View Full Version : Planned 'great' trail seen as alternative to Appalachian
Rain Man
06-19-2006, 10:50
From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper (and Associated Press) Sunday, June 18, 2006--
"Soddy-Daisy, Tenn. --- In the depths of the Little Possum Gorge, a footpath strewn with the tools that built it suddenly emerges through a forest of hemlock and magnolia to a breathtaking waterfall.
"The treacherous falls, dubbed "Imodium" after the anti-diarrhea drug by those adventurers whom it has scared witless, was once known only to the most daring of kayakers willing to plunge down the 25-foot drop.
"With every clank, though, a team of volunteers cobbles together the latest piece of a rocky pathway leading to a shallow pool beneath the rapids, part of a 40-mile trail they're building just north of Tennessee's border with Georgia.
"The stretch is a linchpin in the ambitious Great Eastern Trail, a path of about 1,700 miles envisioned by hiking enthusiasts to someday string together a vast network of existing trails and link the Florida-Alabama border to New York's Finger Lakes.
"Planners hope that eventually it could serve as a foundation of a 10,000-mile network of paths spanning from south Florida to Maine, from Virginia to North Dakota. With increased development and sprawl along the East Coast, they believe the timing is right.
"If we don't do it now, it's not going to happen," said Jeffrey Hunter, the American Hiking Society's Southeast trails director.
"Hunter is working with local trail groups and volunteers across the nation to build roughly 600 miles of new trail to connect a system of trails already in place. The new trail will largely be constructed on public lands, but occasionally trail groups will have to negotiate the purchase or donation of land.
"Trail for the 21st century ...
(much more at this link to the whole article...)
http://www.ajc.com/search/content/auto/epaper/editions/sunday/metro_4449ee8f141302fc009a.html
Rain:sunMan
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the goat
06-19-2006, 11:52
excellent news, thanks rain man!
do you know if there are any links to any maps? mowgli, do you know of any?
I have often thought there should be a second AT, perhaps call one AT 'red" the other AT "blue" and a thru hike would be either or any combination of both.
If I ever get to thru, I am stongly thinking of doing the BMT to the far end of GSMNP, then doing the AT. Specially since the ATC has said that it "counts as if doing an AT thru."
I would love to re-do that section of the AT, but think I may like the solitude of the BMT.
Doctari.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
06-19-2006, 12:13
http://www.greateasterntrail.org/
the goat
06-19-2006, 12:20
http://www.greateasterntrail.org/
gracias! :sun
generoll
06-19-2006, 12:56
Doctari, are you certain of your source? Can you provide a reference? Has the ATC agreed to grant "through hiker" staus and a certificate to those who choose the BMT alternative to the first part of the AT? I know such a plan has been proposed by the folks on the board of the BMT, but I'd not heard that the ATC had agreed to it.
SGT Rock
06-19-2006, 13:01
I can be a semi-source. When I was at the opening for the BMT, the ATC representative said that was the plan - so they could reduce the impact on the AT through the Smokies. But he only mentioned the Smokies.
The Solemates
06-19-2006, 14:56
so they finally came up with a name? this trail has been long in the making. i hope it develops quickly now that the word is out. Jeff (aka mowgli) presented on this trail at the soruck this year.
generoll
06-19-2006, 15:04
I was also at the opening and heard the same proposal. My recollection was that the BMT was proposing this to the ATC. I did not hear that the ATC had accepted the proposal. I guess that I didn't realize that the one speaking to this proposal was a representative of the ATC. I thought he was one of the members of the BMT board.
My hike this spring along the BMT from Fontana to Bryson City was certainly a lot nicer then what I could see along the crest of the Smokies and from reading concurrent trail journals I can see that mine was a cakewalk. I had tee shirt weather the whole time and nothing worse then some light rain. They had deep snow, ice, and I believe a partial trail closure which required some of them to hike out to Newfound Gap along the road from Clingmans Dome.
I certainly think that this alternative approach makes a great deal of sense. I hope that its' practicality doesn't doom its' acceptance.
I guess that I didn't realize that the one speaking to this proposal was a representative of the ATC. I thought he was one of the members of the BMT board.
Hey Gene. I was there too as you might recall. It was Morgan Sommerville of the ATC who suggested that thru hikers who choose the BMT route through the Smokies might be conveyed 2000-miler status. Morgan is the ATC Regional Director out of the Asheville office.
Yea, I heard it from a (admitedly quickly read) transcript from the opening of the BMT by Morgan Sommerville of the ATC. And even if not, I have already hiked the section of the AT from Springer to Erwin, so therefore, , , , , ,
After all isn't it suupposed to be HYOH? :p :rolleyes:
Doctari.
