How much "original" AT left?

[Programbo]

Following a thread in another forum got me to wondering..If one wanted to how much of the route that Earl Shaffer hiked on his Walking with Spring is still part of the AT as it exists today?...And if some parts are no longer a part of the official AT how much of that could still be hiked on?

[Hikes in Rain]

I've only hiked from Springer through the Smokies (by this time next week!), so that's all I can directly confirm, but I recognize the points Earl mentions in that section. One of the things I found fascinating is that the firetowers were manned in Earl's time, usually inviting him for dinner and a night's stay under roof. Most of those towers are gone now.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

In GA & NC, much of the old AT is now the BMT

[Hikes in Rain]

Really? Hmm...I see a "classic hike" in the making. I'd resurrect some of my older hiking and camping gear, except I'm still using it.

[warren doyle]

In GA & NC, much of the old AT is now the BMT

Now that is another example of WB erroneous information.

[ki0eh]

There was a fellow who presented at the last ATC Biennial Meeting in NJ, who was tracking relocations based on every edition of all the old guides. I attended that session and it seemed like he had done an amazing amount of compilation work, and probably has since been helped by the input from the veterans at that session (no, I don't count myself as a "veteran", that room was full of legends). It would be a non-trivial but ultimately very rewarding exercise to transform that compilation through GIS into something accessible through Google Earth. Unfortunately I myself have volunteered for too many trail GIS things as it is. I wonder how that effort's going - anyone here have more info?

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Now that is another example of WB erroneous information.

So enlighten us misguided heathens, old great and wonderful fount of knowledge - or do you only show up to snipe?

[Lauriep]

Probably only 10 or 20 percent of the current A.T. is still on the original route, especially if you mean the actual treadway. Some places the A.T. is still generally in the same place, but there are now switchbacks where the A.T. used to go straight up (for example the Stecoahs, Weverton in Maryland, and many, many others in the South where the ATC Konnarock crew has put in sidehill switchback). Whenever you are walking switchbacks, look for the faint remains of a steep trail cutting straight down the mountain between the switchbacks and that's probably the old A.T.

Also, a lot of the original A.T. was on paved roads, country roads, woods roads, tote roads, and even followed telephone lines.

Some places have been re-routed 4 times or more. That's true in Harpers Ferry and parts of central and southwest Virginia and many other places.

Laurie P.
ATC

[sherrill]

Now that is another example of WB erroneous information.

Warren, I agree with FD - if she is mistaken please elaborate. I, for one, would like for you to share your knowledge of the "old" AT in NC.

Otherwise, this sort of comment doesn't contribute to the conversation and diminishes your boasts of "educator".

[max patch]

I disagree with much of what Warren says, but some of you people would jump up and criticize him if he said that the sun was going to set in the west.

For those who don't understand the difference between the Benton MacKaye and the Appalachian Trails take a look at this map:

http://www.bmta.org/pdfs/BMT-OverviewMap.pdf

Now anyone want to say that most of the BMT is the old AT?

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Laurie, first, thank you for taking time out of your busy day to comment here.

Second, are there any maps of the original AT available in a digital format that could be shared for comparison purposes?

Probably only 10 or 20 percent of the current A.T. is still on the original route, especially if you mean the actual treadway. Some places the A.T. is still generally in the same place, but there are now switchbacks where the A.T. used to go straight up (for example the Stecoahs, Weverton in Maryland, and many, many others in the South where the ATC Konnarock crew has put in sidehill switchback). Whenever you are walking switchbacks, look for the faint remains of a steep trail cutting straight down the mountain between the switchbacks and that's probably the old A.T.

Also, a lot of the original A.T. was on paved roads, country roads, woods roads, tote roads, and even followed telephone lines.

Some places have been re-routed 4 times or more. That's true in Harpers Ferry and parts of central and southwest Virginia and many other places.

Laurie P.
ATC

[Alligator]

I disagree with much of what Warren says, but some of you people would jump up and criticize him if he said that the sun was going to set in the west.
...

Warren never mentions the innumerable times folks on WB have provided factual, helpful information when a question has been asked. In fact he goes out of his way to paint the site in a poor light when daily folks are readily helped with logistical questions. When was the last time he took the time to help someone here? And I mean honest help, where he is not trying to impose his own value system on to the recipient?

