also incorporates data and information from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA), the National Park Service, and interviews I conducted with fellow hikers for Sounds of the Trail (SOT) podcast while hiking both trails.

Thru-hiking a long distance trail like the AT or PCT is a profound experience where nearly aspect of daily life is about and on the trail–your front yard, your backyard, your neighborhood, your job, your weekend plans and your community is on the trail (while keeping in touch with friends/family off trail, too). The day-in-day-out of life as a thru-hiker offers experience and learning about the history, community, structures and dynamics of these trails.

Appalachian Trail Community

Mount Katahdin, pictured, in central Maine is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail (AT) and one of the most iconic spots of the trail. The Katahdin sign is one that nearly all hikers, especially thru-hikers, take a photo with when reaching the top of the mountain. On a clear day, hikers atop Katahdin enjoy views of the surrounding wilderness in Baxter State Park. Pictured are author Laura Johnston (center back) at the end of her AT thru-hike with fellow thru-hiking friends.

What Hut 2 Hut Wants to Know

Hut2hut.info explores options for people spending the night outdoors while hiking, walking, skiing, or biking (human powered travel) for extended periods. Hut2hut has two goals: 1) to paint a broad picture of what outdoor overnight infrastructure accommodations exists in the US (e.g. shelters, huts, camper cabins, platform tents, yurts, etc.) for long distance human-powered travelers (hike, bike, ski, etc.), and 2) to determine the optimal role(s) of each accommodation type. 

Staying overnight on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is possible by camping either in a tent/hammock or cowboy camping (sleeping without a tent/hammock but under the stars). There are no shelters or cabins on the PCT like those on the AT.

Outdoor Camping Options on the AT and PCT

The AT and PCT are choc full of areas for tenting or hammocking along the trail at established or designated sites, improvised “stealth” sites and shelters, cabins or huts in some cases.

In the 315 days (10.5 months) that I lived out of a backpack on the AT and PCT as a thru-hiker, I camped outdoors on trail 98% of the time, including at or in shelters on the AT. The other 2% of the time I stayed indoors in town at hostels, churches, hotels and homes of trail angels.

Camping on the AT is possible at established tent sites, stealth or improvised tent sites, near a shelter or in open space or at/in shelters along the trail. This site in Vermont is a shelter’s official tent site even though it is a quarter mile north of the shelter (due to limited open space around the shelter itself).

On the AT, which stretches from Georgia to Maine, there are 250+ shelters (sometimes called a “lean-to”), or three-sided stone or wood, open air structures with an overhanging roof, where hikers can camp, stop for a break or to socialize or find refuge from the weather. AT shelters occur every 8-15 miles along the trail (some are slightly off trail, but still considered “on trail”), most which were originally built in the 1930s and 40s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and later by trail volunteers and trail crews.

The shelters are free** (no cost to camp), open to anyone and as many people as can fit inside. (There are also almost always tent sites around the shelter, too). Also, on the AT, two of the trail’s largest clubs — the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) and The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) — maintain cabins and huts that are rustic stone or wood structures available for cost or reservation; however, these are rarely used by thru-hikers whose daily schedule requires them to keep moving forward and making miles each day. Thru-hikers primarily camp outdoors at free tent sites or shelters along the trails (due to budget, timing and the trail experience itself).

On the (PCT), however, stretching from Mexico to Canada, there are no official shelters on the trail. Occasionally there are cabins or shelters accessible off the PCT down connecting or side trails. And there is at least one emergency shelter, Muir Hut, atop Muir Pass (11,000+ feet) in the Sierra.

Whether camping at an established or improvised campsite or in a shelter, backpackers/campers are always advised to follow Leave No Trace (LNT) principles on the AT and PCT.

The Muir Hut , pictured, atop Muir Pass (11,000+ feet) on the PCT (and John Muir Trail) in the Kings Canyon section of the Sierra was built by the Sierra Club as an emergency shelter and memorial to naturalist John Muir. It is an impressive architectural feat and can be visited while hiking but is only to be used for sleeping only in the event of emergencies, severe weather.

The Shelter Effect

Hiking the AT and PCT in back-to-back calendar years allowed me to consider similarities and differences of the influences and impacts of shelters on the AT vs. no shelters on the PCT. (Note: It is definitely possible to get to know the AT, the PCT or any trail very well, too, without thru-hiking).

The shelters on the AT, and lack thereof on the PCT, seem to play a role in influencing trails dynamics like trail camaraderie (socializing), daily hiking schedules, meal times, learning leave no trace (LNT) and trail etiquette (being a respectful, decent person) and even human impact on the trail. Shelters encourage socializing with a dedicated space and structure for hikers to collect; by encouraging them to break or slow down for a bit by popping in; and by encouraging hikers to chat, use the privy as a bathroom (rather than the woods), and as a destination to interact, camp or relax.

