"pseudo-hiker types"

imported
#1

I was browsing through Wingfoot’s web site today, (www.trailplace.com) and came across this quote:

“However, if you’re one of those pseudo-hiker types who seem to populate internet Trail sites these days … one of those folks who like to do more talking about the A.T. and criticizing than walking on it or working to develop or protect it… then you may find this website a bit challenging. It’s for serious Trail folks only, the kind of people who are willing to work to make the A.T. a better place for all.”

Wingfoot seems to be throwing down the gauntlet, and I am personally a lttle confused about his attitude. Who are the “serious trail folks?” By his standards I worry that many day and section hikers, or even those with a dream of hiking the trail, are being told to take a hike (pun intended).

Let’s talk about elitist attitudes here. The original vision of the AT was to provide a retreat to the wilderness, away from the pressures of the work-a-day world. No mention made or implied about how “serious” you are, just a desire that you will enjoy your time in the woods.

It seems to me that the trail community would be better served by wingfoot embracing an inclusive attitude toward those who visit his site. Of course it’s his site, and no one, including myself, should begrudge him the effort, time and desire to help involved in its production and upkeep! None the less, it rankles me to think that people with a legitimate interest in the trail may be thought of in a lesser light because they don’t meet whatever arbitrary standards Dan has set for them. If they love the time they get to spend on the trail, if they have a interest in the trail, or if they hope someday to be on the trail, they are also important to the trail and to the trail community.

In short, I hope that everybody I ever meet on the trail will be as open and as friendly as those I’ve had the good fortune to meet. The last thing the trail needs is a caste system!

spike

#2

Wingfoot is in that small group of folks who thinks that if you haven’t walked the trail numerous times, you don’t deserve to be on it, or be “as good” as those who have.
Although I have the utmost respect for anyone who has thru-hiked or hiked the whole trail, and i not only look up to these people, but hope to be one in a few years, I have a problem with hikers who look down on the short-trippers. As stated above, the trail is a wilderness which allows someone to enjoy our countries scenary, wildlife, and interesting people. Its a shame when a weekend warrior or day hikers gets frowned upon because they haven’t walked hundreds of miles. Everyone should be appreciated for sharing a common love for our outdoors and national trail. Wingfoot has done a lot for the hiker community but he only reflects a small percentage of the hiker attitude that thru-hikers are better than day hikers.

A-train

#3

Wingfoot mentions in his statment also that his site is for folks who do more walking on the trail than talking about it on the internet. When was the last time Wingfoot hiked, does anybody know? He also states in his area about himself, that he is the most knowlegeable and accesible person in the AT community and that he spends six months a year hiking the trail. From the knowledge that I have thru others that know him, is he hasn’t even stepped a foot on the trail in years. Wingfoot is totally contradicting himself. If he wanted to get his message across it would be better not to excluded anyone or type of hiker in hopes that his concept of hiking the AT would rub off on them. But what he is doing is aleinating them and keeping them from his message. He also mentions in his guidelines for his mailing list, that no member may post outside links in there message or signature with out his permission first and doing so could mean expulsion from the list. Trailjournals.com encourages outside links in their link directory. Is this website stuff a competition for him and he wants to be the only source for AT info? Also challenging him on a issue is automatic expulsion. You have to be wound pretty tight to run a mailing list and can’t sweat the small stuff. Does he have what it takes?

Anyways to finish speaking my mind, IMHO the Appalachian Trail is a sanctuary for those who seek fellowship with the wilderness no matter what background they have or how they hike the trail (cell phone or not). There are people hiking the trail from all walks of life and in general everbody respects everyone else on the trail and gets along. I can’t say the same about towns because I have been a bad-boy myself in town (I hope to change that), but on the trail the rules change and everyone for the most part gets along. I know right now being the hiker that I am, I don’t fit into the Wingfoot concept, but being a pseudo-hiker im far from it, I love the outdoors and I love hiking the few miles I can get in in a day and can’t wait to be hiking again.

Yes I am aware that Wingfoot has done alot for the AT, and I thank him and all others that have done the same. I am just expressing that his wordsmithing on his site turned me off, as I think it will do others also. He comes across as some self appointed guru. Yes it is his website and he can do what he choses. I just wanted to get my criticizing in just like he did in his 3rd paragraph on his opening page. Enough Said. Hey check out this link below.

