ATC Thru hike registration

imported
#41

The conflict here is between the trail clubs and the thru hikers. Thru hikers represent only a small percentage of the total number of hikers. Despite all the powerful government agencies along the entire trail the clubs wield the true power. They see to the day to day operations along a section of the trail and they get the call to act. A tree falls in Georgia and some hiker complains to the ATC and it’s the trail club that is expected to do something about it. It’s a frustrating thing to quell frequent storms when some idiot makes mass at a shelter or 4 wheelers rip the trail up or a few dozen other things from graffiti to parking. The long term effect of this “they break it and we fix it” deal is that it sets up “us vs them” thing. With a 10 percent increase every year in hikers all the trail clubs want some new rules. In many areas the only tool for changing the rules they have is “influence”. They are organized, they have a mother organization, the ATC, and they can insert themselves in the rule makings of the many powerful government land owners like the NPS, Forrest Service etc. The large and powerful trail clubs, AMC.GMC, PATC can wield significant influence. The clubs view most thru hikers as “hiker trash”. A bunch of pot smoking hippies who show up in a mob, mock the rules, take up all the shelter space and leave a mess to clean up. The thru hikers are not organized and have no voice or influence. It’s vary rare that their opinions are ever asked for. So after years of pressure by the trail clubs to act in some way about the mob of hikers, the ATC comes up with the thru hiker registration. It states that it is needed because these thru hikers are 1. Destroying the environment. 2. Ruining the wilderness experience. I sure am glad that the day hikers and car campers don’t need to be reeled in.

Francis

#42

So you don’t want the trail clubs removing the blowdowns and doing other maintenance? Who will do this work, the unorganized “thru hikers”. I’d like to see your evidence that trail clubs are in conflict with thru hikers. I don’t doubt that the trail clubs are less than thrilled by the behavior of some hikers who call themselves “thru hikers”. Thru hikers have an organization and it is called ALDHA, that works with trail clubs to improve the trail and probably has some influence. Remember, one is not a thru hiker until they complete the trail.

Ohibro

#43

I just want the clubs to stop promoting rules that apply only to thru hikers and not club members. The clubs day hikers and car campers are exempt. No registration for them. It’s the day hikers and townies who leave the beer bottles behind. They are punishing the wrong group.
ALDHA is just a name. They never advocate for thru hikers. As a matter of fact they act just like the trail clubs and ATC. Last year a small group of them did some work up in Virginia. They do a great job with the guide book and they have a great beer party. I have never been to one meeting or conference that they were at where they stood up and spoke up for thru hikers. They want them controlled and limited just like the clubs.

Francis

#44

The problem with Francis’ world view is that it implies that thru-hikers are the oppressed minority, when it many ways we’ve become the oppressing majority. And I use the term “oppressing” probably in the same way that the trail clubs and ATC would use it - actions large and small, mainly without overt malice, that requite mitigation to one degree or another after the fact, and which are growing proportionally year upon year with the number of thru-hikers starting from Georgia each spring.

All users create impacts, and it is the job of the volunteers and maintenance organizations all along the trail to address the impacts of all users. But thru-hikers, being a roving social network of sorts, highly tuned in, present a unique opportunity for outreach and education by ATC et al, in no small way because we should want to hear it, should embrace LNT, should - as I said before - respect ourselves enough to respect the trail in turn. More should be expected of us than the average trail user, not the least because only we have the potential to degrade into a moiling mob of me-first savagery to the same extent that we can instead elevate ourselves to the status of trail ambassadors, a roving force for good, leading by example.

So I reject the caricature of the thru-hiker unjustly singled out for punishment by virtue of his inherent vices, and instead look at the reality on the ground, as seen from all perspectives, and recognize that change is good and that it might as well begin with us. Let’s embrace it.

hoch

#45

Show me some rules that apply only to “thru hikers”. Doing work on the trail is a bad thing?

Ohibro

#46

theirs other trails that can be used as alternate routes such as the BMT and the Tuscarora Trail this is what the tuscarora was originally intended forthis is just a couple of trails that can and should be used as alternates, and lets not forget about the BSP,BSP has issues with the number of thru-hikers/hikers in general summiting katahdan on a daily basis in the summer, it would be nice if we had an alternate northern terminus, and i really don’t think the voluntary registration is gonna solve anything you have people doing the registration then you have people that’s not doing it i think the numbers is higher than 50 a day.

RED-DOG

#47

theirs other trails that can be used as alternate routes such as the BMT and the Tuscarora Trail this is what the tuscarora was originally intended forthis is just a couple of trails that can and should be used as alternates, and lets not forget about the BSP,BSP has issues with the number of thru-hikers/hikers in general summiting katahdan on a daily basis in the summer, it would be nice if we had an alternate northern terminus, and i really don’t think the voluntary registration is gonna solve anything you have people doing the registration then you have people that’s not doing it i think the numbers is higher than 50 a day.

RED-DOG

#48

Kind of seems like Baxter’s problems are at least partially their own doing - for example, if it seems like the rangers are spending too much of their time on thru hikers, then spend less time on them and don’t offer them all the services that are outside what one would normally expect a ranger to do (like finding rides, making calls etc.).

Billy

#49

I’ve been planning this hike for years and nobody is going to tell me what day I have to start my journey!

Dan

#50

The problem on the trail is almost always day hikers. In addition, there has been some sort of propaganda program to improperly switch the correct starting point for the AT. The correct starting point on the trail (for a thru hike) is Maine. Most people do not get this. Again, the problem is almost exclusively due to those damn day hikers. Next is that too many people have been fooled into starting the trail in Georgia when the signage indicates clearly the trail runs from MAINE TO GEORGIA!

RikkiTikkiTavi

#51

RikkiTikkiTavi I command you to collect that assortment of random letters you just threw down there and return them to the pile at once so someone else can make words and sentences of them to meaningful effect. Dan and Billy - you’re next. Thank you.

goober