[at-l] Re: MacKaye's writings

[Bob C." <ellen@clinic.net (Bob C.)]

Frankly,  this  debate  reminds me of the blind men feeling an elephant and then
describing  what an elephant is like. Anyone who looks at the overall history of
the trail, and at the totality of MacKayes writings knows that the trail evolved
and MacKaye's vision for the trail evolved over the decades.

The  original  journal  article tossed out a lot of ideas. But MacKayes troubled
history  with  the  ATC, his later writings and activities and his disputes with
Myron  Avery  makes  it  clear that MacKaye came to believe that the Appalachian
Trail  should  be  as wild as possible, even preferring to abandon the idea of a
continuous footpath to a civilized trail.

Luckily  he  failed  in  the latter demand. But some of us will continue to work
keep  the  trail as wild as possible in this overpopulated, over civilized, over
sprawled 21st century.

Weary