Well, all the pieces are in place! I finally have a functioning computer, my hikes are completed and now comes the skill of putting all that raw data into a book that people will enjoy both on the trail and while stuck in traffic (or trapped in their tents/in shrubs/in caves because of bad weather). Good news here is that John Ragozzine has agreed to do a few illustrations for my book, the first of which cracked me up (want to see it? buy the book hahaha!) It'll be fun to work together.

I'm currently working through my intro chapters and have done a bit of reading on geology and history. I'm pleased with my intro and I'll probably space out the "story" elements of the book with the hiking chapters so I don't get stuck in one discipline.

Also: any features you might like to see in a hiking guide, let me know! I've added all the raw data elements, personal stories, an actual FAQ, and so on. What I think I could use input on: what kind of appedices would you like to see? The tallest peaks in order? The hardest? My favorite top ten? Best winter hikes?

Outside of "book life", it's tough getting back to the routines of bills, the evening news, and all that. I feel like I've dropped back below the clouds into a messy cultural litterbox, metaphorically speaking.

Posted by James Dziezynski @ 1:06 PM