[at-l] Icons, the ATC & LD Hikiking

[RoksnRoots@xxxxxxx (RoksnRoots@xxxxxxx)]

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In a message dated 4/8/2003 9:52:50 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
bullard@northnet.org writes:


> I agree. That's exactly why viewing the Trail though the lens of a single
> person, whomever it may be, is not the solution.
>


       ***    Which is just a technicality divorced from the message, really.

          From where I sit, it looks like some don't realize that this holds
true for the "HYOH" perspective as well. To me, it appears that that
perspective is where this rationalization is coming from.

       The answer to this is simple. You have to view the Trail some way. You
can't NOT have a view of the AT - even if you landed from another planet and
found yourself on the Trail.

      The AT has a history and background. That history and background did
not originate in cyberspace. It had preceding influences and ideas that were
used to comprehend and shape it.

      Those ideas did not come from persons deciding that the AT should be a
place where "the Trail shouldn't be viewed through one lens or person". It's
obvious that some are ignoring the fact that they too are viewing the AT
through one lens. Their lens is the lens of iconoclasm where this HYOH
pre-filter MUST be imposed upon any and every Trail viewpoint.

        This differs, however, with the actual recorded AT and its formation.
The AT was very much guided by the philosophy and intentions of its creator,
Benton MacKaye. To retro-impose this new iconoclasm as a new pre-requisite to
Trail understanding is to rewrite AT history. It also clamps off the real and
existing connections MacKaye still has with the AT. So, what this alleged
openness actually is, is a good excuse to cut off necessary acknowledgment of
important Trail fundamentals traceable to MacKaye. Saying the message is
unwanted or spam is just a detour around this fact, as is separating hiking
from the AT.

      Me myself, if I'm going to have a Trail icon it's going to be a worthy
one. There are many Trail icons out there. Some have list icons, campfire
icons, Ruck icons, HYOH icons, personality icons, iconoclastic icons, etc.
The unspoken suggestion here is that icons don't really do any good for the
AT. Well, that's not really true if you look at what is BEHIND that 'icon'.
The fact is the MacKaye 'icon' possesses a substantial Trail philosophy worth
investigating and promoting. This alternative iconoclastic 'icon' doesn't
seem to have ANY necessary, Trail-applicable substance behind it. To me, its
main function is to move people away from understanding the Trail better
through MacKaye.

      MacKaye offered a directed purpose for the AT. This replacement form
offered by Saunterer doesn't necessarily involve anything from what I can
see. MacKaye had the AT doing things. This alternative takes that a step back
and dwells on the option rather than the purpose (as clearly expressed by
MacKaye). With this new version, the "Barbarians" MacKaye had envisioned
storming into civilization in defense of nature turn out to be mild
politarians hoping no one is offended. How would you ever know there was an
AT?