ATC Thru hike registration

imported
#1

Check out the new thing on the ATC web page. They want thru hikers to sign up for a start date. The purpose is to get control of the numbers heading North from mid March to mid April. They want to limit starts to 50 hikers per day. The direct quote is “This voluntary registration system is intended to help you avoid crowding. If enough hikers voluntarily choose to disperse themselves to reduce crowding and learn best Leave No Trace practices, additional regulations to manage thru-hikers can be avoided even as the number of hikers increases.” The threat is “additional regulations”. It amazing that there is no talk or discussion about improving and expanding trail facilities to accomadate more hikers. This approach lacks a vision of what the trail of the future will look like. The original vision of the trail founders to provide a place where residents of the crowded cities can go to enjoy nature seems at conflict with the vision of others to preserve nature to the point that the people can only get to it at a rate of 50 starts per day. Why not double the facilities and start 100 per day? The “cut and dried” solution is limit the numbers. No discussion, no middle ground, no compromise. If we continue in this direction, which will fail, high fees are next so only the rich can hike. So much for the vision of the founders.

Francis

#2

What do you mean expaning facilities. What facilities?

Macontracks

#3

One way to accommidate more hikers on the trail is to build more shelters, more campsites, more privies, more picnic tables, provide trash containers at some road crossings. The issue is the amount of damage we do to the environment and the crowded feeling “wilderness experience” some dislike when we all camp in a 1 acre area around existing shelters. The 2 sections of the trail where this is an issue is Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee during April and May. Also in the White Mtns in August and September.

Francis

#4

My suggestion is to build a second Appalachian Trail running directly parallel to the current one, within the 300 yard buffer zone owned by NPS, but with each trail separated by an unscalable wall. At the start of your thru-hike, you will be assigned to one of the two AT’s which you will enter through a holding pen and remain on for the duration of your hike. As the popularity of the trail continues to increase, when a certain threshold is reached, a third Appalachian Trail can be built and new walls erected as needed. Finally, when it becomes unfeasible to build any new AT’s or walls within the NPS-owned buffer zone, SORRY FOLKS, WE ARE ALL DONE. This is the AT of the future, hemmed in as it is by a lack of adequate vision running from today all the way back to time immemorial.

hey here’s an idea

#5

I could not disagree more with Francis’s comments. “The original vision of the trail founders to provide a place where residents of the crowded cities can go to enjoy nature” was not to create crowded conditions in nature. Just about all natural areas that attract large numbers of people have restrictions on the number of people allowed. (Yellowstone, Grand Canyon etc). I agree with the ATC’s attempt to voluntarily try to spread out hikers in this way.
The impending movie is going to cause enough damage with increased usage. More Privies may help some but don’t make the AT a Disneyland.

ghost

#6

I lean towards what ghost is saying - the trail was never intended in the beginning for thru hikers, but allow all people to enjoy the outdoors - sure there can be improvements, I do not like the idea of charging a fee, but that be may required to make some changes i.e. shelters, privies, trash cans, camping sites, At this point I think more information is needed on the details and not broad stoke ideas.

Lightbulb

#7

Ok, I think that so far we have 1 vote for “expanded facilities”. 3 votes against. The reasons for voting no are. 1. It will just encourage even more hikers. 2. If the facilities were expanded the additional cost would just drive us closer to a “fee system”. Thank you for your comments.

Francis

#8

The ATC is followin the lead of the JMT as they are imposing a limit (as of Feb 2) on the number of people on the trail. It goes to show what happens when government associated agencies start to “improve” the trails for all of us om the trail. If it is suggested(not sure if it is) that the ATC will build more and improved facilities along the AT (ie more shelters and picnic tables) this will not decrease the footprint, but increase the footprint as it will be more for day hikers and weekend hikers to use and abuse the pack out procedures. If we as hikers truly understand how to leave no trace we are better off with less modern facilities. Otherwise the wall idea sounds good, except build a wall on either side of the trail and the only access for anyone is to thru hike the whole thing. No section or day hikers…would solve a lot of problems :slight_smile:

Curly80

#9

Key word to me was *voluntary. Also, still free and largely maintained by volunteers. Starting an AT thru without a huge mass exodus surrounding me would be preferred. I think it would be nice to know that say, leaving one or two days later/earlier, may make a difference (whatever size) of the trail longevity as well as allow for a bit more breathing room. Great idea considering alternatives for spacing.

