[at-l] Approach Trail to Springer

[carol1944 at brmemc.net (Carol Donaldson)]

Now, do you see why the original AT plan was for people from the big cities to come to the AT for a short time to get away from the hot-steamy city?

Then air-conditioning was invented and people can just go indoors to get away from the hot-steamy city.  By shopping at the local Big-Box.

And so, "traditions" (or the original intent) made a paradigm shift.  (If I had a dime for every paradigm shift, I'd have two nickels for every "tradition" change on the AT.)

Good question, WHO made up the rules?  I think the answer to that is why we talk "Hike YOUR OWN Hike" and "YMMV" here.

Wingfoot sets up 'his traditions' and lots of hikers compare themselves to that standard.

But IS it a legitimate "standard" for ALL AT Thru Hiking (or Section Hiking)?  ONLY if YOU decide it is.

Nothing is 'set in stone' and a "thru hike" was not envisioned by the creators of the AT.  You wanna carry a pebble 5000 steps from terminus to terminus?  Do it.  You want to go in and out of the same blue-blazed trails to shelters or water?  Do it. 

You cannot hike another person's hike.  Either 'for' another person OR a replica of another person's hike.  Even David "Spirit of '48" Donaldson's hike in the "spirit" of Earl Shaffer's hike was not an exact replica.  The AT has undergone many route changes since the first Thru Hike.  It was the "spirit" of the hike that was important, not hiking in the exact footprints of Earl.   Was it a "Wingfoot" traditional hike?   Not really because his standards were made before a lot of new re-routes, if I want to get technical.

So, if you decide you want a 'pre hike to the real thru hike' -- go hike the Approach Trail.  That will be YOUR tradition for YOUR hike.  Just remember that you're not the "setter of the traditions along the AT."  You're just a set of footprints and photos and in 20 or 50 years, will any of it make a huge difference?  If it will bother you because you didn't hike the Approach Trail, then HIKE it. 

Coosa

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Slyatpct@aol.com 


  In a message dated 1/6/2006 11:50:38 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
  sloetoe@yahoo.com writes:

  > >Anyone that gets sucked into the "traditional" way is playing
  > >a fools game.  
  > 
  > Alittle extreme, no?
  > 

  Perhaps, but how many ways to you want to argue about how to go around a 
  blowdown, if you should take the same blue blaze out of a shelter as in, moon the 
  cog, ford the river, eat the gallon of ice cream, take a stone, slackpacking, 
  old AT, bushwacking OK, etc., etc., etc.? 

  What ARE the traditions, who made them up, who followed them?