Back in July, I sent out press releases about the ATC challenge. Soon our local newspaper The Baysider published my article. A month or so later, I got an email from the Laconia Daily Sun requesting an interview. The timing was perfect for another round of publicity, so I was grateful for the "late" opportunity. Also, much as I like having my own writing published, in a way it feels extra special to have a publication make the effort to cover the story themselves.
The Sun article was published on Sept. 2. You can read the full digital copy of it on their website.
I do need to make a couple small corrections, however...
First, my original inspiration for earning hiking patches came from the Belknap Range peaks patch, not the LRCT challenges (which quickly followed). But in fairness, I did ramble (as promised/warned to the reporter) during the interview, so I can forgive that tiny mix up. LOL
The first mention of Trask Swamp had a typo that I immediately caught - "Track" - which just proves that spellcheck/AI can't completely replace human proofreading & editing!
There is also the inconsistency of "red liner" vs. "redliner" - the latter typically being correct, although the Belknap redlining patch itself actually does seem have it embroidered as two words. Weird. But in this context, technically the single, compound word "redline" is grammatically correct.
Most importantly, I must address an omission near the end. The article stated "those with a Hike Safe card are not responsible for repaying costs if they need rescuing." While this is partially true, it should have clarified that if you are negligent (like hiking up the Presidentials gearless or attempting rock scrambles in flip flops), you are held responsible whether you have a Hike Safe card or not, which I made very clear in the interview. The statement without this detail could be misleading to readers, so it should not have been edited out. (Incidentally, that was the first mistake Hummingbird jumped on when she read the story, so it's definitely prominent.)
Personally, I also would have worded a few other things in the article differently, but everyone has their own writing style. Regardless of any of these mistakes or editing choices, I am ever so grateful for the publicity and support by my local newspapers! Anything that helps spread the word about the Alton Trail Chaser patch is awesome. 💖 So please share this blog with your hiking friends!
Note to publishers: I am available for proofreading or writing services! 😉
