Re[2]: [at-l] From the horse's mouth:

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

>"...Weary, I wearied of your posts long ago. You and roots nest in the same
>tree, and the moment you two decided that that tree was to be the at-l instead
>of the nuthouse Trailplace, well, that was the moment the at-l took a BIG ol'
>hit at the base of the trunk. Doesn't matter how many "nice" posts you post --
>it's a feint, and eventually the genuine posts -- insipid, insidious, poison --
>will oooooze out." laments sloetoe.

   I can't speak for RnR, but my goal -- since Wingfoot kicked me off his list
   18 months ago -- has been to continue to express my basic message that the
   Appalachian Trail is an endangered institution and needs more support from
   those who use it. My sub-message is that all hiking trails are precious and
   more are needed and more efforts are needed to get people to use them. From
   an economic perspective, probably a half of this nation's medical bill
   derives from the cost of self-imposed smoking and obesity.

   I welcome the use of trails to solve this national dilemma. But basically, I
   like trails. I like to walk, not run, on trails. And I devote much of my life
   -- unpaid by the way -- to creating trails and encouraging people to use
   trails.

   I guess by conventional American definitions, I'm a nut. My net worth
   probably qualifies as moderate middle American -- mostly because I tended to
   buy those bits of wildness in my town that struck me as needed to be
   protected from development, which now seems to be far more valuable than what
   I paid. Some of this I gave away to a land trust I founded. A lot of the
   rest, has exploded in value and until I die, at least, I will either still be
   preserved in its wild state or will provide shelter either for me and my
   wife, or for some of my kids and grandchildren.

   My annual income is pretty marginal by American standards. It could have been
   higher, but I long ago prescribed to the notion that no one at the end of
   life has ever regretted the trails he has hiked, or his efforts to protect
   those trails that he hopes will live after he is gone.

   Wingfoot, a dedicated and very valuable supporter of the AT, removed me from
his list because he thought I was too supportive of the International
Appalachian Trail and its founder, Dick Anderson, who I had known for 40 years
and who struck me as a very valuable member of the conservation community.

I think Wingfoot was wrong in his assessment, just as I think sloetoe, and Jim
and OB are wrong from time to time -- despite their very valuable insights on
other occasions.

 Wingfoot has again allowed me to post. But being a nut, I try to reach as broad
 an audience as I can conveniently find, so I continue to post here. I'm not
 interested really in the UT vols, but I am a supporter of volunteers --
 especially those who seek to preserve special wild places for our children,
 grandchildren and future generations forever. In  the hope that some may share
 my commitment, I will from time to time continue to post here -- at least as
 long as it seems useful.

 Weary