MIKE MCCORMICK TAKES ON THE TRAILS OF SOUTH JERSEY
Mike McCormick, 35, has been running South Jersey Trails since March of 2013. McCormick is a native of Voorhees, N.J. who currently resides in Barrington, N.J. who spends his days teaching middle school students world and US history. “The adventures of a man and his three sons (and his wife and, occasionally his friends) to the wonders of South Jersey, including hikes, canoe trips, backpacking, and historical sites”, McCormick summarizes of South Jersey Trails.
McCormick began the blog the way many great ideas are born, he had a question and no one was out there answering it.
McCormick recounts the story of when South Jersey Trails was born. While scouring the internet trying to find new trails to hike with his young son, in the hopes his wife would get an afternoon of relaxation, he found many trails in north Jersey. Without the ease to drive hours north to hike McCormick states he “decided then and there to write a book about hiking in South Jersey. Ten minutes later, I realized that that was entirely too much work and abandoned that plan. Instead I started a blog to keep track of the places I found to hike.”
South Jersey Trails has an astounding 74,233 views and rising. McCormick’s writing style has not changed much since the inception of the blog, but he has learned what his audience wants to know, such as which trails are dog-friendly. While blogs and other hobbies are often draining on a person’s life and free time, McCormick doesn’t feel that with his blogging. He states, “having my kids involved with actually hiking with me means that the blog includes a major aspect of my life within it (my family), rather than taking time away from them.”
McCormick has found that changing trails can cause some confusion and trouble with his blog staying accurate. While he tries to keep his blog updated at least once a month, if there is a period of time with no posts his readers can look back at the 130 previous posts documenting trails and so much more. As hiking trails remains the focus of the blog, McCormick says he “quickly branched out from just hiking in the beginning, to canoeing, local history, backpacking, and occasional posts on the national parks.” McCormick sees the best part of the blog as the ability to go out and explore as well as inform his readers of so many new and beautiful places in southern New Jersey.
As far as the impact and future of blogging, McCormick believes blogging “has a key role to play in the future of journalism. Blogs are able to successfully reach niche areas outside of mainstream journalism, allowing them to target under-served audiences or to take stories that print media wouldn’t necessarily be able to focus on.”
McCormick’s advice for fellow bloggers out there is to “make sure that you are writing about something that you care deeply about. If you care about your subject, that will come through to your audience.”
Bringing it all back to the history of south Jersey, McCormick states “a deeper understanding of our past leads to a clearer understanding of our present, which gives us a better understanding of what may happen in our future. Lessons learned from the past can sometimes help us decide what we can do with problems of today.”
Check out South Jersey Trails and get out there hiking and learning.
The trails and tribulations of history can truly be the best teachers for our future.