Re[2]: [at-l] Speed Hiking

[w3sst@xxxxxxxx (John H Shaffer)]

To All
Let me add my two cents. Earl's meeting with Benton was very enjoyable
for both. They remained close friends.
As the number of hikers attempting thru-hikes increased, Earl was opposed
to thru-hikes since it meant a large group using the trail at one time in
the season thus adding to the erosion of the trail.
He supported Bentons plan of a scenic hiking trail for the masses to
enjoy. Not a rock climbing dangerous trail that doesn't allow enjoyment
of the scenery.

John Shaffer, Earl's brother.

On Tue, 1 Apr 2003 23:01:47 -0500 "Bob C." <ellen@clinic.net> writes:
> >"...you disappoint me.  You didn't understand the answer the first
> time and you
> >obviously still don't," says Jim &/or.... about the quote from a
> MacKaye letter
> >to a friend about speed hiking. One or the other adds, "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."
>
> Well, in fact, I prefer to take people's words at their face
> meaning. Lacking
> evidence to the contrary, I generally assume that most people try as
> best they
> can to express what they mean in words people can understand. The
> history of his
> long life suggests that this was particularly true of Benton
> MacKaye. He was
> only marginally employable during much of his long life because he
> refused to
> temper his beliefs to match political realities.
>
> Well anyway, I can't find any evidence other than Jim's claim that
> Benton's
> championing of slow hiking was anything but his own belief.
> Certainly the
> evidence we have of his hiking career provides little evidence to
> the contrary.
>
> Nor can I find independent evidence that  Earl Shaffer was a subject
> of
> MacKaye's contempt. The two didn't meet until five years after
> Shaffer's
> pioneering 1948 walk. Anderson reports "the two men talked late into
> the night
> about his trail adventure." Shaffer certainly gave no hint of the
> alleged
> contempt when he later published his account of the meeting.
>
> And no Jim, I didn't deliberately save your comments for almost two
> years. I
> remembered them because the trail, its history and future is what I
> mostly work
> on these days. Your comments were contrary to everything I knew
> about MacKaye,
> but I had no evidence that would withstand the skeptical scrutiny of
> the list,
> so I remained silent. The biography seemed to confirm what I had
> believed.
> Today, while waiting for some sheetrock compound to dry, I read a
> post that
> referred to the archives and purely by accident ran into your
> ancient comments.
>
> Nor for that matter can I find any evidence for Sloetoe's suggestion
> that
> MacKaye qualifies as a "pace Nazi." He urged folks "to walk, to see,
> to see what
> you see," which for him, a skilled naturalist, required close
> observation of the
> plants, insects, birds, animals, geology and environment of the
> trail.
>
> Many years ago I took pleasure in running the trails. Age and
> curiosity have
> slowed me down.
>
> Weary
>
> Weary
>
>
>
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