I just read in the “Richmond Times Dispatch” a story written by Laurence Hammack from “The Roanoke Times” about a West Virginia lawyer who questions Earl Shaffer’s 1948 though hike. Has anyone else read this and what do you think?
Train
Earl Shaffer - Appalachian Trail
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#2
I read the article.
I think the lawyer has issue with the fact that Earl didn’t truly fully follow what was supposed to be the AT at the time.
Earl mentions the issues with finding the trail in his book. The trail was unmaintained during the war, blazes and trail were often gone. Road walks were the only way to get around obstacles that blocked the trail.
I think most people have no problem with the fact that he had to hike around sections because there was no way to find the trail and had to accept car rides to find the trail at other times.
The fact that he may have not hiked as much as 180 miles of the official trail at the time makes sense considering what the AT was at that time.
By current standards, if a thru-hiker has to hike away from the trail because of fires, floods, and other natural obstacles, it is still considered a thru-hike as long as effort is made to stay true.
Stevie McAllister
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#5
Here’s a link to the story which may or may not come through.
< http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/291803 >
Worth reading and has some pictures, too. See what you think. I rather liked Gene Espy’s comments. :tongue
Lady Di
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#6
Obviously I have too much time on my hands. But in the article referenced above there is this paper which reads like an “inditement”…after all the author is a lawyer :tongue
< http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/59018666 > The last chapter of his treatise is most interesting.
Lady Di
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#8
Earl hiked the trail that was available to him from Mt. Oglethorpe to Kathadin. He had to improvise all the way, but he walked the whole way. So what if he didn’t follow the actual AT. The AT was in such bad condition after WW II that no one could follow it. It probably hadn’t been blazed for years in many places.
Who cares what a lawyer thinks about Earl Shaffer’s acheivement. Lawyers are in business to poke holes in things and find fault where none exists.
swampfox
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#9
If you read the article you’ll see that the “lawyer’s claim” is that Earl did not, in fact, walk the entire trail, because he took rides in places where he lost the trail and ended up being dropped off elsewhere. I think the spirit of the arguments being made here are correct though, that Earl did the best he could given the difficult conditions and lack of a thru-hiking precedent. I doubt whether Earl set out to make any bogus claims, and I also doubt that he could have done much to correct his “mistakes” during the course of that hike. Only in hindsight did he realize his place in history, and I think he can be forgiven for having missed Mt Oglethorpe and taking a photo there after the fact. He wanted the title of first thru-hiker, and by every measure he earned it, and no one could have improved upon it given the conditions he encountered in 1948. Larry Luxemberg is absolutely correct when he says “the lawyer” is applying 60 years of hindsight to something that was much more raw, unknown, and free of today’s cookie cutter standards for completion.
tron
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#10
I’m reading this guy’s report - and it’s kinda interesting - but I’m left thinking: can we have him do the exact same kind of report for Bill Bryson?
:lol
kineo kid
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#11
I for one am just grateful for Earl’s efforts, as I have had the pleasure along with millions of others of walking on the Trail he helped create.
I’m easy and am usually willing to give an “A” for effort!!
I think the writer needs to spend less time critiquing and more time hiking!! 
Enjoy the day, Bison
Bison