[at-l] Re: ALDHA AND AHS AND EARLS HIKE

[saunterer@jimbullard.org (saunterer@jimbullard.org)]

At 06:44 PM 06/07/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>Hmmm, so if I claim to have hiked the trail in 1937, then someone has to
>disprove that I did it for me *not* to be recognized as a thru-hiker?
>That sounds sort of backwards and not the way these things usually work,
>logically speaking.

The problem for many people is that when Earl completed his thru he wasn't 
believed and was required to 'prove' it through examination of his journal 
and photographs.  2000 miler status continued to require evidence until 
1973 when the increasing numbers of successful completers taxed ATC's 
resources for verification.  Since then ATC has 'taken their word for 
it'.  When the alleged Boy Scout hike came up Mr. Gordon had an advocate 
(Ed Talone) who campaigned to have the hike listed as the 1st thru-hike 
despite the fact that it predated completion of the trail and there was no 
evidence to support the claim.  The ATC listed the hike with the notation 
that it was 'unproven' based on their post-1973 policy.  They continue to 
refer to Earl as the 1st "solo" thru-hiker.

It is my opinion that this was a terrible decision on the part of the 
ATC.  They set the standard for evidence with Earl and they should not 
retroactively accept less from anyone alleging to predate his hike 
especially since this was not just another thru-hike (not to degrade anyone 
else's thru).  This is the history of the AT itself which is being altered 
without evidence.  What if someone were to allege that his/her grandfather 
had been a friend of Benton MacKaye and that MacKaye actually got the idea 
from him.  Would the ATC rewrite the history to reflect that without a 
shred of proof?  I think not.  Earl's memory deserves just as much 
consideration.

sAunTerer