[at-l] Story about 'Jagged' who summited 10/6

[icw@xxxxxxxxxxx (Clark Wright)]

--
[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
well said; well said!

Dave Hicks wrote:

>I tend to say out of the HWMNBN discussions and "purity" debates.  But
>occasionally I get sucked in.  So here's my take.  As always, YMMV.
>
>I thought I might be through hiking when I had my blood clot last year.
>Hell, they said that I might lose the leg; but I have recovered and am now
>back on the trail -- from time-to-time.  So, I'm not through, yet.  With any
>luck I'll be section hiking from Springer to Katahdin next year.  Maybe,
>that way I can avoid any arguments about what a thru-hike is, or isn't.
>
>Sure there are some folk who "yellow blaze" major segments and claim to have
>hiked the whole way.  I've also seen how some folk fill out expense/travel
>vouchers, insurance claims, income tax , etc.
>
>Then there are others who condemn anyone else who took one blue blazed trail
>into a shelter and another blue blazed trail back to the trail, missing
>maybe 20 yards of white blazes.
>
>I tend to be a bit condemning of the tax cheaters, and the like, as they
>hurt me, and others, by shifting cost on to us.  However, I could care less
>about anyone's arbitrary and capricious definition of a 2000-miler, or a
>thru-hiker -- whether that definition be the yellow blazer's, the kiss every
>white blazer's, HWMNBN's, the ATC's, etc.
>
>In some ways, both the "purist" and the "yellow blazer" are trying to
>inflate the image they project of themselves, by overstating their
>accomplishments relative to others' -- i.e., the "purist" by claiming "I
>(and only a very-very-very few like me) did what x% of the others didn't
>do," and OTOH the "yellow blazer" by claiming "I did what they did."  In
>both cases there seems to be an unhealthy need to impress.
>
>Personally, I'm not about to try to define the line of what is acceptable,
>or not, for someone else.  HYOH.
>
>However, I think Jim is right on with his insistence that HYOH is best based
>on a "contract with yourself" before you begin.  (Check the archives, if you
>have missed his posts.)
>
>I have enjoyed the trail since 1958.  Maybe with luck, next year, I'll
>"stake my claim" as having enjoyed a full season on the trail, Springer to
>Katahdin -- w/ a "contract with myself" that will not include any "yellow
>blazing" however it will permit blue-blazed loops to scenic shelters,
>overlooks, waterfalls, historical artifacts, etc.
>
>More importantly my contract with myself will not be based on trying to
>"prove" anything to anyone (including myself), nor will it be to impress
>someone else.  My contract will be about enjoying being in the outdoors,
>walking day after day in rain, bugs, and sun, enjoying the fungi, flowers,
>birds, animals, rock formations, trees, and everything else that makes up
>the trail, escape and recreation.  I'm too old to waste the better part of a
>year of what time I have left on this earth doing something that I am not
>enjoying.
>
>Chainsaw
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Bob C." <ellen@clinic.net>
>To: "rick boudrie" <rickboudrie@hotmail.com>
>Cc: <Slyatpct@aol.com>; <at-l@backcountry.net>
>Sent: Saturday, January 04, 2003 11:36 AM
>Subject: Re[4]: [at-l] Story about 'Jagged' who summited 10/6
>
>I have angered Wingfoot from time to time by arguing that his and the ATC's
>definition of a 2000-miler is arbitrary and capricious. I think of the
>Appalachian Trail as a system of trails, not a single footpath. Maintaining
>clubs have created scores of blue-blazed loops to scenic overlooks,
>waterfalls,
>historical artifacts .... A few of these loops involve shortcuts. Most
>simply
>lead hikers to special places that the maintaining clubs feel should be
>visited.
>Taking these loops without backtracking should not be viewed as a reason for
>denial of 2000-mile status.
><<
>SNIP
>
>
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