[at-l] cell phones

[RoksnRoots@aol.com (RoksnRoots@aol.com)]

In a message dated 5/29/2002 7:59:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
rafe.bustin@verizon.net writes:


> The AT, by design, was laid along a heavily populated corridor
> in order to be accessible by the residents of the big cities that
> it passes by.  Those who designed and envisioned the trail
> didn't lay out lots of rules on what folks should do when they
> got there (to the trail, that is.)  They mostly hoped that the
> people would come.
> 

     ***   Through my knowledge of AT literature, the above statement 
bypasses most of MacKaye's thinking simply isn't accurate. In brief, there 
are pages and pages of writings and letters between MacKaye and other 
conservation contacts where he argues the mode of his Appalachian utopia. He 
is very firmly clear in his desire to maintain as pure a wild nature 
experience on the AT as possible. In fact some of his letters come to terse 
terms in dealing with people who challenge his thinking for many reasons 
similar to what we see here on AT-L. For this reason alone it is very 
important to continue MacKaye's pursuit and make available just exactly what 
he was trying to convey. The furthest contrast between urban existence and 
wild mountains was what he sought. I wonder if many hikers realize that the 
buzz they get from long distance hiking is the nature shock Benton planned? 
The more shocking the better.

   It's really quite ingenious. The conflict we see here between Trail users 
is exactly what MacKaye was trying to create in order make people think about 
their dependency on technology and civilization and how that affected nature. 
It is trying to get man to turn off the development/technology proliferation 
impulse and just let nature exist as it is and learn from it. I feel this is 
somewhat different than "just hoping people would come" and suspect that some 
who would like to detour around a serious part of AT history are those who 
probably carry cell phones and don't want to be reminded. I'm sorry, but I 
can't help but see looking at the Trail that way as fighting its fundamental 
philosophy instead of upholding it and participating in it...


     (Stay On Topic!) 

      


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