Here's the same article in the Louisville, KY paper - but with some photos from along the Cumberland Trail;
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060619/NEWS0104/606190384/1008/NEWS01
generoll
06-19-2006, 17:57
Good article Jeff, and yes I remember seeing you at the opening. I have a picture of you taken a Whiggs Meadows posted here in my album. I guess what I'm waiting to hear is a absolute statement that the BMT route through the Smokies definitely is acceptable from the viewpoint of the ATC. It probably will happen by the time I'm able to do a through hike. In the meantime I'll just keep pecking away, one section at a time.
Do you know anything about the trail from Deep Creek to Davenport Gap? I've got a week blocked out in October and I'll either spend it working on the Cumberland Trail or doing another section of the AT. All depends on several factors but maybe I could do a bit of both.
max patch
06-19-2006, 18:11
Recognizing 2,000 miler status to someone who hasn't hiked all of the AT (a legally defined entity) makes no sense at all and I don't believe the ATC would ever consider doing so. Its just plain stupid.
Recognizing 2,000 miler status to someone who hasn't hiked all of the AT (a legally defined entity) makes no sense at all and I don't believe the ATC would ever consider doing so. Its just plain stupid.
Why wouldn't the ATC & NPS want to encourage folks to skip the AT in the Smokies? It's one of the most heavly impacted section of trail in the most visited National Park in the nation. NPS Backcountry Ranger George Minnigh stated that the park would like to see the use dispersed onto the BMT for safety reasons. The AT is in high country, and that results in numerous SARs every year.
Max, you might not like the 2000-miler standard being changed - but if it eventually is - it makes a lot of sense - in several different ways.
PS: The BMT is a much tougher challenge than the AT, so if folks take that option, they are earning it.
max patch
06-19-2006, 18:52
Mowgli, it doesn't make a bit of sense when you think about what 2,000 miler certification means -- that one has hiked ALL of a legally defined trail.
I just don't think the ATC will give out 2,000 miler certification for someone who has hiked all of the AT EXCEPT FOR this section here. It is not logical. The fact that it may or not be harder or longer or whatever is not relevant.
SGT Rock
06-20-2006, 04:37
Mowgli, it doesn't make a bit of sense when you think about what 2,000 miler certification means -- that one has hiked ALL of a legally defined trail.
I just don't think the ATC will give out 2,000 miler certification for someone who has hiked all of the AT EXCEPT FOR this section here. It is not logical. The fact that it may or not be harder or longer or whatever is not relevant.
Actually the ATC said it. Their representitive at the BMT said it, and this was not some flunky that is sent to run some info booth. So it may be both logical and happening.
Well I think they (the folks at ATC) are starting to recognize the idea of the AT being a trail corridor more than just being the simple trail itself. Of course it doesn't make sense if you are stuck in a rut of thinking the AT only means the actual trail, only the trail, and nothing but the trail. But the AT has become a way to conserve land around it that includes side trails and parallel trails within it's bounds - it does not just supply a one lane footpath through the mountains.
And even the ATC has had authorized bypasses for weather or maintenance, so think of this as the first bypass authorized to relieve impact. Nothing wrong with that unless you are simply concerned with maintaining a status quo about how someone gets to be qualified to wear a patch. And if by maintaining the old way you hurt the trail more than help it, maybe the reasons behind that concern should be re-evaluated. After all, what is more important? The ecology of the trail area and the desire to keep the experience as much like wilderness as possible, or the need to hold onto the old way of awarding a scrap of cloth and a piece of paper?
And I know some po-hoo this when it is mentioned, when it comes to the PCT and the CDT there is no requirement to stick to one trail. So maybe, just maybe the ATC is starting to realize they can be an even better organization for conservation if they widen the definition of what makes the trail itself.
Anyway, I applaud the ATC for worrying more about the trail and the environment than a bunch of people worrying about the rules for patches.
generoll
06-20-2006, 08:32
I knew that if I stuck around long enough I'd find something to agree with. Well said, Sarge.
SGT Rock
06-20-2006, 08:53
Stick around longer and you will probably find we have more in common around here than separate us. It has been my experience that this is generally true but too many people let those little things they argue about get in the way of ever realizing it.
