[at-l] ATN article, 1936 Scout Hike

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

In a message dated 6/13/2002 12:54:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
rbenhameda@comcast.net writes:


> [r]    While I agree that this is a possibility, I don't believe it to be a 
> likelyhood either.  In fact, I believe that a casual (sometimes accidental) 
> user of the A.T. might not know the history, tradition, and culture of the 
> A.T., but anyone who sets out to hike (intentionally) over a period of more 
> than a few miles would know about those things.  They would most likely 
> come into contact with others and conversations would likely occur.


     *** Don't forget there are several factors mitigating this Rami. You 
see, we are tainted by the huge network existing today that perhaps did not 
exist back then. They supposedly hiked the Trail before it was even finished, 
so that culture may not have existed yet. If they did do Maine to NY, where 
was the evidence of run-ins with that network from that appreciable hike? Max 
was 15 years old. There is good reason there to believe he didn't pursue the 
follow throughs an adult might have. The second believable insulating factor 
would be this being an inclusive boy scout event. If Max was strictly scout 
oriented, it is possible that he looked at it on those terms, received his 
recognition through boy scout channels and was satisfied with it, and never 
went further as time passed. If the Trail was less of a famous public image 
back then, and Max responded to scout matters above everything else -it is 
possible. 




  At the very least, when arriving at a shelter, such a person would, out of 
curiosity, read all postings on the walls of the shelter and would read a 
shelter log 
> if one was available.  This alone would make them aware of the ATC and the 
> trail community.  It does not imply that an awareness of the trail 
> community would necessarily result in contact or a claim of thru hiking, 
> but that awareness would be at odds with his (Gordon's) statements of 1994 
> where he implies no knowledge of ATC or of the significance of his claim.  
> A life long scout not being concerned with official recognition of their 
> deeds seems questionable to me.


      *** Remember Rami, Max said "I did not realize ATC STILL existed." In 
other words, he admits that he did know about it at one time. I suspect the 
"Trail community" was a lot more isolated and localized back then. Its record 
in the logs could very well have been just names and entries. I would love to 
get hold of a shelter register from 1936. It wouldn't surprise me to find 
only rubber stamp official indication of ATC and Harpers Ferry and find 
mostly sign-ins and comments. The AT was under the NY/NJ Trail Conference in 
NY. They have a much more prominent presence there and would have eclipsed 
ATC in the area. Over all, this would mean little to a 15 year old. 
Especially one who is the youngest of the group while others are probably 
handling that aspect. Even though he performed it on the AT, his marathon was 
done by means of the scouts and could have been contained within that group. 
     As for official recognition, it is possible that the boy scouts were 
organized enough to feel answerable to themselves for recognition. In this 
case, Max could have felt satisfied that he had been adequately recognized by 
his peers and not sought further recognition from people he didn't know 
existed. There was no scout badge for AT through-hiking, so perhaps they took 
credit in the boy scout equivalent. As time went by, these people could have 
forgotten and dropped away from hiking. I'm from the NY area. Just like 
internet sites with the subject of AT history, it would not surprise me if 
Bronx scouts weren't concerned with AT organization...


> 
> [r]As for the motive behind the claim, I don't have an opinion at this 
> point.  The rest, I agree with.  If, in fact, this claim is legitimate, 
> than we have certainly missed the boat.  I doubt that to be the case and I 
> believe that the historical record will always be tainted because of the 
> lack of evidence in either direction.  Conclusive proof, either positive or 
> negative, is the only way that this claim can ever rest.
> 




     *** At the very least, this hike should be an AT mystery deserving of an 
asterisk. If Max actually did do the entire AT, he failed to respond to ATC 
for recognition in a timely and proper manner. If this hike got under the 
radar and went unreported it would be a shame because it would change AT 
history... 

     (Btw: It doesn't get down to 9 degrees in Franconia Notch in late June 
does it? I would think this winter temperature would be impossible in the 
first week of summer? Weather records must be available from the Mt 
Washington observatory for say June 21st 1936 to show a night time low for 
that date. If there is nothing near 9 degrees then we have established our 
first verifiable inconsistency and a big crack in his story. Although I find 
2 weeks for Maine by kids in snowpack to already be a big crack. Perhaps he 
was exaggerating?)


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