I wanna know too

#10

I understand the need to limit the crowding on the AT which is being loved to death so do not have a problem with attempts to spread out the crowd. I have hiked the JMT and in the Grand Canyon and while the permit process sucks the results are great. Less crowds and lower impact on the trails. As for providing more services I would point to a study down by the forest service in the White Mountains. They use to have a horrible garbage problem at trail heads with trash cans overflowing and trash covering the ground. The solution was to remove the trash cans and institute a pack it in pack it out program. The result was way less trash at the trail head. Removing the service removed the problem.

Big B

#11

Could the Benton MacKaye trail serve as a viable alternative route for northbound thru-hikers? The Benton MacKaye trail could be used between Springer and the Great Smoky Mountains, rejoin the AT and continue on to Maine. I am not sure what the mileage difference would be, but that alone should not be a limiting factor.
If the Appalachian Trail Conservancy could recognize the Benton Mackaye trail as an authorized alternative route, that could possibly solve some of the pressure on the AT in Georgia. The new alternative route would lead to some new vista’s and through some interesting backwoods to be explored.

David Tosten

#12

I hate to see how the ATC tries to implement non-voluntary leaving dates -ie- you have to apply for a date to leave from Springer. If that situation is not far off in the future, will they have rangers with law enforcement capability on the trail checking for permits? Might be best to skip Springer and come back to it later on, when the crowds dissipate. Hate to see the AT become as holy grail hard as the JMT permit issue is becoming.

TedHiker

#13

Laurie P. from the ATC Staff here. ATC formed a “Walk in the Woods Mitigation Task Force” last fall to develop a multi-faceted approach to deal with the increasing numbers of hikers on the A.T., especially northbound thru-hikers. The task force is made up of ATC staff and volunteers, local trail club volunteers, land-managing agency partners (USFS, National Park Service), and interested hikers.

The number of thru-hikers just keeps growing with no end in sight. In 2014 the number was twice what it was in 1994. With the movies Wild already out and Walk in the Woods later this year, the numbers are bound to increase The numbers of people hiking on peak days is already higher than the A.T. was meant to accommodate, and those numbers will only increase.

There are fairly big peaks and valleys in thru-hiker start dates, with people clustering together in large groups right at the beginning. Not only is there more crowding and resource damage when people clump together, but it sets the expectation that large crowds are what the A.T. experience is all about. At the outset, people become used to the crowds, or go elsewhere.

The goal of the voluntary registration system is to spread people out so the trail and campsites will be less crowded and the impacts will be fewer.

The task force has already been assessing existing shelter sites and camp sites. In time, there will probably be more, but it takes time to get them approved through the required federal processes. There are also a finite number of water sources where these can be located. And, neither ATC, the volunteers in local volunteer trail clubs, or the land managers feel it is in keeping with the values of the A.T. to build large overnight structures or multiple structures close together in the backcountry.

We have already had conversations with the Benton MacKaye Trail Association, the U.S.Forest Service, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park about using the Benton MacKaye Trail as a possible alternate route for the A.T. All these entities would have to approve it before it could be considered. There are some concerns among these groups that because the BMT is more rugged and primitive, it wouldn’t be a good alternative for northbound A.T. thru-hikers, who typically have little or no backpacking experience when they begin. It may be a while before we have answers, but we are definitely exploring these options.

We are also expanding our Leave No Trace education, and here will be more ridgerunners and caretakers. We are promoting alternative thru-hike itineraries that allow people to hike ahead or behind the bubble.

ATC has been around since 1925, when this organization was formed for the purpose of building the Appalachian Trail. We are celebrating our 90th anniversary this year, and have resisted regulations and fees this entire time. We resist them on principle; our philosophy has been to take good enough care of the Trail and inspire such a high level of stewardship by both hikers and volunteesr that the A.T. stays as unregulated as possible. However, we do not own the land (even if we are tasked with caring for it). Those who are skeptical of our motives simply do not know or understand the history of the Appalachian Trail.

Is there anywhere else in the developed world you can spend six months in the woods on public lands with so much freedom and so little regulation? And so few fees? This is possible because of the oversight of the nonprofit ATC and the incredible work of more than 6000 volunteers, working in an unprecedented public-private partnership to protect this amazing greenway and trail.

Regulations are set by the government agencies that own the land. ATC owns very little A.T. land. ATC has always opposed entrance fees and mandatory fees, but in many areas the A.T. is routed through lands managed for broader purposes than just the A.T.

We hope people will participate in the voluntary registration system, and make their best efforts to learn and follow best Leave No Trace practices. The more people do this, the better chance that the A.T. will remain as free as it always has been.

If you are uncomfortable with the voluntary registration system, you do not have to participate. No one will turn you away. We just ask that you to avoid starting your thru-hike on the most crowded dates of March 1 and April 1. Recently March 17 also seems to be a big day, but in years past March 15 and the first day of spring have also been big. Mid-week is usually the least crowded if it doesn’t fall on ones of those days.

