[at-l] Purism...Plus OT

[winchester@unnet.com (Ron Winchester)]

Jim Lynch wrote:

>    I understand what you're saying.  I'm certainly not the arbiter for
> all this, but I'd be willing to use in and out blue blazes to a shelter
> that is recognized as an AT shelter and still feel comfortable in *my*
> claim to have hiked the AT and claim a patch.

>   A good example is the old AT above Palmerton, PA (lots of
> rock scrambling with great views and crisscrossing between the north and
> south rims) versus the AT path which runs straight up the ridge centerline
> through the trees with nearly no view but a nice easy dirt path.  I've done
> both and like the old better.
>
> Black&blue
>
Another example is in the White Mountains where the AT skirts the summits and the
blue blazes go over the summits.  I remember one hiker telling me not to miss the
trail up Mt. Adams.  Well, guess what?
I did.  So when I go back to summit Madison, I'll hike the others as well.

Always something to look forward to.

As far as taking one blue blaze into town and another out of town, I understand
where anklebear is coming from, but I have to agree with Felix.  Decisions have
to be made and if shaving in some cases 5-10 miles off your hike by blue blazing
into and out of town, that's your call.  Seems that in New Hampshire somewhere
there's a blue blaze that takes you directly into town, while the AT comes out at
a point on a road requiring one to hitch if going into town - not convenient, but
that's the route the AT takes and another decision to make.  Granted, I'm not
going to kiss every white blaze on any hike, but once one starts to waiver, the
next shortcut becomes easier to justify.  So we go back to the sage advice given
by Rick and decide early on what kind of hiker we're going to be, and just be
honest with ourselves.  Are we going to be able to claim 2000 miler status, or
can we claim a great hike from ME to GA?

I'm three years + into my section hiking and I knew what type I wanted to be
after finishing my first 100 miles.

RonW