Starchild
12-18-2014, 13:09
To many thru hikers the AT is their front country, and I feel this is at the heart of many current discussions including the growing conflict with Baxter SP.
The frontcountry nature of the AT (for thru's) I became aware of on my thru. It was my home and community, it was my major 'highway' to obtain services and to rejoin nightly, my extended trail family. The paved road system for cars was not for me, and when I needed to travel them the service was provided, mainly by hitching, but my mode of travel was on foot, and that's why the AT was constructed. It was my highway to adventure and meeting people and seeing new environments, both natural and manmade.
My world fit very neatly into the AWOL guidebook, the AT's one dimensional nature (N-S), and the services off trail AT East or AT West added the second dimension to this world, and yes elevation was the 3rd dimension. Also the internet/smartphone did add a connection to the people in the off trail world as well. Whenever I traveled outside my AT Guide defined world, I felt not at home and desired to return. Even sometimes when I ventured too far for too long to a 'AT East' or 'AT West' location.
I do find that this is in exact conflict with the issue posted with Baxter SP. The people who visit Baxter, even car camping with pop-ups, car camping equipment and watercraft and the like are there having a back country experience - To them, to their understanding and perhaps their ability to have one. They are driving away from their home and friends and getting away from that to a very road remote part of the woods.
For the AT hiker, that is their home, it is their friends, it is their world. Even though they live a much more primitive existence and are of lower numbers then the 'drive in' crowd, they are living a front country experience for their guidebook defined world. Also as we all know for most who make it here, it is a great time of celebration adding to the conflict.
I don't see anything reversing this trend, which first stated with Earl Shaffer's hike, and perhaps as one of it's founding visions, to hike from some sort of camp to camp about a day's hike apart. Perhaps Baxter SP should reevaluate what the AT is today and if they wish to have it anymore given the way they wish to have the park, and perhaps that is the most honest answer that the ATC can give in reply to the letter from BSP.
The frontcountry nature of the AT (for thru's) I became aware of on my thru. It was my home and community, it was my major 'highway' to obtain services and to rejoin nightly, my extended trail family. The paved road system for cars was not for me, and when I needed to travel them the service was provided, mainly by hitching, but my mode of travel was on foot, and that's why the AT was constructed. It was my highway to adventure and meeting people and seeing new environments, both natural and manmade.
My world fit very neatly into the AWOL guidebook, the AT's one dimensional nature (N-S), and the services off trail AT East or AT West added the second dimension to this world, and yes elevation was the 3rd dimension. Also the internet/smartphone did add a connection to the people in the off trail world as well. Whenever I traveled outside my AT Guide defined world, I felt not at home and desired to return. Even sometimes when I ventured too far for too long to a 'AT East' or 'AT West' location.
I do find that this is in exact conflict with the issue posted with Baxter SP. The people who visit Baxter, even car camping with pop-ups, car camping equipment and watercraft and the like are there having a back country experience - To them, to their understanding and perhaps their ability to have one. They are driving away from their home and friends and getting away from that to a very road remote part of the woods.
For the AT hiker, that is their home, it is their friends, it is their world. Even though they live a much more primitive existence and are of lower numbers then the 'drive in' crowd, they are living a front country experience for their guidebook defined world. Also as we all know for most who make it here, it is a great time of celebration adding to the conflict.
I don't see anything reversing this trend, which first stated with Earl Shaffer's hike, and perhaps as one of it's founding visions, to hike from some sort of camp to camp about a day's hike apart. Perhaps Baxter SP should reevaluate what the AT is today and if they wish to have it anymore given the way they wish to have the park, and perhaps that is the most honest answer that the ATC can give in reply to the letter from BSP.