Happy trails!

Laurie Potteiger

#14

I appreciate Laurie Potteiger giving such a full disclosure explanation on the intent and reason. On the surface it makes sense. I don’t want to be too hot headed about it, and will read more. I understand the intent. But the road to hell is paved well with good intent.

TSquare

#15

TSquare, what solutions do you suggest instead?

Laurie Potteiger

#16

Speaking of the road to hell being paved with good intentions…

This may be antithetical to the purpose and vision of the AT, but one nearly fool-proof way to reduce the number of hikers would be to cease maintaining the trail for a period of perhaps two seasons, at least in the South, especially in Georgia. Leave the blowdowns in place, let the brush grow in, forgo that fresh coat of paint on the white blazes, do the minimum amount of required work to ensure that the trail retains the capacity to be maintained once the moratorium is lifted. Then watch as the trail’s reputation changes from something immensely appealing for far too many, to something still reasonably appealing to a smaller and more seasoned crowd.

In order to avoid the AT being loved to death, I propose we need to make it slightly less lovable. As an experiment. And no better time to start than right now, in the throes of a harsh winter. Let nature have her way this season. Then watch how words spreads down the internet grapevine in advance of 2016.

tron

#17

The trail is in less danger of being loved to death than it is in being regulated to death. Same thing is happening to the PCT. It’s the same regulate mentality that goes hand in hand with the global warming hoax. Shameful thing is–each takes away from the important work required to keep the trails available and environment clean in preference for making bureaucrats fatter. First thing to do to lessen impact of yearly starters is SHUT DOWN ALL TRAIL KICKOFF EVENTS. And fyi, thruhikers are far far
fewer in number than day and overnight users. But thruhikers are an easier target as we use these websites. Enough bureaucrats.

Jason

#18

The Appalachian Trail would cease to exist without bureaucracies and bureaucrats.

More than 99.5% of the A.T. is now on public land, protected by the rules and regulations of the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and dozens of land-managing federal, state, and local agencies. The Appalachian Trail is now a 2,000-mile long protected greenway. (It hasn’t always been–up until the '80s, hundreds of miles were on roads and private land.) Without all these bureaucracies, essentially all of the A.T. would be on roads today. But wait, there wouldn’t be public roads either without bureaucracies.

In Georgia and the southern end of the A.T. in March and April, the time of year that the A.T. is most crowded is those areas, thru-hikers are now the majority of trail users. This has not always been the case, but is now.

Thru-hikers are being targeted because they are the crowds. Last year, approximately 2500 thru-hikers left Springer Mountain, most between March 1 and April 15.

Truth be told, ATC was a little nervous when the A.T. Celebration at Amicalola Falls State Park was re-named the A.T. Kick Off. We were concerned that it might generate more clumping, aware of the effects of the PCTADZKO. However, there doesn’t seem to be significant problem the the ATKO. The ATKO is a very different kind of event from the PCTADZKO. At the PCTADZKO, only that year’s group of thru-hikers are welcome, and a significant percentage of that year’s class of thru-hikers attend. At the ATKO, most of the attendees are casual hikers, former thru-hikers, or future thru-hikers. The event also happens to occur in one of the lulls in thru-hiker start dates, and it is still one of the lulls, compared to March 1 and April 1 and other mid-March dates.

Poorly maintained trail doesn’t stop thru-hikers. Poorly maintained trails deter day-hikers and casual hikers, who form the vast majority of the millions of who use the A.T. Without a large and diverse population of A.T. users, there would not be enough public support for the A.T. Just a few months ago, in an A.T. state, a politician was elected who proposed selling National Park Service lands to raise money for their budget.

MacKaye spent much of his life working as a bureaucrat, and understood that government was needed to protect to protect the A.T. Myron Avery was a lawyer; part of his success was not only in building trails but in enlisting the support of government bureaucrats.

Want to read more about A.T. history? This is a good place to start: The Appalachian Trail would cease to exist without bureaucracies and bureaucrats.

More than 99.5% of the A.T. is now on public land, protected by the rules and regulations of the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and dozens of land-managing federal, state, and local agencies. The Appalachian Trail is now a 2,000-mile long protected greenway. (It hasn’t always been–up until the '80s, hundreds of miles were on roads and private land.) Without all these bureaucracies, essentially all of the A.T. would be on roads today. But wait, there wouldn’t be public roads either without bureaucracies.

In Georgia and the southern end of the A.T. in March and April, the time of year that the A.T. is most crowded is those areas, thru-hikers are now the majority of trail users. This has not always been the case, but is now.

