Re: [at-l] Two Questions

["Ern Grover a.k.a. \"Poor Writer\"" <ern@tick-tock.com>]

Y2K will offer many unique problems, and we'll have to wait to see just
what those problems are.  

One thing I've learn about doing business with the bank, government, and
any creditor, if there is a computer problem, it usually means you don't
get a refund.  If there is a way any of them can make a buck on you for
transaction fees, etc., you can bet that any program designed to take our
money will be fixed first.

Eat blueberries.

Poor Writer a.k.a. Ern Grover of Springvale, Maine
Father & Son Clockworks
http://www.tick-tock.com/samples.html
ICQ: 922536 / AOL: MaineMan47
207-490-3500

My bosses evaluation comment: 
"Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it all together."

----------
> From: Alice Kauzlarich <kauzlar@madison.main.nc.us>
> To: at-l@backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [at-l] Two Questions
> Date: Thursday, August 27, 1998 8:30 AM
> 
> I wondered when someone was going to bring up the y2k problem in relation
> to hiking the trail in the year 2000. Those ATM machines might be a
> challenge!
> 
> Highlander
> ----------
> > From: Jeremy Reiter <rambleon@email.unc.edu>
> > To: jeanpaul@iname.com; at-l@backcountry.net
> > Subject: [at-l] Two Questions
> > Date: Monday, August 24, 1998 11:37 AM
> > 
> > Paul Miller wrote: 
> > > i am going to hike in 2000 or 2001. i wanted to what people thought
> > > about
> > > the year 2000(maybe even 2001).. i was afraid alot of people might
try
> > > it
> > > that year and it might be overcrowded.   jsut looking for some
> > > opinions.  i
> > > want a good mix of people and no-people :^)
> > > 
> > 
> > I would doubt that the new millenium would cause a _significant_
increase
> in the
> > number of people who set out to do the Trail. Even if it does, i'm sure
> it won't
> > affect the attrition rate, so as the hike progresses, the herds will
> thin. Then
> > again, it could provide a refuge from the Y2K problem :-)  Seriously
> though, this
> > should be the least of your worries. 
> >  
> > > and i was goign to hike it south bound..  there seems to be less
people
> > > that
> > > do that... that appeals to me in a way .. but i still want to meet
> > > people
> > > and get that feel from the trail ... i do not want to be alone for
6-7
> > > months.. but i want to be able to be alone.. i still want to make
some
> > > friends on the way but i dont want to be bound to follwing people all
> > > the
> > > time . and i was wondering what other people thought about this.
> > 
> > If you are going to hike southbound, you definitely should not worry
> about the
> > "millenium factor". Even if there was a 100% increase in attempted
> thru-hikes, that
> > means the number of southbound attempts would increase to about 18 :-)
As
> for your
> > inquiries on solitude, here are some thoughts. You need to figure out
> exactly what
> > kind of solitude it is you are talking about. You can do a northbound
> hike and still
> > get a lot of solitude. You should remember that the majority of your
time
> is going
> > to be spent hiking or sleeping. Hike alone. Sure, you'll pass people
> throughout the
> > day, and people will pass you, but you can get a lot of solitude this
> way. Do you
> > want solitude at the end of the day? Don't stay at a shelter. Fill up
on
> water, grab
> > a bite to eat, and keep on hiking until you find a nice spot to throw
> your
> > tent/tarp/bivy up. You can leave Springer at the peak of thru-hiking
> season and
> > still make a lot of solitude for yourself. You have to carry a
> tent/tarp/bivy,
> > though (which i would recommend regardless). As for a southbound
hike....
> > 
> > I wasn't directionally challenged when i thru-hiked last year, so i
can't
> speak from
> > experience here :-) However.... when you start, you won't have the
hordes
> of
> > thru-hikers that head to Springer with dreams of walking to Maine. You
> will have a
> > good number of people who hope to walk to Georgia though. You have more
> flexibility
> > of a start time if you go South to North. It seems to me that a lot of
> southbounders
> > try to hit Katahdin as close to the opening day as possible. I've heard
> stories of
> > 50-100 people being holed up in Baxter or Millinocket, waiting for the
> mountain to
> > open so they could start. You are still going to get crowds in the
> Wilderness, and i
> > would guess in a good number of other spots in Maine as well. You are
> also going to
> > get a good amount of traffic in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
You
> are also
> > going to have the waves of northbounders. These waves will run from
July
> through
> > October. So you still are going to have waves of other thru-hikers you
> are sharing
> > the trail/shelters with, only you won't have as good of a guesstimate
on
> the volume
> > because you're hiking towards them, and not with them. You are still
> going to be
> > hiking in the summer, so you will have all of the summer traffic from
day
> hikers,
> > weekend warriors, section hikers, etc. You will probably be hiking
during
> the fall
> > as well, and i (and a lot of other people) like hiking in the fall a
lot
> more than
> > in the summer. You still are going to be sharing the trail with a lot
of
> people, no
> > matter when you start. If you want a greater opportunity for solitude
> from other
> > _thru-hikers_, then a southbound hike will probably provide this. If
you
> want a
> > greater opportunity for solitude from other _hikers_... well, it's all
> relative i
> > guess. Remember... you don't have to hike in a group. You don't have to
> stay in a
> > crowded shelter. You create your hike while you are out there.
> > 
> > Well, i hope this helps a little bit. Figure out exactly what type of
> solitude you
> > will be looking for, figure out how important that issue is in the
grand
> scheme of
> > your hike, and do a little mental cost-benefit analysis with the
> pros/cons of a
> > southbound vs. northbound hike. I think this will help you arrive at
the
> best
> > decision. 
> > 
> > Walk with light,
> > 
> > -Rambleon-
> > 
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> 
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