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[Bob C." <ellen@xxxxxxxxxx (Bob C.)]

>"...Personally I don't care what Benton said abouth thru hikers."

And I'm sure that is true of many (most?) on this list. But for those of us who
are concerned about the future of the trail, in addition to just using the trail
for our immediate HYOH enjoyment, a knowledge of what these pioneers said and
did is useful in understanding the forces that created the trail and provides
insights into how to preserve the trail for future generations.

 For instance, one of Benton MacKaye's last public statements dealt with a plan
 to run a new highway through The Great Smoky Mountain National Park in 1965.
 His message to 600 protestors gathered on Clingmans Dome was addressed to
 "Unborn Friends." He counseled the gathered hikers that their vigilance as
 wilderness defenders was a responsibility owed to future generations.

 "There are, of course, on any particular date, many more souls unborn than
 their are in the flesh," he declared. "And so, expressed in sheer numbers,
 their weal transcends ours."

 Weary