Re[2]: [at-l] Re: ALDHA AND AHS AND EARLS HIKE

[spiriteagle99@hotmail.com (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

Weary wrote:
>"... 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," observes Jim Lynch.
>
>The  trail was not built for "thru hiking." Most of the 5,000 maintainers 
>of the
>trail  could  care  less  about  thru hiking. The ATC was created decades 
>ago to
>provide  an  oasis of wildness in an increasingly civilized eastern 
>seaboard for
>people  who  lived  nearby.  The need for wildness has only increased 
>during the
>ensuing decades.
>
>How  to meet this demand? First off you need to raise money and recruit 
>workers.
>Trails  are  expensive.  One way to raise money is to cater to "2,000 
>milers" in
>hopes of encouraging them to join, donate and work.
>
>Now  let's think how one might logically do that. My vote is to award 
>anyone who
>claims to be a 2000-miler, a certificate, a patch and donation letter.


Interestingly, that answer has nothing to do with the question -

However -- after our last thruhike, we, as a couple, has a net worth that 
was somewhat less than $20,000.  That included 2 trucks, some books and 
tools, a couple pieces of furniture, our packs and about $1200 cash.  No 
job, no income, no place to live ---- not too much different from the 
financial situation of the average thruhiker at the end of the trail.  So 
sending the donation letter with the patch is pretty much useless and a 
waste of time, energy and trees.  A year later - maybe, but with the patch?  
I don't thnk so.

As for encouraging thruhikers to join and work, I've found that a higher 
percentage of thruhikers "join and work" than you seem to believe.  Of the 
people who show up for the trail crews that we work with, at least 30% are 
2000 milers.  That's a pretty high percentage considering the number of 2000 
milers vs the general hiking population.

Walk softly,
Jim







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