Easyhiker

#4

I was shocked to see what Spike had to say above. I had to go check out trailplace for myself. It’s been MIA for so long I haven’t looked at it in awhile even though it was instrumental in planning my own hike. I agree with what everyone says. The AT is for everyone who walks yada yada yada. I’m not going to rewrite it all again. I do, however, feel that Wingfoot feels the same way about the trail. After reading the How to Become a Member part of his site, it is clear that Wingfoot is not being elitist about the trail, but he is being selective on the type of “AT folk” who use Trailplace.

Wingfoot is an activist! He is a doer! If he feels things are encroaching on the trail in a negative way, he goes and fixes it. Wingfoot is worried that there aren’t enough people like him anymore. He feels too many people just talk about what needs to be done as opposed to doing what needs to be done. Wingfoot wants a forum of activists on Trailplace not a forum of talkers.

Do you think his vision of an online community of volunteers reporting valuable, real time information on the trail without bias will work? Would you be a volunteer? Is it worthwhile? Doesn’t the ATC do this?

Grimace

#5

I must admit that speaking his name does bring out the emotions in folks. I have stayed quiet way too long on this topic and I am getting really tired of hearing about everything that Wingfoot has done for the AT. His accomplishments have been noted and recognition for his contributions are well deserved.
My question is what has he done for the AT lately? I personally have seen him run “his” site with Gestapo like tactics. Never hesitating to banish someone for the slightest infraction. During the last presidential compaign he blatantly broke many of his own rules for the site. I have seen him promise his handbook on date after date and then leave all but the latest hikers of that year stranded. Not just once, but two or three years in a row.
The WF “contribution” that caused me to abandon him and his site was the last time he “pulled the plug” on the site, without notice, and left so many stranded for information just before the start of the thru-hiking season. He then had the audacity to post on his site that it was our fault.
It is my opinion that he has become irrelevant because of his heavy handed ways. I see him as a divisive influence who has gotten way to much mileage out of the AT. I believe he has squandered his accomplishments trying to feed his ego more so than helping the AT. I also believe that the trail community is as aware of his short-comings as they are aware of his accomplishments and fewer people will be sucked in this time by his agenda.

Footnotes

#6

Our jist is someone who supports the AT practices LNT, is respectful of some sort of “hiker ethic” whether it’s fix the trail(s) as you go, present a positive mark when interacting with [it’s] community or just having a taste of what very few of us thru hikers get to experience. So you tried to thru hike or section hike and it didn’t work out. But you TRIED and had a taste and you liked it, or did a weekend over spring break to see what all the hoohah was about. Maybe some trail magic. And you told someone else about that feeling. The Brotherhood of getting back to the woods and sharing it with others. In what ever way you do. As long as you made an effort not to harm it and made an effort to enjoy it.
We all can’t drop everything and go to town on some one elses idea. What we can do is offer what is available from our own little store of wisdom. From us, on this site, it’s to teach. Share what we learned from theis trail and others. I can’t go and do any trail maintenance since I don’t live near it. But I can preech it’s standard. Keep it clean, safe and remember you are visiting some one elses house. Trash a shelter, you trash everyones shelter. Tell stories, you have an audience. Fix a water bar and show by example, others will follow. We’re all stewards no matter how little or how much we play a part in it’s survival. One gum wrapper at a time or five miles of switch backs instead of taking the kids to the beach. Or a bitchin’ slide show. We all do what we can when and where we can do it. This is one case where to many indians and not enough chiefs is a good thing. I don’t think the AT will be “loved to death”. To many family members to watch out for it. When my nephew is ready to thru hike I will have more than a few things to teach him in my little bag o’ tricks. B of B+B

The Apple Dumpling Gang

#7

Though I have corresponded with him via email a couple of times. I’m an ardent section-hiker, and am not ashamed of who knows it. Wingfoot always seemed helpful and more than willing to answer my questions. I don’t know, maybe I caught him on a good day. . .