In 2106 the USFS posted signs near and at the Watauga Lake Shelter on the AT in Tennessee about bear activity. Signs near and at the shelters like this often serve to reinforce ideas about LNT or closures to AT hikers.

Living the Shelter Life

With 250+ physical shelters along the trail they offer a physical place and structure to do all of these things and in doing so foster learning, lessons and nurturing community. It’s common to structure a day’s schedule or increments of a hike based on where a shelter is — “See you at the shelter.” “Let’s stop for lunch at the shelter.” “I’m going to push onto the next shelter.”

AT shelters can be a friendly social or meeting point — for meals, filtering water, a short break, camping, checking the trail registers (or logbooks), taking a pit stop at the privy (pit toilet), finding/making friends at a likely/probable point. In the event of a missing person, sickness, safety or an uncomfortable situation, the shelters can come to one’s aid where others at the shelter can mobilize or bring comfort as opposed to being alone in the woods.

Hikers on the AT can stay inside the physical shelter, hang out there or camp in the adjacent area for tenting/hammocks usually next to or near to a shelter. Usually the area around shelters includes space for tent and hammock camping, a fire pit, a water source and a privy (pit toilet) that can be used during the day or for camping. If sleeping in a shelter, hikers lay out their sleeping pad and sleeping bag on the shelter’s wooden floor.

Camping at but not in a shelter is a good option for company, convenience (close to water source, privy, company, space) or camaraderie. Whether in or around the shelter, campers are expected to follow LNT, exercise respectful behavior and properly store food at night so not to attract bears, mice or other rodents, too.

An unofficial rule of sleeping in a shelter is, “There’s always room for one more.” This idea is a foundation of shelter etiquette which the ATC encourages to be respect, kindness, LNT and flexibility whether visiting, sleeping or camping hear a shelter, especially during inclement weather like rain, sleet, snow or strong winds. It is not a requirement to socialize at a shelter, but anyone at a shelter is expected to be polite, moderate and kind of the shelter itself but also the people there.

The PCT, however is completely devoid of official shelters on trail. There are a handful of cabins, pavilions and shelters down a side or adjoining trail, but these are not considered officially part of the PCT. Instead hikers on the PCT stay overnight on trail camp in established campgrounds on or near the trail or improvised sites found near the trail. One reason (in addition to terrain) that hikers may hiker more miles each day because they are not stopping to break or camp at a shelter. Even without shelters, the PCTA encourages hikers to follow LNT always when camping.

Appalachian Trail Community

The AT’s 250+ shelters, like Ethan Pond Shelter in the White Mountains of NH, pictured, are each unique in their design while having some similarities — an overhanging roof, a wooden floor and three walls, elevated floor off the ground. Most (but not all) shelters also have a privy (pit toilet) adjacent to the shelter, space for tenting and are near a creek or spring. Shelters attract hikers for breaks, water, meal times, camping, to socialize with fellow hikers or sign a logbook.

Indoor Accommodations Along the AT and PCT 

Hikers on the AT and PCT who prefer not to sleep/camp on trail can do so by car camping, camping at trailheads, in RV parks and other options off trail and in trail towns. If RV or car camping, hikers need to stay aware of the rules/regulations of the surrounding area or land.

Sleeping indoors on the AT or PCT is possible but is usually difficult for multiple, consecutive days on trail unless slackpacking (possible on many sections of the AT) or devising a clever route. Doing so requires a good review of trail maps or trail guides to understand mileage, trailheads, connecting trails and town accommodations, etc. Hikers can also leave a car at either end of a hike or do an out and back hike.

If hiking for multiple days but not wanting to sleep outdoors, the trails cross roads that will lead you into, near or with access (via a car or hitchhike) to towns (roughly) every 3-5 days on the AT and 4-8 days on the PCT where hikers can resupply for food or find indoor accommodations.  Some hikers even looks for Airbnbs in trail towns.

Most trail towns on the AT and PCT include at least one hostel or hotel or basic resort available for a bed and shower, and some include multiple options. Often churches and community centers in town open their doors to thru-hikers, too. It’s important for hikers planning for indoor accommodations on the AT and PCT to know that accommodations may be basic as trail towns are relatively small towns, too.

Shelters along the AT, like the Partnership Shelter, pictured, outside of Marion, VA bring together hikers to camp in or around the shelter and socializing at a collective place.

The AT and PCT: A Great American Experience

Like other national scenic trails, the PCT and AT are long distance hiking trails but also an idea, a chapter of American history, a community and a legacy of a vision that was developed, spearheaded and built by (and is maintained by) people across the country– volunteers, federal and state employees, private land and business owners. [Note: The first half of Vermont’s Long Trail (LT) parallels the AT for 100 miles; and a large section of the Sierra in central California parallels the John Muir Trail (JMT)].

