Re[2]: [at-l] AT may be too tough says oldtimer ;o)

[tmcginnis@ucclan.state.in.us (Thomas McGinnis)]

     That may be a little rough. At one point in time, I read his comments 
     as refering to the astounding lack of switchbacks at some points in 
     the trail. Not switchbacks to make the trail "accessable," but 
     switchbacks to make "reasonable" (and what is that?!) those 
     straight-arrow sluice climbs that are encountered WAY too regularly 
     when terrain would obviously allow other routings. By way of example, 
     think of those sections of trail where the treadway is .5 to 2.5 
     FEET(!) below the surrounding terrain. Clingman's was like that 20 
     years ago (I confess I haven't had the guts to go back "in season" as 
     a tourist...), and may still be so; Rodgers, and some of the balds, 
     even some very nicely forested areas in the south were MARRED by a 
     GULLY called the Appalachian Trail. At it follows too into CT, MA 
     (think "Greylock"), NH and ME.
     In general, I think that if you have avoidable erosion caused by how 
     the trail is located in a particular area, then you have "bad" trail 
     routing -- and that that's when I judge the trail's route to be 
     unnecessarily tough for the terrain. I remember this to be the context 
     of Shaffer's comments of some years past, but cannot put any more 
     definite finger on it. And yes, I know he's made more extreme 
     statements (like avoiding lesser peaks/bumps) but out of context, I'm 
     not willing to make a judgment. Anybody else?


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: [at-l] AT may be too tough says oldtimer ;o)
Author:  Tim Hewitt <thewitt@fairchildsemi.com> at ima
Date:    11/19/98 8:38 AM


Snodrog5@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Appalachian Trail May Be Too Tough
> .c The Associated Press
>  By DAVID SHARP
> MILLINOCKET, Maine (AP) -- An 80-year-old man who has hiked the entire
> Appalachian Trail three times says the nation's most famous footpath has been
> made too difficult in the 50 years since he first walked the Georgia-to-Maine
> route.
[clip]
> Shaffer knows he can't change the route on purchased land, but he intends to
> lobby for changes where the trail crosses federal and state parks. But he
> acknowledged it's an uphill battle.
[clip]

This last part is the one that bothers me the most. I met Earl two years ago at
the ATC conference in Maine, and he was harping on this issue then as well. "The
Trail is too difficult, it needs to be made more accessable and easier for
everyone" was his rallying cry. I admire Earl for what he has done, but I hope
in my heart of hearts that no one listens to him on this. I fear that the AT -
especially in Federally controlled areas - will before too long be leveled,
paved, full of stairs and wheelchair ramps, allowing pack animals, tour busses,
consession stands, $600,000 outhouses...

I'm glad I'm hiking it next year. It may never be a near wilderness experience
again if folks like Shaffer have their way.

-Paddler
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