Re: [at-l] Wilderness (was shelters)

Leave it to Jim and Ginny to reinforce my point!
It's all so true.  I've seen more wildlife three miles outside of Anchorage
then in the 3600 miles or so I hiked on the AT and the PCT!
Come on up I'll give you a tour, there is no greater thrill then stepping
off trail and knowing in your heart that you are no longer the king of the
beasts, Papa Griz is!!!
> Sorry folks, I hate to break it to you, but the AT is not a wilderness.
>
> For that matter neither is the PCT or most of the CDT.  I saw more people,
> roads, structures etc on the PCT this year than I saw on the AT in '88 or
> '92(aside from shelters).
>
> The trails are a Natural experience, but they aren't a wilderness
> experience.  A park is natural, or a garden, but a wilderness is quite
> something else.  Most of us probably couldn't handle a real wilderness
> (though I think I'd like to try.)  Are you really willing to risk your
life
> for a hike on a long trail?  Real risk? No groomed trails?  Big rivers?
> Hungry bears and wolves?  No help if you get into trouble?  Then go to
> Alaska!

Hey And I Did!! Ten years ago I moved up here no other place like it in the
world!!!


> The closest we came to a real wilderness experience was on the CDT in the
> Bob Marshall in early June when heavy snow conditions meant that help was
a
> long way away and we didn't see another human footstep for more than six
> days.  A couple of close calls made me very aware that we were walking the
> edge.  But if we had done the same stretch in August, it would have been a
> very different experience.
>
> That's not to say the AT is not worth doing.  It is. It is a hard hike
> through some beautiful country with a group of interesting people that
> becomes a real community.  Community is a rare and wonderful thing these
> days.  But don't talk about wilderness.  It just isn't and hasn't been for
> at least 150 years.
>
> Ginny
> _________________________________________________________________________
> Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
>
> Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at
> http://profiles.msn.com.
>
> * From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *
>


* From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *

==============================================================================
To:            plodder@juno.com
Cc:            AT-L@backcountry.net