Both the AT and PCT are free places to hike, camp and backpack twelve months of the year (with occasional weather and trail condition closures in mind). They are used by thru-hikers, sections hikers, weekend hikers and day hikers with the most users between March and October of the year.

The PCTA’s website says, “The trail symbolizes everything there is to love–and protect–in the Western United States.” And the ATC’s website calls the AT “…a place of life-changing discovery.” As someone who hiked both of these trails I experienced the reality of those statements on trail.

The AT and PCT bring together people of all ages, backgrounds, religions and political backgrounds to see and experience some of the most stunning landscapes in the country and the most interesting community of people attracted to them. Thousands of people simply volunteer for the trails (building, maintaining, fundraising or other needed work) and don’t hike them. 

Before, during and after my thru-hikes I learned how the AT and the PCT nurture purpose, employment, friendships, economy, personal development, outdoor skills and stewardship among hikers, volunteers, locals and employees that support them. By bringing together people from across the country and the world of various backgrounds, ages, abilities and ideologies, the trails encourage perseverance, self reliance, community and connection with the outdoors and a chapter of American history. If hiking on them, one often finds like I did that trails restore their “..faith in humanity” with the kindness of the hiking community, trail towns and trail angels. 

Meal times on the PCT occur at campsites or spontaneous areas on trail, like this spot south of Muir Pass in the Sierra. On the AT, hikers often choose to eat on at similarly spontaneous spots but they often eat at a shelter where there might be fellow hikers to socialize with, water and a roof to sit under or a logbook to sign or read.

Hikers by the Millions and Counting

With each of the five decades since becoming national scenic trails, the AT and PCT grow longer, more well-known and traveled. The ATC and PCTA estimate that a collective 4+ million (and rising) people access some part of both trails annually.

In recent years, best-selling books made into films like A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson about the AT and Wild by Cheryl Strayed about the PCT have popularized the trails with the masses. Along with the success of these books, films and social media’s reach, the knowledge and users of AT and PCT are rising dramatically.

The PCTA’s 2016 visitor use report noted “…long-distance hikers and horseback riders came from all 50 states and 41 countries and territories…” and 5,657 permits were issued for section and thru-hikers. Those numbers do not include day hikers or weekend hikers. And in 2017, the ATC’s Interesting Facts report estimated that 2-3 million people per year hike a portion, section or the entire trail, including 950 reported completed thru-hikes for 2017.

Appalachian Trail Community

In 2016 Laura Johnston, author (right in pink jacket) completed a thru-hike of the AT and met hundreds of people on trail, including three friends, pictured, who she finished the trail with at the northern terminus, Mount Katahdin in Maine. The night before summiting the Katahdin, she camped at The Birches, a campground with two shelters and tent sites in Baxter State Park reserved for long distance hikers on the AT.

More Than Just Shelter

While there are many similarities between the AT and PCT, one of the most obvious differences is where this article began–the AT’s shelters and the PCT’s lack of shelters on trail. Opportunities and choices for socializing, camping, eating, sharing trail stories, learning trail etiquette and LNT, even learning history of the trail happens differently on each trail because of shelters (or lack thereof).

On trail I found the AT’s shelters embodied a phrase made famous in the 1980s film Field of Dreams “If you build it, they will come.” Thru-hikers, day or section hikers on trail often develop a rhythm or curiosity to stop or stay at shelters because they are a reliabily welcome, friendly, necessary or even interesting touch point of the day.

By stopping and camping at shelters during my own AT thru-hike, I saw the differences in each structure, learned about the shelters themselves and saw a greater good mindset at shelters — how you act, eat and sleep at a shelter (or in the outdoors) influences others and the trail’s condition, protection, image and relationship with wildlife.

People at shelters often learn from one another of how to model behaviors at a shelter as responsible or friendly trail behavior. They may even pick up a trick or two from how fellow hikers set up camp, store their food, or make a meal. New thru-hikers and novice backpackers can connect at the shelters and can meet, talk and learn from the collective experience on trail.

Because shelters attract people (and people have and eat food there), shelters can attract wildlife so following LNT for eating and storing food is critical to keep wildlife, hikers and shelrers safe. It is important to ensure shelters are a safe place to attract people on trail but not to attract bears or rodents. Eating, food storage, dirty water disposal all impact the presence of wildlife or not.

In fact the southernmost states on the AT – Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia – often have bear cables, bear boxes or bear poles at shelters encouraging hikers to store food away from shelters and out of tents or campsite. Seeing available food storage options and hikers practicing  (or even pressuring) good practices can facilitate LNT-friendly behavior and learning from one another.

