it must be crazy down there!

[Slo-go'en]

Saw a TJ entry last night which reported there was a rumor 150 people started at Springer yesterday, April 1st. (he was at Hiker Hostel heading out today) If true, that's totally nuts!

FS42 must have been like an interstate. I can't imagine that many people trying to find a place to camp along the first 10 miles of trial - or the next 10 miles. One part of me is glad I'm nowhere near there while another part of me thinks it would be fun to witness the madness. It's always fun to watch that many people try to set up their tents for the first time...

[Christoph]

I hope it thins out soon. Starting mine on the 19th but after reading some of these threads, I'm really considering pushing it back another week. That's a lot of people.

[illabelle]

That's like a herd of buffalo! Imagine all the impacts to wildlife, vegetation, water sources, treadway - not to mention the manure left behind! I don't like the idea of regulating access, but that's insane.

[Havana]

I've been thinking about a NOBO in the next few years. But now I'm thinking about a flip or cool breeze. It's just insane to go for a walk in the woods with 100 other folks. It's not what I'm looking for. I do section hikes in the northeast through the summer and by then the crowds are thin and spread out. It's a nice experience (and the crappers aren't all full).

[Hot Flash]

I'm actually considering doing the Benton Mackaye as an alternate route instead of that first madhouse section of the AT. Then continue on the AT on the far side of the Smokies.

[Coffee]

I'm worried enough about 50/day starting on the PCT every day this month and I'm right in the middle of the herd, but at least it isn't 150/day. That's just insane.

[RED-DOG]

I beleive next year will be worse than this year. the ATC needs get somekind of regulation in place cause the next few years will also be bad. after all the herds go through is a great time to go hiking thats when the trail clubs come out and clean up the mess left behind. next year we will probably see caretakers at the first few shelters in GA.

[colorado_rob]

I've been thinking about a NOBO in the next few years. But now I'm thinking about a flip or cool breeze. It's just insane to go for a walk in the woods with 100 other folks. It's not what I'm looking for. I do section hikes in the northeast through the summer and by then the crowds are thin and spread out. It's a nice experience (and the crappers aren't all full).

I started with about 40-50 folks in 2013 in early April, wasn't really that "crowded" except at those first few shelters (which I walked right by, I camped at about mile 17 my first night), but by the end of about a week, it was waaaaayyyyy thinned out, and after a couple/few weeks I felt at times that I owned the trail. Still, if I had it to do over, I'd probably flip as well.

I'm probably the only one, but I'm excited to see so many more people enjoying, or at least attempting to enjoy, this fantastic "hobby" (long distance hiking). I do realize there are overuse problems to be worked out, but still, this is a good trend in my mind.

[Redrowen]

Saw a TJ entry last night which reported there was a rumor 150 people started at Springer yesterday, April 1st.

Sounds like an April Fool Joke.

[tim.hiker]

When does these people come threw the Smokies how long does it take from the start to get there ?

[Tipi Walter]

That's like a herd of buffalo! Imagine all the impacts to wildlife, vegetation, water sources, treadway - not to mention the manure left behind! I don't like the idea of regulating access, but that's insane.

I love it. Keeps the newbs and crowds away from my neck of the woods and hiking trails. Clusters them all in one place as Yes they are backpackers but obviously brainwashed backpackers to think the AT is the only game in town. Oh, and once the temps dip below 30F all 150 of them will bail into a town with hot showers and motel beds. It's a perfect system and needs no regulation. Let them fixate and drool over the AT and the AT shelter system---it leaves an incredible amount of solitary and open trails for me.

[Seatbelt]

If we think it's bad now, wait til the movie comes out.

[Traveler]

If we think it's bad now, wait til the movie comes out.

I am less concerned with the effects of a movie than I am the effect that quasi-permanent hiker feeds are having on the AT. These are the next step to commercialization of trail services, gear, and other vendors that will start setting up shop.

[Tipi Walter]

If we think it's bad now, wait til the movie comes out.

I'm glad for the movie as it will draw even more people away from backpacking other trails in the mountains of TN and Georgia and NC and Virginia and concentrate them on the AT boulevard.

[illabelle]

Since every able-bodied American (and many foreign visitors) have an inalienable right to traverse the wilderness, we should build great 100-bed bunkhouses, and 12-hole privies, and install water pumps, and climbing aids for the steep areas (handrails, cables, winches?), and we should award medals after the first 100 miles or so, and and and ...

Don't hit me, I'm not serious!

[Sarcasm the elf]

If we think it's bad now, wait til the movie comes out.

I'm actually excited for the movie. For all of the concerns about the damage that will be done as a result of overuse in the Southern most section (which is a concern I share), we forget that the majority of people who will watch the movie and be inspired by it aren't going to try a thru hike. It's easy to focus on the idiots that are inevitably going to watch the movie and then show up at Springer dangerously unprepared, however I am willing to bet that for every one of those fools produced by the film, there will be dozens of more intelligent people who see the movie, catch the hiker bug, do proper research and begin to enjoy the A.T. and other trails in their free time. We all got into this pursuit one way or another and this movie is hopefully going to increase the popularity of hiking and the outdoors throughout the country.

[Tipi Walter]

But I don't believe the subject is about the Unprepared Idiots on the trail but about the sheer numbers on the trail.

[colorado_rob]

I amazes me, and somewhat saddens me to see such cynical posts (elf's post aside); this is primarily an AT website, yet when lots and lots of folks show up to hike the AT, most on here tend to bad-mouth them and say the Sky is Falling, even though they themselves want to hike the AT, or if you don't, WHY do you participate on an AT forum?

[Tipi Walter]

I amazes me, and somewhat saddens me to see such cynical posts (elf's post aside); this is primarily an AT website, yet when lots and lots of folks show up to hike the AT, most on here tend to bad-mouth them and say the Sky is Falling, even though they themselves want to hike the AT, or if you don't, WHY do you participate on an AT forum?

Because Whiteblaze is also about backpacking and about Other Trails like the CDT and PCT and about any or all wilderness areas and about the backpackers who use these other trails or go into these other wilderness areas.

[Seatbelt]

I amazes me, and somewhat saddens me to see such cynical posts (elf's post aside); this is primarily an AT website, yet when lots and lots of folks show up to hike the AT, most on here tend to bad-mouth them and say the Sky is Falling, even though they themselves want to hike the AT, or if you don't, WHY do you participate on an AT forum?

I wasn't badmouthing anybody. I simply said that if we think it is bad now--IT meaning crowds Not badmouthing them though just concerned about the situation.