[at-l] IAT - Beyond the Slideshow

[janl2@mindspring.com (Jan Leitschuh)]

> Share what you learn up there.

Damn! Those Gathering slide shows! Not good for my bank account...or
occupational ambition.
 
Well, has anyone on this list ever hiked any of the International AT? I
want the straight skinny.

I saw a presentation at the Gathering, and it got the wheels
churning...to backpack for longer than a week at a time, I was going to
take July off next year to walk Maine southbound... but could MAYBE
wrangle the 8 weeks of July/Aug to do the IAT...go north to the
sea...they say you can see caribou, eagles, whales sometimes from the
cliffs...

Think, 650 miles, three "cultures": American Maine, "English" New
Brunwick and Frech Quebec... the IAT companion (I bought) is a tiny
thing, like a little Jehovah's Witness handbook or somthing...only maybe
30 are said to have thru-hiked the IAT (but only 17 listed on website). 

It's such a young baby trail, and still being hammered out. People get
lost, bushwhack, lose the Trail. There's a certain amount of walking on
isolated logging roads, old rail beds and rural byways. Kinda like the
AT in the 50s. 

Folks compete for hiker sightings, the small towns are reportedly still
very hiker friendly because the volume is small - reports speak of those
who invite a person in for a meal and a chat, or offer a canoe for a
ride, or the back of their yard for a tentsite in town.

Baxter, apparently, is not thrilled with more people potentially in the
northern section. Also, since this area can't be hiked in a day, some
IAT trekkers have gone in illegally and been fined and fussed at.

Still, some govenments are excited about the IAT. From a newspaper
article: "The government of Quebec is paying for the job. It is part of
$1.7 million the government will spend this year on trail
development and services throughout the Gaspe. A crew of 95 people is
currently building a trail along the north coast."

And the towns are getting excited: "Pete Dube, the owner of the
Matapedia Motel, offers a through-hiker discount and said the
development of the trail is very important for the future of the town,
already famous for its salmon fishing. Dube said the Appalachian
Mountains in the Gaspe, known locally by the Indian name, the Chic
Chocs, are still largely unknown, even in Canada." 

So, if there is anyone out there who has done it (or is toying with
doing it next summer), (or if the website gets you fired up and NOW
you're toying with it), can you share some electrons? It's kind of got
me by the gills...

Here's the URL:http://www.internationalat.org/

Best,
Jan in NC

-- 
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    Jan Leitschuh Sporthorses Ltd.

http://www.mindspring.com/~janl2

E-mail:  mailto:janl2@mindspring.com

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