[at-l] Cell phones and wilderness

[BLISTERFREE@delphi.com]

I believe a Congressional bill was just passed that would clear the way for
some 10,000 new cell towers to be built throughout the US in the next seven
years.  Almost every one of them would be on high ground, and this would mean,
in many cases, development and denaturalization of those few places man has
in the past been inclined to leave alone.  High ground is often too rugged for
resource extraction, and too hard to development for commercial or residential
use.  So now our vistas, our places of serenity, or just a pleasant reminder
of nature view from the highway, are to be forever altered by a campaign which
sounds every bit as aggressive as the interstate highway system projects of the
50's and 60's.  And all to give us, the American consumer, the freedom of a
phone call from, well, how about McAfee Knob, VA?  Think about what a cell phone
brought into the woods is supporting, long term.
  As for the question of whether or not the AT is "wilderness"... leaving the
definition of wilderness up in the air for a minute, I'd have to say it isn't
during thru-hiker season, from the perspective of a thru-hiker.  But who knows
what the wildlife is thinking?  An African wildabeest migration, to us, is the
epitome of a wilderness image.  (there's a connection there somewhere)
Certainly the AT can present many distractions from the world of man, in the form of litter, roads, overuse, barking dogs, grafitti, etc.  And these might erode
our sense of wilderness, whatever the word may mean to us individually.  But
I think the Trail can still present an exemplary walk with nature, IF we focus
on its positive elements and remain vigilant to external negative stimuli.  
It's just too easy to pick up cigarrete butts all day and think about nothing
but the cascade of insurmountable horrors man has brought this world, missing
all of the beauty which still remains.  With the right frame of mind, every
day out there can be a good day (to borrow a quote from Catamount Cruiser of
'97).  Enjoy...
- Blister>Free
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