Even if not camping overnight at a shelter, hikers often pass through to say “hello,” fill up and filter water, use the privy, check the logbook or ask about a fellow hiker. The day may even unfold differently because of a happening at the shelter — collecting food that someone offers, making a plan at the shelter with fellow hikers, or getting an idea of a good/fun place to camp because of conversation at the shelter, or slowing down or speeding up because of  conversation at the shelter.

Appalachian Trail Community

Many of the AT’s shelters encourage hikers to store food away from  wildlife either on bear cables, hung from a tree away from the shelter or in bear boxes, as pictured. The constant reinforcement of this practice at the shelters and influence of groups at the shelters are repeated opportunities to educate and remind hikers about leave no trace (LNT) and invite conversation about such practices.

Trail Etiquette

Trail etiquette is a combination of LNT and overall trail manners. Anyone at a shelter is expected to be polite with language, friendly to others and respectful of LNT and a certain etiquette.

Like a workplace, a school or another public shared space, there are a variety of ages, languages, schedules (wake and sleep time), abilities and personalities on trail and the shelters attract them all. So the shelters facilitate a common place to share a space, stories, knowledge and etiquette (or pass it on).

Shelters can even be main destinations for day, weekend, section or thru-hikers for a meal, a break or to camp, so they are opportunistic places for conversation, resources (water, shelter, space around shelter, campfire), intel (e.g. trail magic ahead or where a friend may be) or examples of good trail etiquette.

I found stopping at or staying at shelters along the AT as a place to find friends, camaraderie and to learn or reinforce LNT and trail etiquette (polite language, open mindedness, kindness and respect for quiet hours after dark), community, expertise and experience unique to the trail.

Even in what can be a solitary activity–hiking–staying at shelters encourages a greater good mindset, being face-to-face with others on trail and practicing responsible behavior with the trail, fellow hikers and to stay separate from wildlife.

Appalachian Trail shelters

Shelters are often a meeting place for meal times. Even hikers that don’t sleep in or camp at the shelters often stop in for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack. It’s important to be mindful of LNT practices, a polite and respectful trail etiquette when using shelters. Hikers also use shelters to find water, use the privy, check the trail registers or socialize.

Logbooks

Shelters on the AT almost always have a trail registry or logbook, a spiral or composition notebook where hikers can voluntarily sign their names and/or write funny, informative or serious notes to fellow hikers. Hikers will write notes for themselves, the trail community, the shelter caretaker or for hiking partners — “Stayed at the shelter last night!” “Will camp tonight at the next shelter. Hope to see you there.”

Logbooks or trail registers on the AT, as pictured, are located in the shelters and a traditional opportunity or place for any hiker to write their name, a generic note, or even information to friends or fellow hikers. They-hikers often stop at the shelters simply to read or sign the notebook as a part of their day and journey along the trail.

The logbooks are an invitation to contribute one’s name, personality and even helpful information to a book at each shelter for that season. Hikers may even write to someone behind them as a means to reconnect, “Sorry we missed each other. Hope to see you in town or down the trail.” And sometimes the logbook has fun or useful information like, “Free pizza in town for all thru-hikers!” Many hikers simply sign their trail name and the day’s date.

Shelters, also often, have signs or flyers posted near/in a shelters (in case of problems bears, extra reinforcement to be diligent, etc.) that encourage LNT responsible behavior and encourage conversation or awareness. 

Appalachian Trail Community

Thru-hikers on the AT pack up for the morning from the Cooper Brook shelter in central Maine in the famed 100 mile wilderness. Cold, damp days like this one in September 2016 bring hikers together at a shelter for warmth, camaraderie and temporary or overnight shelter from precipitation.

Protection from Elements/Weather

The AT is located in the eastern US along the Appalachian mountain range where the climate can be damp and precipitous nearly any time of year — humidity in the summer and snow and sleet in the winter and rain anytime of year. If and when a hiker prefers not to camp (too cold/dangerous) on wet or frozen ground, shelters are ideal places to provide relief to stay dry.

The AT’s shelters can provide temporary or an overnight break from rain, sleet, snow, a dry place to sleep or enjoy a break.

The Appalachian Mountain Club AMC), a trail club in the northeast, maintains a series of fully-enclosed huts with meals, bunks, water and indoor pit toilets. Some of these huts are in the White Mountains of NH on the AT, including Zealand Falls Hut, pictures. Section or weekend hikers can pay to reserve a bunk for cost; thru-hikers often stop through for water, a meal or to offer to “work for stay,” doing chores in exchange for food. In the event of serious weather, certain AMC huts in the White Mountains must allow thru-hikers to stay inside the huts.

