[at-l] hiker burdens

[kahley@ptd.net (kahley)]

I'm getting passing put out by the constant elevation of the AT as
some sort of safe haven.  It's isolated from protection.  People are not
given psychological tests before entering.  Often local people don't
even have a clue that this is the AT and therefore they must do no harm.

The safety we refer to comes from numbers and only from numbers.
If you are alone you are no more safe there than you are on any other
trail in the country.

Really people....odds are things will be OK but cripes.....we can't act
like nothing bad ever happens.  People get killed on the AT.  People
get raped.  One thing you do hear on the women's list that you don't
hear here are the stories of having to run from a road or fearful nights
without sleep.

I'm not saying carry a gun.  I'm saying let's not get carried away with
there is no need to be cautious or that you are hauling a weight of fear.
Stuff can happen while you are hiking alone in the woods.  Believe me.
And I have yet to hear of a reason why this doesn't apply to the AT!!!!