Thru-hikers are being targeted because they are the crowds. Last year, approximately 2500 thru-hikers left Springer Mountain, most between March 1 and April 15.

Truth be told, ATC was a little nervous when the A.T. Celebration at Amicalola Falls State Park was re-named the A.T. Kick Off. We were concerned that it might generate more clumping, aware of the effects of the PCTADZKO. However, there doesn’t seem to be significant problem the the ATKO. The ATKO is a very different kind of event from the PCTADZKO. At the PCTADZKO, only that year’s group of thru-hikers are welcome, and a significant percentage of that year’s class of thru-hikers attend. At the ATKO, most of the attendees are casual hikers, former thru-hikers, or future thru-hikers. The event also happens to occur in one of the lulls in thru-hiker start dates, and it is still one of the lulls, compared to March 1 and April 1 and other mid-March dates.

Poorly maintained trail doesn’t stop thru-hikers. Poorly maintained trails deter day-hikers and casual hikers, who form the vast majority of the millions of who use the A.T. Without a large and diverse population of A.T. users, there would not be enough public support for the A.T. Just a few months ago, in an A.T. state, a politician was elected who proposed selling National Park Service lands to raise money for their budget.

MacKaye spent much of his life working as a bureaucrat, and understood that government was needed to protect to protect the A.T. Myron Avery was a lawyer; part of his success was not only in building trails but in enlisting the support of government bureaucrats.

Want to learn more about A.T. history? Here is a good place to start: www.appalachiantrail.org/about-the-trail/history.

Laurie Potteiger

#19

Does the problem of trail overcrowding even exist? Is it overcrowded and is it a problem? If it is overcrowded, by whom? If it is a problem, for who? For the most part we can divide the AT user world into 2 groups, thru-hikers and non thru hikers. What we find is the 2 groups are in many ways different. The non thru hikers are much better organized. They tend to belong to organizations, groups and clubs, they pay dues, they have meetings, they do things like trail repair. They also do things like make rules or influence other organizations to make rules. They usually are located near the trail with a main concern of just one section of a trail. Thru-hikers are not organized at all, they have no groups to join.(No they don’t belong to ALDHA, I have asked hundreds of them). They don’t pay dues or attend meetings. They have no voice to influence the rules and regulations. Nobody asked them about “thru hiker registration”. They might ask you about non thru hiker registration. It’s quite rare to ever encounter times when the organized non thru hiker groups request an input from thru hikers. When is the last time you saw a survey from the many dozens of trail clubs, government organizations etc. that ask thru-hikers what they think? The trail is overcrowded, it is a problem. Lets take the following action. These are the words of the non thru hiker group. I wonder what thru hikers think? When I ask the thru hikers out on the trail each year about ways to make the trail better I get stuff like, more, bigger and better shelters, better privies, more picnic tables, better blazing and signage, smarter trail routing and improved water sources. Trail registration never comes up. Are we attempting to fix something that is not broke? Is this a myopic trail club hoax? If the trail ever does get crowded perhaps the thru hikers will go someplace else, or have a day hiker registration…

Francis

#20

Francis,

You make some good points. Getting more input from recent thru-hikers, who are obviously among the most critical stakeholders, is very important. We definitely could have done more of that as we developed the system for this year, which is intended to be a pilot. We will do more to get input from recent thru-hikers going forward.

I will say that anyone who contacted us about wanting to be part of dealing with the increased number of people using the Trail in advance of the upcoming movie was invited to participate in the meetings. We also had a very open discussion at the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association panel “The Future of the A.T.”, and information about “The Gathering” was included in most of the 2,000-miler packets that were sent to 2014 thru-hikers. But, you’re right, that was not direct engagement with a lot of recent thru-hikers.

One of the benefits of this year’s voluntary thru-hiker registration is that we will be able to contact all the 2015 thru-hikers who said they wanted to participate in the survey that we will conduct at the end of the season.

What do you think are the best ways to reach thru-hikers who did not participate in the voluntary registration and those who said they did not want to be contacted by ATC for alerts and a follow-up survey?

In the meantime, it would be great if recent thru-hikers would get involved in their local volunteer trail clubs. The clubs need you!

If even a quarter of the thru-hikers who lived within a couple hours of the A.T. went to volunteer trail club meetings and work trips, they’d really be able to make a difference in influencing policy and making changes on the ground. The clubs need more energetic, passionate hikers with fresh ideas about how to maintain and manage the trail and are willing to do the work to make it happen. Anyone who’s reading this can find out more about how to do this at www.appalachiantrail.org/volunteer.

The clubs also need younger people who can help them learn how to use social media to reach the younger generations.

Laurie Potteiger