In times of tough, cold or dangerous weather the AT shelters may become a place to go for cheering up one’s spirits among fellow hikers waiting out a storm or commiserating Ina covered place together.

In the most serious of weather, shelters can be a safe place to go (or bring) fellow hikers that may need help or the company of fellow hikers can provide help, warmth or advise rather than being alone in the woods. 

Pacific Crest Trail Community

PCT hikers can stay at the Mountaineers Lodge, puctured, at Steven’s Pass, WA which is a small walk from the PCT. This three story A-frame cabin houses skiiers in the winter and is open to thru-hikers in the hiking season. A small fee allows hikers to sleep, shower, use a drying room and lounge on couches.

Camaraderie  

Because camaraderie (or socializing) on the AT and PCT are facilitated by many factors–the persoanlities, the trail itself, the landscapes, water sources, weather, terrain, the pace, the number of people on trail and a characteristically friendly nature of hikers–there is no doubt that the shelters on the AT add to socializing.

Additionally shelters on the AT may enable certain hikers to stay overnight who may not feel comfortable or capable sleeping in a tent or a hammock. They also encourage socializing or a welcome place to walk into socializing when some might be nervous or shy otherwise.

Pacific Crest Trail Community

Granite peaks of the Sierra in central and northern California on the PCT leave one inspired each and everyday.

History

The AT shelters are also a tool in telling the history and culture of the trail. Seeing or staying at the shelters can inspire awareness of the CCC, trail crews and volunteers who built and maintain them by hand; materials and tools for construction brought in on someone’s back or via forest roads. It also is a obvious and tangible way to recognize the trail craftsmanship  as opposed to equally important but often overlooked trail construction, like stone or rock work or a clear trail.

With 250+ physical structures, each designed and built differently, the AT’s shelters are a window and awareness into trail history and construction. The materials and design of each shelter is different; when they were built differs; who maintains them varies by regional trail club; and the number of people who can and do choose to sleep in them varies.

My hiking partner on the AT was a skilled carpenter and stopping or staying at shelters inspired a greater appreciation in me of their craftsmanship and overall condition.

The PCT does not have shelters. The absence of them and nearly any human-made structure makes structures obscure and strange.

Overmountain Shelter, the red barn pictured in the distance, is an iconic shelter in the Roan Highlands of Tennessee on the AT. Hikers can camp in the large two-story barn or in the vast grassy area, pictured, which is adjacent to the shelter. This is perhaps the largest shelter along the AT and could easily sleep 40+ people.

Where There Are No Shelters

Without shelters on the PCT, the dynamics of camaraderie, camping and more on trail are facilitated otherwise. Hikers on the PCT are equally friendly, kind and LNT/trail etiquette aware, but these behaviors manifest differently and often occur at spontaneous sites, at improvised sites or in different sized groups than on the AT.

There are not physical structures on the PCT; there are not bear cables or bear poles to hang food; there are not privies (expect a couple open air pit toilets in Washington); there are not logbooks in a shelter; there are not consistent buildings on the trail that invite/encourage a host of people-centered activities — meals, socializing, signing a logbook learning LNT and trail etiquette or taking cover from the weather.

Instead of socializing or certain activities at shelters on the AT — camping, filtering water, chatting, meal times, signing a logbook, talking about LNT or trail etiquette or taking cover from the weather — these dynamics happen differently on the PCT. Instead, they might occur on the trail itself while walking (or taking a break), at water sources, streams/lakes, campsites, trees or rocks or other improvised points on the trail.

Additionally the lack of shelters or physical structures on the PCT nurtures an increased feeling of complete wilderness. A lack of physical structures (less trail signs and the occasional cistern or trailhead, or wind turbine) makes for a deep connection to the natural world.

It’s important to note that like hikers on the PCT, those on the AT will also socialize, exchange information, learn or seek protection at other points on trail (not just shelters) like lakes/streams, viewpoints, trees/rocks or other improvised sites on trail.

Pacific Crest Trail Community

Thru-hikers on the PCT break for a rest in the desert in southern California. Without shelters on the PCT, unlike the AT, breaks like this often happen on the trail, under a tree or at a water source.

Table Summary

Below is a table with a side-by-side comparison of the text above and the key features that shelters provide on the AT and how trail dynamics occur on the PCT without them.  The ATC’s website provides more details about shelter life here.

