[at-l] 2000-miler, thru-hiking.... was Best Blue Blazes

[rickboudrie@hotmail.com (rick boudrie)]

>You weren't the first purist and you wont be the last.  In the >meantime, 
>yes, there will be fraudulent claims. Regardless, none of >it should have 
>affected your hike.  If it did, I'm at a loss for >words.

Sly--

Did I ever say that I was a purist?  That's none of you business and if I 
did say if I was or wasn't, I am sorry.  I must have slipped.

I have been posting on these boards long enough to know that it difficult 
for me to communicate what I want to say on this topic even when I push my 
writing abilities to their limit.  I almost know that I will be 
misunderstood before I type.  I should have known better.

Frankly, you are right.  None if this should or does affect my hike.  In a 
room filled with old-time thru-hikers or with folks who will never hike the 
entire trail, I would avoid this topic like the plague. I'm not stupid.  Its 
not a good way to make friends.

The reason I wanted to post is that for what ever reason, I think it is very 
fashionable for former thru-hikers to say it doesn't matter what trail one 
takes.  They are right of course.  But that is incomplete and frustrates me 
when I hear it.

When you are on the Trail and your buddies go down a blue blaze and all the 
wise folks who post on this list and elsewhere say come along, why wouldn't 
anyone follow their lead?  My god, it shouldn't make any difference. And it 
doesn't.

And yet, about 500 people a year still feel the need to fill out an 
application saying they hiked the white blazes and send it to the ATC. That 
tells me that he ATC listing is important to most people who do thru hikes. 
DO I blame them?  Not really. But I have got to think that it doesn't really 
feel good to fill out an application you know to be false at a time that 
should be pure triumph and celebration.

In the end I don't what to be some self-righteous ass.  On the contrary, but 
I understand how it is possible to come off that way on this topic.  All I 
am saying is that if filling out that form is important (it seems to be to 
the vast majority of people who reach Daicey Pond), then those people should 
think about that when they decide to skip some of the Trail.  Not for my 
sake.  Not for the sake of the ATC list.  But rather for their selves.

Like many thru-hikers I am sure agree, I think Jim Owen's Thru-Hiking papers 
were brilliant (Not Jim, just his papers ;-) ).  While its been a long time 
since I read them, one thing he spoke about was the whole concept of "hiking 
you own hike".  As I recall (an I apologize for being to lazy to find them 
again) he wrote of how this has two parts.  The first being how one should 
temper their judgment of others hikes.  Well said and noted.  It's a good 
reminder. Again, I really don't care about other hikes one bit.  (I do have 
some trouble with forms people send in after their hike, but I am working on 
that.)  But he also spoke of how hikers should not let their own journey 
become unduly influenced by those around them.  That's the part that I keyed 
in on.  I keyed in on it because I think that is the most important thing of 
all.  And because it happened to me in very important ways, not all for the 
good.  Its not easy.

Its for that reason I think some differing viewpoint should be interjected 
when the voice of experience is saying it makes no difference how you hike 
the blazes.  Because that voice can have an affect on influencing others.  
While I may not be the one to articulate it best, something just seams out 
of joint when the chorus of experience says that the Trails one hikes 
doesn't make a difference (a view that I applaud) and yet 500+ hikers feel 
compelled each year to certify send in an application saying that they did 
hike the Trail in particular way.  When conventional wisdom say that few 
have.

Again, this is a topic on which I know I will be misunderstood.  So be it.  
I would not make any of these observations unless I felt that they would be 
of some value to the future thru-hiker.  I would also be careful in making 
them if there were not people with other opinions around to temper them.  I 
would never get into any individuals decisions.  What ever works best for 
them is OK by me.

Bottom line is that I think that how one hikes the AT can be massively 
influenced by those around them, and that people should be very cognizant of 
that fact.  The numbers seem to show that sending in application is one 
thing that is important.  Whether it should be or not.  Future thru hikers 
would be well served to read what it says.

Rick Boudrie







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