Fwd: [at-l] has the AT become too easy??

[spiriteagle99@hotmail.com (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

Desert Nomad wrote:
>Several reasons why I think it has become easier:
>1. switchbacks put in in steep spots
>2. more shelters
>3. more hostels
>4. more trail magic
>5. more advice from ex-thru hikers, etc.
>6. lighter gear choices: this was inevitable
>7. cell phones: can call loved ones to get over the blues
>
>  Several questions to ponder:
>8. Does the fact that it has become easier lead to more hikers and more
>    pressure on the AT?
>9. Will the mystique of hiking the AT soon be lost and how will this
>    loss affect the AT?
>10. Should the shelters be removed?


Hmmm - Of those (that I know) who have hiked the Trail 10 or more years ago 
and then hiked it again recently, I have yet to find anyone who believes 
it's become easier.  For one thing, the Trail has gotten longer.  Another 
significant change has been the change in the footpath - that it's been 
taken entirely off the roads - even when it doesn't make sense to do so.  
Specificially, the Trail has been taken off the old unused dirt roads and 
fire roads that it once used.  Ostensibly on the theory that those roads are 
multi-use.

Hostels --- why do you think there are more of them?  There's a life-cycle 
to hostels - most of those that existed 10 years ago are no longer 
operational.  I think you'd have to count the available hostels today and 
compare it to those of 10 years or more ago in order to convince me.  The 
situation today appears to be that there are "favored" hostels that are used 
by large numbers of hikers.  It'll be intereesting to see how long some of 
them last.

I'm not even sure there's more pressure on the AT - in 96 I predicted a 
starting class of about 4000 prospective thruhikers - and those who 
understood the Trail agreed with me - privately.  But we were all wrong.  I 
don't think any year yet has hit the 4000 starters.  Instead, the number of 
thruhikers has apparently leveled off.

Uh - where's all the advice from ex-thruhikers?  Baltimore Jack occasionally 
posts here, but more often than not he posts on other forums.  The actual 
thruhiking advice here (on at-l) is minimal.  There are those who offer a 
lot of advice - but VERY few of them are actually thruhikers.  Not that a 
lot of the section hikers don't offer good advice - but there's a distinct 
attitude difference between a section hike and a thruhike.  And those who 
haven't done it don't have it.
I know - you're thinking about the plethora of books.  Naaah - I haven't 
read ALL of the books, but I've sure read most of them - and the only two I 
highly recommend are Lynn Setzer's and Larry Luxenberg's.  The others are 
good stories but have little to do with actual prep for a thruhike.

Cell phones?  Maybe - but I doubt it.  I'd bet dollar to donuts that the 
vast majority of "successful" thruhikers (including those who start with 
one) don't carry that CP up Katahdin. Fact is that talking to loved ones 
won't help a hiker to "get over the blues".  It's a lot more likely to 
increase the "blues" and finish their hike.  It worked that way when we were 
using pay phones - I don't think a cell phone would be any improvement.  
This is one of those "thruhiker attitude" things - a section hiker might be 
happier talking to the wife/SO every day or so - but a thruhiker knows its a 
long way and a long time before he/she will see them again - makes the trip 
harder - not easier.

Shelters- yeah - I started talking about taking out shelters 9 years ago.  
Then I thruhiked 2 long trails that don't have shelters - and it was great.  
You want to get rid of them, go for it.

But then there's "mystique" - we went through his crap before, didn't we?  
And that idea didn't float any better then than it would now. But let's 
start this way -- define "mystique".  Then there'll be something to talk 
about.

Have a good weekend,
Jim


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