Key Features Appalachian Trail (AT) Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
Number of Shelters /Lean-tos on trail
  • 250+ shelter/huts along the Appalachian Trail (AT), at an average of 8-15 miles apart with variation in some sections, even up to 30 miles apart.
  • Hikers can also on trail in tents, hammocks or cowboy/girl camp (camp under the stars) on trail.
  • 0 physical shelters/huts on trail.
  • Hikers sleep on trail in tents, hammocks or cowboy/girl camp (camp under the stars) on trail.
Meal time
  • Hikers often eat at shelters for  meals, breaks or camping. 
  • Hikers also eat at individual campsites or arbitrary points on trail.
  • Hikers eat at established campsites or any other undesignated open space on trail.
  • Hikers also eat at individual campsites or arbitrary points on trail.
Water
  • Shelters almost always include a water source–may be up to ¼ or ¾ miles from the actual shelter.  (Water should always be filtered for safety).
  • Water is found along the trail in cisterns, caches, rivers or springs. (Water should always be filtered for safety).
Camaraderie/Social
  • Shelters attract hikers to a physical structure for their protection (from weather), utility (good for breaks, eating or camping) and socializing or camaraderie (where other people will probably be), similar to a town hall.
  • Shelters are a known place to sleep, eat and take cover from bad or dangerous weather.
  • Where there are people and where there is shelter, there is socializing.
  • Shelters are a probable and even routine place to stop and meet fellow hikers.
  • Hikers socialize without a physical shelter to invite such–while walking, stopping at a water source, taking a break or setting up camp on trail.
  • Hikers may use trees, rocks, water sources, view points or campsites as an arbitrary point for socializing with fellow hikers.
Leave No Trace (LNT)/Trail Etiquette
  • The ATC encourages an etiquette at shelters including, but not limited to:
  • Make room for other hikers. 
  • Keep the grounds litter-free. 
  • Make phone calls and smoke away from the shelter.
  • Don’t cut down trees
  • Dispose of waste liquids (graywater) at least 100 feet from the shelter and 200 feet from water sources.
  • If a shelter has a privy, use it. 
  • If you have a dog, consider tenting. 
  • If you snore, sleep in your tent. 
  • Don’t tag (graffiti) the shelter. 
  • Avoid eating in the shelter if at all possible. 
  • Do not leave or burn trash or garbage in the fire pit. 
  • Sweep out the shelter when you arrive and leave as even the smallest crumbs can attract rodents.
  • Be considerate of others hikers. All  shelter etiquette boils down to common courtesy in a very small shared space. See the ATC’s Leave No Trace page to learn more.
  • Without shelters as a routine and group spot for camping, eating and use, there are different ways to share and reinforce trail etiquette on trail.
  • Sharing LNT and trail etiquette is possible on the PCT while walking, camping, etc.  
Protection from Elements/Weather
  • Hikers have on-trail reprieve from the elements and the weather—a dry or wind-protected spot to camp and a roof over their heads.
  • Shelters are dry places in wet weather (they fill up fast when it rains).
  • Hikers do not have on-trail places to find shelter or reprieve from the elements or weather—e.g. the punishing heat and sun exposure of the desert; the rain, mist and snow in the Oregon and Washington.
Physical Camping
  • Shelters provide a place to sleep in or camp near at the adjacent tent sites or forested area for hammocks.
  • Camping on the PCT is done by tent or hammock at established or improvised sites.
Daily Schedule
  • Shelters may become a basis for how or where to get to in a day’s schedule–“let’s meet for lunch at the shelter”; “let’s stop for water at the shelter”; “let’s camp at the shelter tonight.”
  • Stopping at the shelter for a break or to camp may also change the flow of the rest of the day because of a friend, a lesson, a conversation or the amount of time spent at the shelter.
  • A day’s hike may be oriented around stopping, breaking or camping at landmarks or milestones on trail like water sources, campsites, or other points of interest, but never a shelter itself or the time, conversation or information obtained at one.
History
  • The shelters give hikers a connection to the history of the trail and its volunteers, as all shelters were either built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) of the 1940s or those of trail volunteers and trail clubs.
  • Many point of the trail also include signage about local trail clubs that maintain a shelter.
  • Evidence of the trail’s history can be noted in occasional signage on trail or a knowledge of the trail itself. There are almost no physical structures on trail to invite awareness into the history of the trail. (The PCTA website, however, has loads of information).
Construction
  • Shelters can encourage appreciation and awareness for craftsmanship and labor to build and design shelters along the trail.
  • Hikers and trail volunteers can also participate in rebuilding or maintaining shelters as a volunteer for the AT and one of its trail clubs or trail crews.
  • Hikers can note trail construction by noticing signage, physical trail, rock work or trail conditions but not shelters for a clue to trail history.
Structure 
  • Shelters are three-sided structures with bunks, with either one or two levels, they generally fit 8-20 people. 
Time & Cost
  • 250+ shelters require the ATC and trail clubs to find volunteers and funding to maintain, upkeep the construction, caretaking, and reconstruction (when necessary) of shelters and their tent sites and privies.
  • Volunteer hours and funding can be reserved for other expenses and projects, rather than building or maintaining shelters.
Human/Environmental Impact
  • Sleeping in shelter is shown to minimize soil compaction, vegetation trampling, and habitat disruption.  +
  • Following LNT principles, especially at/around shelters, can minimize impact on nearby water sources and maintain positive relationship with wildlife.
  • Protecting and respecting the water sources and surrounding area at shelters and otherwise on trail is critical to minimizing human impact on the environment.
  • Respecting water sources at shelters or otherwise is important for overall health and safety of the water source.
  • Following LNT at shelters is critical because the structures and their surrounding area see so much visitation and use.
  • Shelters usually have a privy (pit toilet) which lessens the disposal/burying of human waste and toilet paper in wilderness.

