Anybody here got a crazy cat lady in their neighborhood? You know the one who stinks a bit and screams incoherent stuff at the kids who come by. She swishes some ratty old broom at the grown folks as she berates them for raising such crappy kids if they dare complain.
So some folks complain to the mayor and the police here and there, but it turns out the crazy cat lady's husband was fairly wealthy and the house is paid for and then some. She collects a pretty fat pension check and doesn't mind the occasional fine that comes her way. And it turns out that the mayor, police chief, and half the local government is somehow related to her and had connections or owe favors to her late husband.
So eventually everyone learns not to go near her house and leaves her in peace.
I won't single anyone out, but I note many a comment both here and other places that is a bit bothersome. That somehow BSP will suffer if they kick out the trail. Or that it's bad "business" and they'll really be hurting without the attention and honor of hosting the terminus of the trail. That they should get their act together and grow up, learn some real customer service and who its customers are.
Unfortunately you are completely wrong. BSP may be acting like the crazy cat lady and screaming incoherent nonsense. They may indeed be completely out of line in terms of their behavior and actions. They may indeed be chastised for their actions. They may be responsible for some of the trouble. But deep down:
They simply prefer the company of their cats.
Mr. Baxter was a wealthy man, paid off the house and then some. Set up a pretty tight, well managed, heavily funded and iron clad trust to take care of not just the Mrs. but all her kitty cats and their offspring in perpetuity.
And it turns out that durn near every official and local loved Mr. Baxter very much, and while they tolerate the crazy cat ladies rants here and there; they are all somehow related to the Baxter clan and will defend her. They are all deeply obligated and connected to her late husband.
I find it very weird that any who profess to love the woods can find fault with the intent of Baxter State Park. Preservation of Wilderness free of the influence of man. Look past the crazy cat lady on the front porch and see what an amazing thing has been done.
A wilderness preserve crafted so expertly that even the Federal Government can't touch it. A place created that does not depend on humans to visit it. It needs no money, no visitors. It owes nobody any sort of customer service nor is it required to do business with or interact with it's neighbors.
If you crave the wild and free there are truly few places more wild and free than this one in our country. Congress cannot defund it's budget, nor sell off it's lands to some corporation. A state cannot declare it's right to the land in order to "manage" it. People cannot demand that it's use is changed, that some natural resources must be raped from the land for temporary gain.
If you believe that you are above the law and the rules don't apply to you; Well so does the crazy lady sitting on the porch. Her middle finger is up higher than yours. Her hubby was a clever one and don't matter what you gotta say or believe cause the rules don't apply to her and she is actually above the law.
The kittens of the third generation cannot say screw Gramps and sell off the inheritance. Nor can they choose to build a resort to cash in on the gift that has fallen into their lap. They cannot profit in anyway. In the dream come true of every freeloader non-paying hiker who ever walked the trail- BSP has found a way to transcend money and profit. "Its about the greenery not the greenbacks man."
So sorry; "Tough titties and kitty ****ties!" screams the Cat Lady.
Get the hell off my land.
I'd like my kids to be able to walk the AT. I find it very unfortunate that those of you fortunate enough to have done so would even consider taking that opportunity from my children. That you would not fight to preserve what you have enjoyed, even if you never plan to complete the trail as a whole.
The trail is a symbol of many things we all profess to love. A safe haven from the ever creeping town. A dream of nature, commerce, and people in balance. It once stood for the same things that Mr. Baxter stood for. Connection to the land, preservation of it, protection from all outside interests. The opportunities for the appreciation and enjoyment of the people-for generations to come.
The people are last on purpose.
It is a rare gift and privilege that perhaps we don't deserve. If you walked through the woods for over two-thousand miles and don't understand that, I'm with the Cat Lady:
Perhaps Mr. Baxter should close his pearly gates to you when you arrive.
On your way home, perhaps you could stop by my house, and tell my kids why.