Compass Points Media To Go Dark

CPM founder and publisher Dave Pidgeon in Ricketts Glen. (Compass Points Media / flickr)

Some goodbyes are not forever, and this is certainly one of them.

Compass Points Media starting today will go dark, meaning the blog won’t be updated. But that doesn’t mean CPM will go away. Far from it.

We’re quite excited, actually, about the path that’s ahead for this little company. CPM is going dark because we’re in development on a joint project with Chris Seiple, he of Trail Sauce. We’re planning a new online product for 2011 that will be unleashed in the coming months.

A little more than a year ago, the heads of the newspaper company I worked for marched into the news room to announce they were cutting editorial staff by 40 percent, and so I lost my job as political correspondent and columnist. Then I went through a series of health problems, one right after another, which made life much more challenging for my wife, Alison, and me.

That’s when the idea to start a digital media company to churn out high-quality content sprung to life. I needed an outlet, something that not only provided focus but a little hope that I could control my own destiny and perhaps make something out of a hard situation. I’ll admit, CPM during its first year has made hardly a penny, but I didn’t start this solely to make money. As a professional journalist, I’m driven to help others enjoy the experience of the wild destinations which have embedded themselves in my soul — Ricketts Glen, Shenandoah National Park, the Adirondacks and so on. I’ve met many compelling people since starting CPM and am grateful for the opportunity to help readers “find their direction.”

CPM isn’t ending. It’s just the beginning, and I’m starting to work on the next chapter. Although the blog won’t be updated and no new Backcountry Radio episodes will be produced, you can stay connected with CPM on Facebook and Twitter, where I’ll continue to chat and interact with readers, and drop a few hints about this new product Chris Seiple and I are developing.

Plus, there’s some exciting developments outside of the Compass Points Media realm for me to concentrate on, mainly the resurrection of my news career. I’m sure all of you understand the need to focus on what matters in life, especially when there’s others who count on you.

And so, hike on, friends! May you find your direction, may we find ours and meet somewhere out there. We’ll have good times then.

See you in a few months.