+ The ATC is currently funding a study on the environmental impacts of thru-hikers on the trail and at the shelters.

  • Dispersed camping can have greater human and negative environmental impact due to more widespread (i.e. not concentrated) vegetation trampling, habitat disruption soil compaction, and unregulated fire pits.
  • Hikers should be aware of crowding a campsite or creating their own in areas that may be damaged.
  • Camping in the southern California (700 miles) is often influenced by proximity to infrequent water sources (some as far as 40 miles apart) so it is critical to respect those areas for overall health and safety of the water source.
  • Following LNT practices at campsites helps protect the trail and water safety and a positive relationship with wildlife.
  • Protecting and respecting the water sources and surrounding area at shelters and otherwise on trail is critical to minimizing human impact on the environment.
  • There are very few pit toilets on the PCT so hikers must be diligent to properly dispose of human waste on trail.

*Note: Official mileage of the AT and PCT varies slightly from year due to ongoing land acquisition or trail construction.

**Note: In areas with the heaviest foot traffic, the use of some AT shelters may require the payment of a fee smell dee. Fee sites are mostly found in New England and are usually $10 or less. Free sites are interspersed between the fee sites. See more on ATC website.

The impacts of how and where hikers socialize, camp, sleep, eat, and commune on the AT and PCT are detailed further in this article by Zach Davis, founder of TheTrek.co.

The ski hut atop Bromley Mountain in Vermont belongs to the Bromley Mountain Ski Resort, but is open for thru-hikers to rest at or camp inside during the summer months, in the off season.

 

Tennessee Pass Cookhouse

Featured Yurts: Tennessee Pass Sleep Yurts, Cookhouse, & Nordic Center

Featured Yurts: Tennessee Pass Sleep Yurts and Cookhouse

by Sam Demas and Laurel Bradley

Most photos courtesy Tennessee Pass Nordic Center and Cookhouse

Imagine a mile-long ski or hike into the woods to enjoy a fine meal with fabulous mountain views.  After the delicious repast with fine wine, spend the night in a nearby well appointed yurt.  This will be glamping at its best, hosted by and authentic backcountry operation far outside the realm of mass tourism.

We enjoyed the Tennessee Pass Sleep Yurts and Cookhouse at the end of a week-long exploration of some of the dozen or so Tenth Mountain Division Huts nestled in the Rockies between Vail, Leadville, and Frisco.  This Featured Yurt post is a ringing recommendation of this experience – which can become a comfy climax, a cushy reward after days and nights immersed in the more rustic pleasures of hut life.  We highly recommend you splurge and add the Tennessee Pass venue to your Colorado hut-to-hut bucket list.

HUT-TO-HUT AND THE HIGH-END YURT EXPERIENCE

Tennessee Pass Cookhouse

Sleep Yurts

A common lament found in hut logbooks is simply that folks are not ready to return to “civilization” after days of mountain highs.  Off the grid, the Cookhouse and Ski Yurts are a unique half-way house between hut life and ordinary life with its full catastrophe of conveniences and complexities.  This unique version of mountain hospitality, especially for families and friend groups, is special because:

  • It offers a (mild) physical challenge, along with the act of leaving behind the car and all it represents, which unites the group;
  • The short journey by foot or skis are rewarded by the fine food and restaurant amenities  ;
  • This mom and pop operation is distinctly NOT corporate; and
  • Cookhouse and Ski Yurts is nestled within a network of trails and offers amazing views of the Sawatch mountains.

FINE DINING IN THE BACKWOODS

The Tennessee Pass Cookhouse evolved from a simple picnic table with a view.  The owners recognized that a popular lunch spot enjoying spectacular views of the Sawatch Mountains could become much more.  The Cookhouse is the result.  Housed in a 30-foot diameter yurt, this fine dining establishment offers four-course, “bounty of the woods” meals.  Fish, meat and vegetarian entrees go down easily with a choice from the fine wine and beer list.  Candle-lit service is friendly and efficient.  Lunch is served Saturday and Sunday during winter.  This popular dining spot attracts friend and family groups, as well as couples from the local area and from as far away as Denver.  Reservations are required as all the meal fixings must be prepared in advance.

