[at-l] options for the future of the AT

[nealb at midlandstech.edu (William Neal)]

Perhaps what should be done is that some major organization should award a
badge almost anyone could get, and then add rockers, etc. to the badge that
recognizes those who have hiked 2000 white blazed miles, 2000 combination
miles, etc.  Plus name stripes for those "special" side trails.  

Certainly we can never be sure if someone has actually hiked any trail or
what amount they have hiked.  Not unless we are willing to pay someone to
follow and watch someone all along the trail.  But perhaps we can narrow
down the cheaters somewhat.

Perhaps requiring them to send in stamped postcards from waypoints along the
trail.  Perhaps having other hikers sign a "passport" for other hikers.
Perhaps having them send in pics of their being at certain hard-to-get-to
points along the trail.  Perhaps some kind of combo -- postcards signed by
other hikers and then mailed in along the way; pics developed and mailed in
with the local postmark.

But let us face it.  Such patches are more souvenirs and touchstones than
real awards.  They remind us of what we have done, and they are good
conversation pieces ("Yes, I wallked all 2,000 miles of the Appalachian
Trail from Georgia to Maine...").  But they cannot replace the real hiking
experience and they do not give the cheaters the real experience of having
hiked the AT.  So they are the loser no matter how many badges they have
pinned on them: Kind of like Frank Burns' (MASH) Purple Heart. 

Either you do it or you don't.  No badge can replace doing it.  No badge
means you have done it.

Still I would not mind a badge just to have as a touchstone.

William, The Turtle

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Bullard [mailto:jbullar1@twcny.rr.com]
Sent: Monday, July 07, 2003 11:31 AM
To: at-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [at-l] options for the future of the AT


>Robert Moore wrote:
>...clip... "Wouldnt it be wise and in great foresite for the ATC to grant
thru-hiker status for a hiker who went >through the Smokies via another
route still in the park just not necessarily on the AT or another hiker who
chose to >parallel the AT on the Tuscarora..."

I agree that it would be nice (and ecologically sound) if alternate routes
were recognized but what you suggest is not about to happen, at least not in
the terms you propose. To start the ATC does not and never did recognize
"thru-hikes". What it recognoizes is 2000 milers, those who have hiked all
of the AT. Single season hikers get the same patch (and "status") as section
hikers. The ATC is not responsible for  parallel trails and is not in a
position to recognize hikes over trails maintained by other organizations.
In truth, I think the ATC would just as soon shed it's hiker recognition
role altogether. That is not a part of what it was set up to do and they
sort of fell into it as an aside. In the beginning there were so few who had
hiked the entire trail it was not a burden to keep a list but as the
popularity has grown it consumed more staff time.

The proprietor of the Trailplace website once proposed his own thru-hike
recognition but rather than expanding recognition to alterantive trails, his
criteria was so restrictive that it attracted more ridicule than support. It
is possible that some organization other than ATC (ALDHA perhaps) could come
up with a recognition program that allowed alternate routes where available
but such things require time and a certain amount of money (even if the time
is volunteer) to set up and run. I would suggest that you hike where you
want, enjoy the trip and don't worry about recognition. OTOH if the 2000
miler patch is what you are after, then hike the AT.

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