His way or the highway is not an education it is indoctrination.

[Almost There]

The BMT from Springer to where it splits off after Long Creek Falls is original AT, that I am aware this is the only place where the BMT is the original AT in Georgia. You can still see cut blazes on some trees in this section along the BMT.

[Jack Tarlin]

LaurieP:

Thanx for your comment, which as always, contains useful, well-written, and helpful information.

For those of you who don't know, Laurie has worked for the ATC for many years, being the Trail's "Information Specialist."

And she's very good at it, too.

[Frosty]

So enlighten us misguided heathens, old great and wonderful fount of knowledge - or do you only show up to snipe?

Does this mean that you are still saying the old AT is now the BMT?

Or are you just mad because you are wrong and someone said so?

I'm kind of curious about whether the BMT is the old AT or not.

[Cookerhiker]

If I'm not mistaken, the very first white blazes (not counting existing trails like the LT and the Whites) were laid out in Harriman Park. I don't know how much of the current AT there is original but once certainty: the Bear Mountain bridge is!

The massive trail project on Bear Mountain likely means a different treadway but as Laurie says, it's still generally in the area i.e. the trail will still go over Bear Mountain.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Does this mean that you are still saying the old AT is now the BMT?

Or are you just mad because you are wrong and someone said so?

I'm kind of curious about whether the BMT is the old AT or not.

Not upset at all that someone said I was wrong, but do wish the person would state the route if he knows it.

It is my understanding (feel free to correct me if I am wrong by giving accurate info) that large portions of the originally proposed routes for the AT are currently part of the BMT and that the route was substantially change between 1951 and 1986. It is my understanding that the original route went to Brasstown bald and continued north from there on an old road that connected fire towers to a portion of the old dirt Tellico road (now paved and known as the Cherohala Skyway - TN 165 / NC 143) and connected to the current BMT thru the current Slickrock Wilderness to where it entered the area that later became the GSMNP very near the NC / TN state line near Deals Gap (on US Highway 129), NC instead of the current entry at Fontana Dam. It continued on generally following an old state boundary trail and power line road before joining the current route in the vicinity of Doe Knob.

I have seen some of the old White Blazes chipped into trees and then painted in the area around near Deals Gap. The AT followed the same route as the BMT southbound from Deals Gap , used the bridge near the Cheoah Dam to cross the river and then entered the Slickrock Wilderness.

[General Fireball]

I would say that here in New Jersey, about 25 percent of the trail is in its original location, another 25 percent is in roughly its original location, and half is nowhere near its original location. In the Water Gap, the trail was frequently re-routed over the years. On Kittatinny Ridge, the trail follows its originally route generally, and in some cases I think still uses the same treadway. From the bottom of High Point mountain all the way over to the New York State line, the trail is almost completely new, dating from the late 80s through the present, when the long roadwalks were eliminated and the trail moved on to its own corridor. For about a quarter mile, near Warwick Turnpike the trail does actually follow its original late 20s route.

[chili36]

I would want to see the old maps depicting the "old route" before I made any representations (either way) as to how much of the "old" AT and the BMT are the same.

Two very contrasting opinions on whether it is or isn't and, quite frankly, not much to substantiate either.

I did appreciate LaureP's comments, however.

[oso loco]

Following a thread in another forum got me to wondering..If one wanted to how much of the route that Earl Shaffer hiked on his Walking with Spring is still part of the AT as it exists today?...And if some parts are no longer a part of the official AT how much of that could still be hiked on?

In Md, VA and PA there have been a lot of relos over the years - some good, some not so good. But it is what it is.

Many of those relos are overgrown and no longer visible or easily followable. But there are exceptions.

Some years ago, Ginny and I were tasked with scouting the St Anthony's Wilderness section for the first color AT map for PA. Meaning we got to hike ALL the trails, side trails, goat tracks, etc in that section. there are a gaggle of them - many of them blazed colors like purple, green, black, etc.

But one of them is - or at least at that time, was - still blazed white. It was the "OLD" AT that I first hiked in 1953. And it was still hikeable. That was a trip into the past for me.

BTW - most of the side trails for St Anthony's don't show up on the AT map. The PA Game Commission refused to allow them to be shown on the map.