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Re: ATML Re: [at-l] Conquest asks about Footwear

>>>How does one fellowship with the wilderness (or anything
else) at 43-44 miles a day on the AT? This is not an
extreme sport, but extreme foolishness, a misuse of the
AT and all that it is about<<<

I just had to de-lurk and respond to this one.  While I don't understand why
someone would want to run the Trail, while I would never dream of doing it
myself, and honestly think that you have to have a screw loose somewhere to
even think of it :), I have a major problem with telling others how to "hike
their hike".  While HIKING is not an extreme sport, it seems to me that TRAIL
RUNNING a long distance trail such as the AT, is.  As all of us know, none us
come to the Trail for the same reasons.  As for myself, I have always been the
rebellious type.  This is one of the main reasons I spend most of my spare
time hiking.  The backcountry is one of the only places left that allows me to
escape from the "big brother" attitudes that are becoming more and more
prevalent in our society.  Telling another how to hike, how far to hike, or
how fast to hike has no place in the backcountry.  It seems to me, that doing
this is even more against the spirit of the AT, and hiking in general, than
running the trail is.  I can step aside to let a runner pass, but it won't be
as easy to get away from someone making rules about who, how far, or how fast
to hike.  And if they do it you, they will eventually get around to doing it
to the rest of us.  The true spirit of the AT is FREEDOM.  The freedom to hike
where I want, with who I want, how far I want, and how fast I want.  And the
freedom to hike away from anyone who wants to tell me different.  Us hikers
are, for the most part, a different breed than the "civilians" who never
discover the beauty and inner peace that hiking can bring.  Most of us are
much more independent, more self-reliant, and more inner focused than the
average citizen.  Do we really want anyone telling us how to hike?  The main
problem I see with running the trail, is not being able to stop and really SEE
the beauty around us.  If the runner doesn't see enough of the trail to want
to come back at a later date and explore it in depth, both for it's physical
beauty and for the inner discoveries that it brings, then he has truely lost
out.  While I won't be critical of his choices, I will pity his loss.

JMHO,
trashman
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