August 21, 1998

Summer's here and the time is right for rambling through the woods, where that hot sun can't beat down on you directly. For a lot of people, that means exploring the Appalachian Trail and its surroundings to the west of the D.C. area. There's a wealth of Web sites with general information on the topic, but before you strap on the hiking boots and backpack or throw the bike in the back of the car, though, you might want to stop by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club's Trails Forum site http://www.hypernews.org/HyperNews/get/trails/PATC.html for some first-hand accounts of what's happening out there or advice on what to do. More up-to-date than many home-made, special-interest Web page and more focused and relevant than a newsgroup, this moderated forum draws a manageable number of new postings each week, most from regulars. Recent topics have included such items as "Transportation for one-way hikers," "lightweight tents," "critter overview" and that perennial favorite, "Poison Ivy."
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Rob Pegoraro rob@twp.com