A Lodge Called Folkestone
The Dream, The Challenge, The People
by Bob Kranich
(Excerpt 21)
“The Lodge Called Folkestone”. You may wonder why the first half of the book is about my many adventures throughout the USA. Well, this first part explains just why my interests changed from hot rodding cars to backpacking. How the idea of a lodge came about, and just how the lodge came to be in North Carolina and next to the Smoky Mountain National Park, Deep Campground to be exact.
“American Hiker” Magazine I arrived back in Houston. A short time later, Irene and I got married. It was a small ceremony with a couple of friends attending. Then I got my next inspiration. It would dwarf my three-month western trip! I had been hiking, learning, and improvising my own methods for some time now. I realized that there was no hiking magazine that could be purchased. I looked around in the backpack stores, bookstores, and even newsstands. There was an interesting climbing magazine, Off Belay, but that was it. This country needed a backpacking magazine, and I was going to provide it!
Even today, I can remember both my good friend Jack Hay, and wife Irene, trying to persuade me not to do it. But, to no avail. I was determined. I guess they decided that if they couldn’t convince me not to do it, they would join me. Irene’s title was Associate Editor, and Jack’s was Graphics Consulting. In those days, if I knew you, look out! I may have you writing something for me, especially on the first issue. I found out that if you can get the first issue out, the supply of freelance articles coming in will be more than enough. You have to just encourage and direct people to write the topics you want.
What does it take to come out and publish a magazine? First, you have to design the magazine. Then, you need the different departments, and you need the stories, and the people to write them. You have to lay out all of the artworks. Back in 1972, we didn’t have computers like we have today. If we did, American Hiker might still be in business. I am doing all the layout and copy today on this book, even as I sit and work at my computer. Back then, it was an expensive undertaking. Each page had to be laid out, the photos shot and sized. The copy content rough-typed, and then it had to be retyped by a person with an expensive IBM Selectric typewriter with the different fonts that could be changed out. The sized photos and type had to be waxed and pasted down on a layout board. Lastly, a cameraman had to photograph the layout boards for printing press type masters.
I went black and white. I did not even consider color, because I couldn't afford it. Even so, the black and white looked good, and it was accepted by the readers. Talking about readers. You need both readers and advertisers. It is kind of a Catch-22. You need reader circulation to get the advertisers, and advertisers to help pay for its production, and make some profit. By the way, there was never any profit.
You ask, how did you put out the first issue? Let me tell you. A couple of the main articles were from hikers I had met on my western trip. I had retained their contact information. When I started the magazine, I called them, and asked if they would do an article for my hiking magazine. We wrote the national forest article. The poetry was by a hiker I had met on a trail. Three of the articles were from people I worked with. I just suggested to them what topics I needed. In one case, I gave the fellow the articles to read and write from. Our book reviewer was our good friend and editorial assistant. I gave her books to review because she was good in English, but she wasn’t a hiker. The For Girls Only department was done by Irene. I did one of the articles from a hike, again on my western trip. Lastly, Trail News was accomplished by making a lot of phone calls and research.
We were very environmentally conscious. This could be seen by the article topics and free ads for conservation organizations. We actually reserved the most prestigious or sought after ad spots, rear cover and/or when possible, inside covers, for these free conservation ads. Many times we made our own conservation ads.
I immediately got busy with my small typewriter and phone. I had to obtain articles, and complete the magazine layout. I would need retail outlets and backpack stores to sell the magazines. Remember, there were no computers or free long distance calls with smart phones like we have today. To build a list of backpacking retail stores, I went down to the Houston Public Library, which is huge. They had most of the large city yellow pages. By looking through them under backpacking and sporting goods, I made a very nice list for my retail promotions. I got on the phone, and in every case, they wanted at least ten copies to sell.
Now, I had all of my artworks ready for printing. I obtained some printing companies from the Houston yellow pages, and got them to quote a quantity of about 400. We learned the hard way, that the lowest price is not always the best. I took the artworks to the printer, and when he called me to pick them up, they were not acceptable. They were bad! I complained, and he said that he would redo them. That’s when I found out that he was not the printer, but a middleman...a jobber. He was farming them out to his lowest bidder. So, I had got the lowest of the lowest. I picked up the second printing, and they were at least acceptable. For the next issues, I was fortunate to find out that both the best price and quality was to be obtained from the biggest printer in town.
We got all of the orders filled and mailed out with the help of some friends. Then, we decided that Irene and I would go to Colorado, to the San Juan Mountains. There we would get information and photos to do an article. After that, we would look around to contact more hikers for stories. This time, we took a camera, and obtained some fantastic photos for our article to be in the second edition. We drove to Silverton, Colorado, and followed the same procedure I had done on my three-month, out west trip. We had already reserved our tickets for the Durango to Silverton train ride. So with full packs for a five-day hiking expedition, we loaded onto the train. They dropped us off at the Needleton Whistle Stop, and our adventure began.
From the Author:
This is a new book. It is about the Lodge I built in the Smoky Mountains, near Bryson City, and Deep Creek campground, North Carolina. Having been from Florida, I know that a lot of Floridians love to visit the Smoky Mountains National Park. Therefore hopefully you will enjoy my story of the building of “A Lodge Called Folkestone”.
