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ridgewalker777
08-12-2004, 13:45
Have any of the Appalachian Trail veterans noticed a change in the "spirit" or "feeling" of the trail during past wars? A hard issue to quantify, but thought it might have relevance in 2004.

SGT Rock
08-12-2004, 14:03
I've been a section hiker for a few years, but this year's hike was special for me. The guys on the trail (at least those that recognized me) were great and made the entire trip into one long homecomming. The guys down at Dots would probably have gotten me drunk if I hadn't excused myself for being a lightweight after a year without alcohol. I really felt appriciated and it re-enforced to me the fact that trail folks are some of the best people you will ever meet.

Lone Wolf
08-12-2004, 15:56
I was at Springer the night the war in Iraq started. Was gonna hike home to Damascus. Went home instead.

Brushy Sage
08-12-2004, 19:17
I hiked in the south in 2002 and didn't notice any change in spirit from the hikers I had met along the AT before 9/11 in 2001. I understand that hikers who used to see the twin towers in Manhatten from the AT experienced significant sadness at seeing a vacant space instead.

Sarge
08-12-2004, 20:59
When I hiked in 2002 I had just retired from the Air Force. Since it was also just 6 months after 9/11 I felt real patriotic and decided to carry an American flag with me and fly it in camp every night. Everyone thought that was real neat.

P.S. Brushy Sage, I remember camping with you at Deep Gap shelter that year.

weary
08-12-2004, 21:31
Have any of the Appalachian Trail veterans noticed a change in the "spirit" or "feeling" of the trail during past wars? A hard issue to quantify, but thought it might have relevance in 2004.

I can't comment on spirit and feeling -- other than to note that Earl Shaffer hiked in 1948 to help erase the impact of months in the Pacific during World War 2.

But physically, the trail virtually disappeared during those war years. War time jobs, gas shortages, and energy conservation decimated the trail volunteers that essentially keep the trail maintained.

Unfortunately, our President opted to finance the current war on the backs of our grandchildren, therefore this war has had relatively little impact on the general population, only on the military folks, and on the mothers, fathers, siblings, children, and spouses of those who have been killed and wounded.

Weary

steve hiker
08-13-2004, 00:33
I've had to dodge bullets from Vietnam vets in flashbacks who mistook me for VC.

Lone Wolf
08-13-2004, 00:36
Semper Fidelis.

steve hiker
08-13-2004, 00:47
My older brother was in the Marines for two hitches, but post-Nam. He was old enough at the tail end of the war to be drafted, but lucked out with a high lottery number.

BTW you Viet-era fans might want to take a look at Grizzly Years : In Search of the American Wilderness by Douglas Peacock. Just returned from two tours of duty in Vietnam, he heads to the mountains of Montana to shake off the memories of combat. The book drifts between his exploration of grizzly country and flashbacks to battle scenes in Nam. "In those woods he found grizzly bears, and among them he shook off memories of war." Here's an Amazon link (I got mine free from the library):

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805045430/ref%3Dpd%5Fsxp%5Felt%5Fl1/102-0763144-5142508

SGT Rock
08-21-2004, 10:30
Someone made the observation on this thread that the original intent of the thread was gone and it should be renamed to "The WhiteBlaz in Wartime" I tend to agree, but think the original thread had merrit to so I split the difference by splitting th thread. I may not have done a perfect job as some posts from the old thread may belong here, and some posts from here may belong over there. I claim bing only human to that. Now that the other stuff has been trimmed, please return to the original converstation here. If you want to rant about liberals, conservatives, Jane Fonda, or whatever, go to the other thread.

Dances with Mice
08-21-2004, 11:38
Thanks!

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