whoops, posted twice....oh yea, from a beginner to a beginner, gain knowledge on your own, cuz in the end all you have is yourself, n a c-c guide aint the holy grail. i had one for two months n it led me astray many times, they are useful but many times wrong, it says it on the first page... if you really respect the rails, learn, KEEP YOURS EYES MINDS N EARS OPEN! n ask q's if you got some educated questions to ask... you think our brothers at the turn of th 1900s had this resource at their disposal? HELL NO!!! n from a beginner to a beginner, first n foremost RESPECT THE RAILS N THE RIDERS!!! play it smart n play it ninja, there are people out there whos lives are the rails, n in a lot of cases, if you act a fool you will be dealt with accordingly. hoppers are some tough motherfuckers, n most dont take shit.. this aint a trend, n you can easily die, n fuck up the livelyhood of many diehard dedicated individuals who wouldnt n dont want life any other way... long story short RESPECT RESPECT REESSSSSPPPEEEECCTTT!!!!