Re: [at-l] AMC Hospitality

["John Musick" <musick@ezwv.net>]

> Old Master:
> I stayed at the Hostel in 96, I got there at 11am & had no problem...
>
> The CRoo vs. thru-hiker situation does exist but I feel that more
> thru-hikers need to be humble when dealing with the Croo, after all "we'
are
> getting to stay for free instead of paying $50 as the others do.
> -FP


Why do thur-hikers need to be humble?  We are not getting to stay for free!
Anytime that you are given something, something is always demanded in
return.  In the case of the huts, it is, in most cases, tasks that they hate
to do themselves or those tasks that entail dealing with something that is
nasty, such as grease pits and compost.  So, if a thru-hiker performs these
tasks in return for food and lodging, then, there has been no freebie.

Along these same lines, there are some in the so-called thru-hiking
community that would have thru-hikers bowing and scraping all the way from
Springer to the 'Big K."  The fact is that thru-hikers spend much more
dollars per mile than do your average car tourist.  With the exception of
'trail magic', (getting rides and such and water and a cookie here and
there), thru-hikers pay a premium for goods and services required to get
them along on their journey.  I have heard one Apostle who will admonish
thru-hikers to be extra considerate of these outfitters and retailers time,
yet the person providing the goods, lodging or service is getting full
measure for their services.  I do realize that there are a few folks who
have to beg, borrow and steal their way from Georgia to Maine and I say,
more power to them; however the majority of thru-hikers spend in excess of
$3,000 on their trip and somebody is getting this money.  That is as it
should be.  I do think, however, that a thruhiker does not need to be humble
at all when paying $10.00 or $12.00 for a lodging that is worth exactly $10
or $12.  The same applies when a thruhiker is paying $8 or so for food that
is worth exactly that.  What I fail to see is why we, as a group, seem to be
so damn grateful that these retail establishments allow us to purchase their
goods and services, at a premium, I must add.  No one is offering these
goods and services for nothing and I would not expect them to do so.

There are some places along the AT that allow thruhikers to stay for free
and one that offers a picnic dinner on Thursday or something like that.  I
did appreciate that.  However, these are far and few between and not all
thruhikers choose to accept this hospitality.  I am thankful for those folks
who extended this hospitality to me in 91, however it was only the case in a
very few instances and I am glad to have been able to have paid my own way.

To yogi is simply to bum and is something that was brought to the thruhiking
community by Warren Doyle!  Anyway you look at it, if you yogi, you are a
bum unless of course you are dead broke and hungry.  Then, you would bum,
regardless of where you were, or the alternative would be to change your
plans.

I, personally, am proud that I paid my own way, and I am also proud that I
contributed to the economies of the small towns and villages that I passed
through.  We all help to keep many businesses in operation, because without
us they would cease to exist.

As always,


'tricknee'

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