[at-l] On Poles

[the_rev_mrf at kingcon.com (Martin Fors)]

Hey, Weary!  I didn't mean to get involved in this never-to-end discussion!
I find hiking poles important, if not necessary to me, to prevent further
damage to my knees.  Sorry that that may be unacceptable to some.  Perhaps
some of you would rather I get off the trails and into my rocking chair, but
I refuse.  Maybe we should all hike with packs weighing less than 6 pounds
and bare feet to minimize our impressions on the trails [forgive my
sarcasm.]  It would be erroneous to suggest that hiking pole users are some
sort of anti-environmental hacks as sometimes implied.  It's curious to me
that folks get SO upset about their usage on the AT when the AT, itself, is
and has been traversed by so many thousands over the years who, with or
without hiking poles, have left a visible track [trench in many places] in
which runoff occurs.  On my hike, I think it was in Georgia, I was accosted
by a southbound section hiker accusing me of ruining the trail and leaving
my marks on rocks.  Having been brought up and spent many years in the
mountains, the Whites and the Alps where rock scratches are a part of mother
nature to me, I found that to be amusing but didn't bother to reply as it's
a no win conversation.  I was going to ask how he felt about pitons and ice
axes but shut my mouth.  Rock scratches don't bother me very much unless
they are on my shins and knees.   Keep it lite.  rusty

~~~~~~~~~~~~

>"... What's the big deal???" asks rusty.

No big deal. There is no law against damaging trails by jabbing the soil
with
sharp-pointed poles. Once you know the facts, it's just a matter of you and
your
conscience. I merely mentioned what is obvious to anyone with a knowledge of
soils and natural forces.

That damage occurs is as certain as colliding continents caused the eruption
of
the Appalachians, and erosion over the millenia wore them down to the
delightful
hills we all love.

Unless science has been wrong for a couple of centuries about the force of
gravity and the behaviour of colliding objects, poles are having an impact.
But
it will be years, maybe decades before most hikers notice. I simply made a
casual mention of the facts. The debate was prompted by those who lack the
knowledge to recognize the obvious, who need overt physical evidence -- or
who
perhaps prefer not to believe, and thus add another complication for their
consciences and hiking activities.

There is no doubt that erosion occurs more readily in loose soil. The only
question is how serious it may be. But in any case no one is going to take
your
pointed sticks away. Too many people find poles too useful for any banning
effort to succeed, or even to be attempted.

Weary