[at-l] Decline in Backpacking

[askowronek at mindspring.com (amy)]

On Nov 8, 2005, at 9:29 PM, Jim Bullard wrote:
>
> Watching the younger generation (I'm another 'old guy') it seems  
> that their attention spans are shorter, they are very 'connected'  
> and when they play it's very intense. Backpacking isn't really that  
> physical compared to the stuff the younger crowd is into. I mean, I  
> can do it, it's been done by people on crutches, a guy with one  
> leg, people in the seventies. And you have to be of a more solitary  
> temperament than most younger people seem to be.
>

I believe the similar observations were made by philosophers 2000  
years ago.

> It all presents a problem though. If the trend continues, defending  
> hiking trails (not just the AT but trails in general) against  
> pressure to make them multi-use trails is going to get harder.

Wasn't it just a little while ago we were complaining that too many  
people were thruhiking?