I attended to ATKO at Amicalola Falls last week. Lots of good information. The big theme for this year was hike conduct off the trail. Many hikers think they are entitled to act and do whatever they want. Please remember that you are a guest in a hostel or town. Your actions reflect on all the hikers that will follow you.
popeye
Back in the 1970s when I started backpacking there were many hotels that would not allow hikers. The hiking community worked very hard to develop a good reputation and eventually most hotel/motels now welcome backpackers. In the last ten years I have noticed a definite change of attitude in the community. A small minority is making it harder for the rest of us to be as welcome in town as we used to be. I think if things don’t change we will start to see the “backpackers not welcome” signs start to appear again.
Big B
The wild majority of people you will meet on the Appalachian Trail are great people who’s company you will enjoy. If you end up hiking from Springer to Katahdin you’ll very likely encounter people who’ll become your life-long friends. Even though they may end up on the other side of the planet from you (literally as well as figuratively).
The AT is a microcosm of society.
Datto
Datto