Large groups on the AT

[Lilred]

Skids, as I understand it, the composing privies can only compose so fast. Does the overuse cause problems with those in GA? I know it does in the GSMNP.

Composing is a problem for most musicians, can't imagine what it must be like for the privies. Gives a whole new meaning to 'tootin'.

The best way to handle this problem of large groups and overuse is to ban outdoor camping in the A.T. corridor, get rid of the shelters, and set up a system of AMC-style huts to house and feed hikers. The use of the huts should be required rather than optional and reservations could be made through the same reservation system used for the hiking permits--you would reserve the section of trail and the huts along it at the same time.

Potential hikers could specify three different sections in order of preference and would get their top available pick. Hiking permits and hut space could be reserved no more than six months prior to the desired date and would be available until the quotas were filed. The huts would be large enough to accomodate several groups of 25 people, say 100 people total.

This would also serve as a source of revenue to buy land and create new trails and to build new huts as well as to enlarge and upgrade existing ones. The employees would be the normal college-aged kids as use by AMC and they would also be required to do trail maintenance.

Dumbest idea I've heard yet.

No hiking unless you spend time volunteering and helping others, there are too many selfish people in the world, and now it seems they all found the AT.
Sorry if that seems harsh, but I've been hiking this trail too................
All AT hikers should have to put some volunteer time in in order to use the trail.

Everyone should help empty a privy someday, instead of always filling them up all the time! And I mean that, it would do some people a world of good.

Stop looking for a freebie, and a handout all the time, and put your time in to help others, you can do it too!

I pay taxes that pay for the trails. I have just as much right on them as anyone, volunteer or not.

Exactly - cutting down on shelter use would be an added benefit.True for you hardy types known as SOBO, but not true of GA, NC and TN during the NOBO thru season -- I don't think I hiked more than two or three miles in any area containing water without seeing a large, seriously overcamped site in those states - in GA they were even closer together. And the AT in the GSMNP should be declared a disaster area or a superfund site IMO. All the views on that entire stretch don't even begin to make up for what you have to put up with on that stretch of trail IMO. YMMV

I thought the Smokies was absolutely beautiful.


[QUOTE=The Mechanical Man;473428]Hiking is going though the same thing the ski industry did a few years ago.
Package deals and cool equipment, good family fun, everyone want to try it. Moguls while skiing, just means too many people have gone before you. hehe
[QUOTE]

Ummm no, mogels are not made by too many people skiing before you, mogels are engineered and placed with precision on most ski slopes.

Resentful of another's sucess.

Since when is volunteering to do maintenance on a trail considered 'success'

"It ain't braggin, ifin you done it".

Umm yes it is bragging. you can't brag about something you haven't done.

[envirodiver]

Composing is a problem for most musicians, can't imagine what it must be like for the privies. Gives a whole new meaning to 'tootin'.

Yeah I would think it's more like unwritting a song and decomposing.

[CoyoteWhips]

Composing is a problem for most musicians, can't imagine what it must be like for the privies. Gives a whole new meaning to 'tootin'.

Some would say my music is compost -- it evens out.

[dessertrat]

I pay taxes that pay for the trails. I have just as much right on them as anyone, volunteer or not.

Taxes don't hire someone to go out and empty the privy. You have just as much legal right to use the trail or the privy as anyone, but it should not be about "pay my taxes and assume somone else will do the work". That would be fine if in fact the ATC had money to hire privy-emptiers, trail clearers, shelter builders, etc., but it doesn't. Whether we do trail maintenance or not, we should greatly appreciate those who volunteer, not say "I pay my taxes, so the heck with the rest." It is the volunteers who ward off user fees and licenses for use, and who truly keep the AT "free".

[4eyedbuzzard]

Ummm no, mogels are not made by too many people skiing before you, mogels are engineered and placed with precision on most ski slopes.

Before people started pushing snow around with machines, moguls occurred due to skiers all skiing the same line and pushing the snow up into mounds/wearing it down in between. Still happens exactly that way until they knock it down and groom the trails with machines. If they didn't groom most all trails would be full of moguls.

But I'll agree that some of the more radical/competition mogul runs are created by machines.

[rafe]

Moguls mostly happen on steep slopes with lots of traffic. It's a classic case of positive feedback. Once they start to form, they just get bigger. But some (lots?) of folks actually enjoy them (eg., myself,) so on the expert slopes, the trail maintenance crews don't mess with them.

[Lone Wolf]

Moguls mostly happen on steep slopes with lots of traffic. It's a classic case of positive feedback. Once they start to form, they just get bigger. But some (lots?) of folks actually enjoy them (eg., myself,) so on the expert slopes, the trail maintenance crews don't mess with them.

At Jay Peak we used to let a couple of expert runs "bump up"

[Mags]

....then there's backcountry skiing.

To heck with machines making moguls.

http://www.pmags.com/joomla/index.ph...6096&g2_page=7

[rafe]

At Jay Peak we used to let a couple of expert runs "bump up"

Yep, that's what I'm sayin'. On White Heat at Sunday River, they groom one side and leave the other bumped up. The steep lift-line runs (eg. Agony) are never groomed.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Skied at Sunday RIier last year. First time in many years there. Used to ski steep glade trails like "tin woodsman" all the time 15-20 years ago. Looked down there this time and thought, "*** was I thinking?!"

[Lilred]

Taxes don't hire someone to go out and empty the privy. You have just as much legal right to use the trail or the privy as anyone, but it should not be about "pay my taxes and assume somone else will do the work". That would be fine if in fact the ATC had money to hire privy-emptiers, trail clearers, shelter builders, etc., but it doesn't. Whether we do trail maintenance or not, we should greatly appreciate those who volunteer, not say "I pay my taxes, so the heck with the rest." It is the volunteers who ward off user fees and licenses for use, and who truly keep the AT "free".

My post was in response to the person that said people should have to volunteer first before they can hike. Also insinuating that hiking without volunteering is tantamount to taking a handout. I have great respect for those that volunteer or at least help in some small ways, but don't try to belittle a person that hikes without volunteering. Not everyone has the time nor the proximity to do so. To quote Lonewolf, It was a wanker post anyhow.

[Lilred]

I can only speak from experience, and the slopes I skiid had manmade created mogels.

[rafe]

I can only speak from experience, and the slopes I skiid had manmade created mogels.

yeah. they were created by skiers

[The Mechanical Man]

Man made created moguls??? hahaha

What other kind is there???? hahaha


"Go empty a privy someday, instead of always filling them up all the time."
HeHe