If the ATC is going to officially count as thru-hikers those who choose the BMT over the AT, what about other alternate routes? The Tuscarora Trail comes immediately to mind as it was originally constructed with the idea of replacing the AT through the Cumberland Valley. There's also the new Grafton Loop in Maine which joins the AT at each end. Where does one draw the line?
dreamhiker
06-20-2006, 10:09
Recognizing 2,000 miler status to someone who hasn't hiked all of the AT (a legally defined entity) makes no sense at all and I don't believe the ATC would ever consider doing so. Its just plain stupid.
For myself when I do my thrue hike I will be doing it based on where I want to Hike. The whole idea of "(A legally defined entity)" kinda turns me off to hiking it. I wont be doing it for the "Recognistion" I Hike to get away from (Legally defined entities) just my opinion HYOH.
DreamHker
SGT Rock
06-20-2006, 10:12
I say they don't draw a line on what alternate trails they allow. As long as you walk from Georgia to Maine it should all be good. Just my opinion though. I think the worst idea ever was to get into the the buisness of trying to regulate it in the first place. When the BMT brought it up in 2005 about recognizing thru-hikers for completing the BMT, I said the same thing.
The ATC's job is to protect the trail and the corridor that buffers it. Now if you look at the recognition as a reward to promote something you feel is a good idea for the trail community, then even better to let people take alternate trails. I think Mowgli has said this before and I totally agree: Wouldn't it be cool to thru-hike the AT, end up on Katahdin, and meet someone new who just finished their hike too. You could swap stories about what routes you used and the cool things you saw. It could motivate you to thru-hike again on a different route just to see what it is like.
And I know some po-hoo this when it is mentioned, when it comes to the PCT and the CDT there is no requirement to stick to one trail. So maybe, just maybe the ATC is starting to realize they can be an even better organization for conservation if they widen the definition of what makes the trail itself.
From my understanding, the ATC already does this on an unofficial level. Nice to see it being recongnized officially.
The "corridor" approach to a trail protects more land and gives more oppurtunity for hiking. And yes..if the ATC "officially" recongnizes alternate routes the line will be blurred. I think that is a good devlopment!
Every so often, some person raised a "purity' debate on the PCT. That arguement quickly gets shot down.
8 days until I leave for my non-pure CDT hike. ;-)
SGT Rock
06-20-2006, 10:39
Have fun Mags! Walk a couple of miles for me :D
Just to be clear, American Hiking Society has no policy or position on alternate routes and the Appalachian Trail. As a hiker, and past thru-hiker, and someone who is working closely to develop the Great Eastern Trail, I have my own opinions. I happen to agree with Morgan Sommerville that recognizing folks who choose to hike the BMT route through GSMNP would be a positive development.
Ultimately, any changes regarding 2000-miler status is a decision that rests solely with ATC.
FWIW, my patch and certificate are probably two of the most insignificant things from my hike. I'm not even sure I know where they are. What remains are my memories and my friendships.
Have fun Mags! Walk a couple of miles for me :D
Will do Sarge! :) I'll have to hoist a pint or two at some "trail town" (very loose term on the CDT..Leadville may be the only one that even comes close!) to White blaze!
Ultimately, any changes regarding 2000-miler status is a decision that rests solely with ATC.
Good point. I was a bit too excited. I really hope this "corridor approach" becomes official. If (when?!?!) I do the AT again, suspect I may explore some these alternate routes. I like the fact that for my upcoming hike I can do many alternate trails (or routes..what trail in many cases!) and still be considered to do the CDT. Maybe it is a west vs. east mentality?
FWIW, my patch and certificate are probably two of the most insignificant things from my hike. I'm not even sure I know where they are. What remains are my memories and my friendships.
When I did my first long hike (Long Trail, 1997) was all over getting a patch.
Years later, don't see it is as important.
Must confess to keeping patches on my daypack though..but it is as much as a "hiker trash' tribe thing. People see the patches and strike up converstations with me. As I don't own a car, they are my "wicked cool bumpah stickhas". :D
SGT Rock
06-20-2006, 11:44
Well if you are going to do that too, do a few of those for me too ;)
troglobil
06-21-2006, 09:30
Where does one draw the line?
How about at Springer and Katahdin?
How about at Springer and Katahdin?
Sounds good to me. My point is that if you're going to count the BMT then the other loops should count as well.
This brings up another question: what's the longest possible route between Springer and Katahdin if staying on established hiking trails (until the planned 'great" trail is completed)?
Alligator
06-21-2006, 12:10
Sounds good to me. My point is that if you're going to count the BMT then the other loops should count as well.
This brings up another question: what's the longest possible route between Springer and Katahdin if staying on established hiking trails (until the planned 'great" trail is completed)?Infinite;) .