The Trail has a great many people dedicated to its preservation. As with any large group, you’re going to have individuals who differ (sometimes widely) on how to accomplish that end. We’re all headed in the same direction.

We all love the AT. That doesn’t mean, however, we always have to love each other.

JustHank

#8

Went over to the site to see what the fuss is about. I have to admit it is rather discouraging to hear him start this site out on the wrong foot. Seems to be more of the things that went bad with the old site.

Just bugs me that he would shove it everyone’s face about how great he is, how many miles he has walked, how valuable he is to the AT, etc. He claims over 50,000 hours of community service to the AT. Do the math, that is over 5 1/2 years of constant working (ie no eating, sleeping, or even hiking.) Funny how he refers to himself in third person as well to separate himself from his own boasts.

I leared a lot from trailplace before I started my 2001 site. But this all came from the forums, from the folks that participated there. Wingfoot provided the service and I appreciate that. But surely is someone I would rather not hike with.

Ganj

#9

Me, a section hiker for over 30 years and still section hiking-Springer to Neals 2 weeks ago, and next weekend its Newfound to Davenport…and some sections too many times to count (Sams Gap to Spivy 17 times!)…personally I started sectioning the AT in Scouts and in our troop every hike involved a project, some as simple a placing a log to divert water or rocking up a spring to make it easier to scoop out…Wingfoot also gave me a bad impression. I have never longed to be a thru-hiker though someday it looks like we will complete the whole trail…my suggestion is that anytime anyone walks the AT do something for it, big or little. Carry a blank journal for a shelter, move a rock that stubbed your toe, haul brush into diversion trails to discourage their use, write the Postal Service and ask for an AT stamp, write you congressman/woman and thank them for continued support of the AT-the protective border that surrounds the AT could and should be extended where possible!
I live 2.5 miles from Roan High Knob and I have a neighbor about 3 miles away. This man has never set foot on the AT on purpose nor ever will, but he willingly gave up 30 acres of land when the AT was rerouted near his 550acres retreat-point is that the AT has friends we dont even know about that if best will do maybe one small section in their life.
Many times over the years I have shared my bounty with thru-hikers and was mostly thanked for sharing. I have however felt the look of ignominity from a few thu-hikers when they discovered that I was just out for 3 or 4 days.
A lot of ramble but bottom line is that there are many ways we can support the AT, on it and in the boardroom…and the attitude some of us get from thru-hikers is the age old philisophical argument of HYOH…

RENaissaince

#10

Okay, adding to the debate some. One of the things I liked about Trailplace was the very high signal to noise ratio. There was very little of the silly discussions that can take place and the diversions that you can see on wide-open forums. This is because Wingfoot rules with somewhat of an iron-fist. In earlier years, Trailplace filled a tremendous need on the internet for AT related information. In the recent past, several sites have started that have provided quality alternatives to Trailplac but other than AT-L none have the following that Trailplace did. And, to be honest, the AT-L has a lot of traffic with a lot of noise.
I think Trailplace is an opportunity to centralize a lot of information and is a run by a person who provides a great organization of material. That’s why I go there.
I think online forums with searchable discussions are a much better format than mailing lists but that’s just me.
It remains to be seen whether Wingfoot will be successful in this endeavor, or whether his efforts to limit the ‘noise’ will turn off more people than he attracts.

Merryhiker

#11

At first I didn’t understand what this Wingfoot guy was all about, and still am not amused with his pseudo hiker comment. However we all have charachter dis-functions … We need to look past those in times of a general interest … as in the case of the Appalachian Trail. I was quick to attack and am sorry I did. After lurking for the last couple weeks on his list (ATML), I have learned a great deal about the history of the trail, general concerns about preservation, and trail ethics. I might not agree with some of his shit, but I have a general interest in keeping this trail around for folks that seek fellowship with the wilderness. IMAO (in my asshole opinion) this is what the trail is all about. If I want someone to pick on I can just get on the EL, thats another story …

Easthiker

#12

Wingfoot is an elitist. Always has been. He hasn’t been seen on the AT since 1992.

Lone Wolf

#13

LW from Utah?

Bushwhack

#14

Lone Wolf from Damascus

L.W.

#15

Okay. Wrong one. :>)

BW