[at-l] Speed Hiking

[spiriteagle99@xxxxxxxxxxx (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

Weary wrote:
>Although Anderson's biography costs $42 -- discounted to ATC members -- I
>continue to find evidence of MacKaye's insights and prescient wisdom. Many
>months ago, for instance, in a discussion of speed hiking, I noted that
>Benton MacKaye had said he would favor the slowest hiker.

I have too many deadlines stacked up to dance with you right now, Bob.  So
you'll get the short answer - first that I've had the book for a couple
months.  Second that you disappoint me.  You didn't understand the answer
the first time and you obviously still don't.


>Jim -- or maybe it was Ginny -- protested, "you DID misquote MacKaye - and
>while I won't pursue the source of that misquote, I  will at least attempt
>to set the record straight.  "the guy who began the idea of the Appalachian
>Trail" had no opinion whatever about  "speed hikers" because there was no
>such animal while he lived."
>
>But sure enough, Anderson reports, In the mid 60s Benton wrote to Robert
>Wirth, "I hope the trail will never become a race track. But if so, I for
>one would vote to give the prize to the slowest traveler."

MacKaye hated thruhiking.  And that statement was NOT made as an expression
of approval of those who took longer to thruhike - it was  contemptuous
sarcasm with respect to anyone who thruhiked the AT. The remark was first
made in the presence of Earl Shaffer and it did NOT indicate approval of
thruhiking regardless of the time spent "on Trail".

I told you to talk to Earl about it and you obviously failed to do so.  And
so you still fail to understand the context or the emotion.

Yes - I DID talk to Earl about it.

As for "speed hikers", the first person to qualify for that designation was
probably Warren Doyle in 1973 (73 days) - long after that remark was made.
So there is no connection between MacKaye's remark and "speed hiking".  He
was no more prescient than you - he was talking about those who had already
thruhiked, some of whom had done roughly 4 or 5 month thruhikes.  But to my
knowledge he had no kind words for those who took 6 months or more. If you
find any, let me know - but that remark doesn't qualify.

That really bothered you, didn't it?  You saved that post for almost two
years - waiting to bait me maybe?

Walk softly,
Jim


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