Executive Chef Dylan Brody, who grew up in Minnesota hunting and fishing, learned early in life to prepare fish and game.  As a young man he worked two summers at Bristol Bay Lodge, Alaska, leading fly-fishing trips and working in the kitchen. There he learned the fine dining side of things and yearned to cook fulltime in a “taste of the wild” themed backwoods restaurant.  An ad in the Leadville newspaper led him to the Tennessee Pass Cookhouse and the fulfillment of a dream.

THE SLEEP YURTS

Sleep Yurts

Over the years, Cookhouse diners often joked that their dining experience would be perfect “if we could just stay the night”.  And indeed, four sleep yurts now offer a delightful overnight experience.  The rustic and elegant 20’ diameter ski yurts each sleep up to six people. The heavy timber queen-size bunk bed and a separate queen size bed are outfitted with flannel sheets and luxurious down comforters.  The wood stove quickly warms up the hut.  There is a small kitchen area with cold running water in the sink.  The outhouse is close by.  Altogether this is a cozy atmosphere, with the “oculus” of the yurt ceiling always reminding you that you are in the woods and under mountain stars and skies.  The wood stove quickly warms up the hut and its fun to relax with a glass of wine in the warmth of the fire before the 6:00 dinner, a very short ski away in the Cookhouse.

FOUNDERS STORY

This Cookhouse and Yurt complex is a unique act of imagination by owners Ty and Roxanne

Tennesse Pass Cookhouse

Ty and Roxanne on the move

Hall.  The couple, who met and married in college, were resolved to make a life in Leadville, Roxanne’s hometown. Despite limited job prospects for college graduates, Ty found work at Ski Cooper while Roxanne signed on as a school teacher.  Ty noticed a struggling Nordic ski center across the parking lot from Ski Cooper.  The Halls bought the outfit in 1993 as it was about to go out of business.

As the Halls expanded the trail system and enhanced the Nordic Center’s capacity, they also moved ahead to realize their vision for a backcountry dining establishment.  They managed to get a special use permit from the Forest Service for a temporary structure, and put up a 30’ diameter yurt, with attached kitchen in 1995.  They struggled for the first eight to ten years, but eventually the Cookhouse proved a viable and valuable addition to the Nordic Ski Center offerings.

In this same period Ty and a friend built and operated the Belvedere Hut near Leadville; this hut – now the 10MD’s Sangree-Froelicher Hut – was sold to Tenth Mountain Division in 1999.  They used the profits to construct a new building for the Nordic Center in 2002.  They have expanded their cross-country ski rentals and trails business, rent fat tire bikes, sell gear, and provide delicious snacks and lunches at the cafe/warming center.  With the Cookhouse and Nordic Center doing well, the Halls looked for ways to construct sleeping quarters. The Forest Service would not issue a permit for sleep yurts next to the cookhouse, so the Halls bought mining claims nearby and put up four yurts on private land, two in 2011 and two in 2013.  They have rights to construct two more sleep yurts.

Twenty-three years in the making, business at the Cookhouse and Sleep Yurts is good although Ty admits that, “it’s not exactly a cash cow”.  Indeed, this enterprise represents a lifestyle commitment as much as a business endeavor. Roxanne has retired from teaching and bakes cookies and brownies for the cafe, teaches ski lessons, works with reservations and otherwise works with Ty in managing this family business.

 

Wicklow Way Case Study

Case Study: Wicklow Way, Ireland

by Sam Demas, January 2016

Purpose, methodology, and notes

These case studies are building blocks towards a broader “Country Study” examining long distance walking in Ireland. The intent of the case studies is to paint a picture of the most salient features of each walk and to delve somewhat into operational details. The idea is that from these case studies a broader national picture will emerge.  Wicklow Way Case Study….

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Burren Way Case Study

Case Study: Burren Way, Ireland

By Sam Demas, April 2016

Purpose, methodology, and notes
These case studies are building blocks towards a broader “Country Study” examining long distance walking in Ireland. The intent of the case studies is to paint a picture of the most salient features of each walk and to delve somewhat into operational details. The idea is that from these case studies a broader national picture will emerge.

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Kerry Way Case Study

Case Study: Kerry Way, Ireland

July 2016

By Sam Demas with advice from Patricia Deane, Rural Recreation Officer

Purpose, methodology, and notes
These case studies are building blocks towards a broader “Country Study” examining long distance walking in Ireland. The intent of the case studies is to paint a picture of the most salient features of each walk and to delve somewhat into operational details. The idea is that in looking across these case studies a broader national picture will emerge.

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